Question: asthma Question. What is the consensus of medical doctors as to whether asthma can be cured? And do you have an article discussing whether asthma can be cured?

Reference:
 Asthma Overview Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, tightness in the chest, or coughing. After age 15, asthma is more common in girls and women than in boys and men. Women with asthma may have more symptoms during certain times in the menstrual cycle. Asthma may cause problems during pregnancy. You can help prevent or stop asthma attacks with medicine and by staying away from your asthma triggers, such as pollen, mold, or air pollution. What is asthma? Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects the bronchial tubes. Your bronchial tubes carry air into and out of your lungs. When you breathe, your lungs take in oxygen. The oxygen travels through your bloodstream to all parts of your body. In people who have asthma, the lungs and walls of the bronchial tubes become inflamed and oversensitive. When people with asthma breathe in "asthma triggers," such as smoke, air pollution, cold air, mold, or chemicals, the bronchial tubes tighten in response. This limits airflow and makes it difficult to breathe. Asthma triggers may be different for each person and may change over time. Who gets asthma? Before age 15, asthma affects more boys than girls. After age 15, asthma is more common among girls and women than among boys and men. Researchers believe the hormones estrogen and progesterone might affect women's airways. Changing hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy and menopause may affect airways in women with asthma.1 Some women are more at risk for asthma: How does asthma affect women? Studies show that asthma may affect women differently than men.4 What are the symptoms of asthma? Asthma symptoms include: You may have only one or two of these symptoms, or you may get all of them. You may also get asthma symptoms only at night or in cold weather. Or you may get asthma symptoms after exposure to an allergen or other trigger, or when you have a cold or are exercising. How is asthma diagnosed? Many people develop asthma during childhood, but asthma can happen at any age. Asthma can be difficult to diagnose. Asthma symptoms can be similar to those of other conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, bronchitis, anxiety disorders, and heart disease. To diagnose asthma, your doctor or nurse may: Your doctor or nurse may also do tests including: Your doctor or nurse may want to test for other problems that might be causing your symptoms. These include sleep apnea, vocal cord problems, or stomach acid backing up into the throat. How is asthma treated? Asthma is a chronic disease. This means that it can be treated but not cured. However, some people are able to manage asthma so that symptoms do not happen again or happen rarely. You can take steps to control asthma and prevent problems by: What is an asthma action plan? Your doctor or nurse will work with you to come up with an action plan for treating your asthma. The action plan includes: What types of medicines treat asthma? Asthma medicines work by opening the lung airways or by reducing the inflammation in the lungs. Some asthma medicines are pills, but most come from an inhaler (you breathe the medicine in). Asthma medicines fall into two groups: long-term control medicines and quick-relief or "rescue" medicines. Long-term control medicines help you have fewer and less severe asthma attacks. But they don't work to stop an asthma attack that has already started. You take long-term control medicines every day to relieve inflammation and help open the airways. Common types of long-term control medicines include inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta agonists. Inhaled corticosteroids help reduce inflammation in the lungs so that you are less likely to have an asthma attack. They will probably be the first type of long-term asthma control medicine your doctor will give you. If your asthma is not controlled with an inhaled corticosteroid, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves adding a long-acting beta agonist to your long-term control treatment. Beta agonists help open your airways but you should only use long-acting beta agonists alongside an inhaled corticosteroid. Quick-relief or "rescue" medicines help stop attacks once they start. Quick-relief medicines include short-acting inhaled beta agonists like albuterol. Quick-relief medicines usually make your symptoms go away within minutes. They do this by quickly relaxing tightened muscles around the airways. Are complementary or alternative therapies safe to treat asthma? Research has not shown complementary (add-on) or alternative treatments to stop an asthma attack or prevent asthma symptoms. More research is needed about whether complementary or alternative therapies work or are safe for asthma treatment. What are common asthma triggers? Many different things can trigger an asthma attack. And what triggers one person's asthma may not trigger another person's asthma. Common asthma triggers include: How can I prevent an asthma attack? You can take medicines to help prevent and stop asthma attacks. You can also help prevent attacks by staying away from asthma triggers and following these steps:5 How does my menstrual cycle affect asthma? Changing hormone levels throughout your menstrual cycle may make your asthma symptoms worse during some parts of the cycle. If your asthma symptoms get worse during certain parts of your cycle every month, track your symptoms and menstrual cycle on a calendar. After a few months, you might be able to predict when your asthma symptoms will flare up based on your menstrual cycle. You can then stay away from other asthma triggers during these times. Tell your doctor or nurse: How does asthma affect pregnancy? Many women who have asthma do not have any problems during pregnancy. But asthma can cause problems for you and your baby during pregnancy because of changing hormone levels. Your unborn baby depends on the air you breathe in for oxygen. Asthma attacks during pregnancy can prevent your unborn baby from getting enough oxygen. Pregnant women with asthma have a higher risk for:7 Pregnancy may also make asthma symptoms seem worse due to acid reflux or heartburn. If you have asthma and are thinking about becoming pregnant, talk to your doctor or nurse. Having your asthma under control before you get pregnant can help prevent problems during pregnancy. Is asthma medicine safe to take during pregnancy? Some asthma medicines may be safe to take during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor or nurse about whether it is safe to continue taking your medicine during pregnancy. Your doctor or nurse may suggest a different medicine to take. Don't stop taking your medicine or change your medicine without talking to your doctor or nurse first. Not using medicine that you need may be more harmful to you and your baby than using the medicine. Untreated asthma can cause serious problems during pregnancy. Also, talk with your doctor or nurse about getting a flu shot. The flu can be very dangerous for women with asthma, especially during pregnancy when your immune system is different from normal. How does menopause affect asthma? For some women, asthma symptoms do not change after menopause.8 However, other women report that their asthma symptoms get better after menopause. Researchers think very low levels of estrogen after menopause may be a reason why asthma symptoms can get better and why fewer women develop asthma after menopause. This may also explain why women who take menopausal hormone therapy for menopause symptoms are at higher risk for developing asthma.8 Did we answer your question about asthma? For more information about asthma, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or contact the following organizations: Sources 

Answer: Asthma symptoms can be managed but not cured.