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What To Know About Mild Persistent Asthma
The most common kinds of asthma are mild intermittent and mild persistent asthma. People with mild persistent asthma have mild symptoms, but they occur regularly.
Although the symptoms of asthma are more or less the same, asthma can vary in severity and persistence from mild and intermittent to severe and persistent.
Research suggests that up to 70% of all people with asthma have mild persistent asthma.
Keep reading to learn more about mild persistent asthma and the treatment options available.
Asthma is an inflammatory condition that affects a person's airways.
As one study explains, when the airways are chronically inflamed, they can become hyper-responsive to specific triggers, which causes them to swell. This swelling can make it hard for oxygen to reach a person's lungs.
A person with asthma may experience:
Flare-ups or asthma attacks occur when a person's asthma symptoms become severe. A severe flare-up needs urgent medical attention.
A person is likely to have mild, persistent asthma if:
A doctor will ask the individual to describe their symptoms.
They may ask about:
They may also:
When a physician evaluates a person's lung function, they will typically take two different measurements.
FEV1 valueThe FEV1 value is the amount of air a person can force out of their lungs in one second.
A person's actual FEV1 value is often a percentage of their expected FEV1 value. For example, someone's actual FEV1 value might be 90% of their expected FEV1 value.
Peak expiratory flow (PEF)PEF variability looks at the variation in the rate at which a person can expel air from their lungs over time. A person may use a peak flow meter to measure PEF at home.
All of this information can help the doctor assess the severity and persistence of a person's asthma.
Learn more about the types of asthma and how doctors diagnose them.
It can be hard for a person to predict when an asthma flare will occur. Over time, however, a person with asthma may notice that certain environmental factors and activities trigger their flares.
One research paper lists the following common asthma triggers:
What are some common asthma triggers?
When a doctor is treating a person's asthma, they can choose from a range of medications. What they prescribe will depend on which type of asthma a person has.
A doctor will typically recommend inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy as a first-line treatment for mild persistent asthma.
ICS therapy works by reducing inflammation in the airways and is effective at preventing flare-ups. People usually administer it using an inhaler.
What are some home and natural remedies for asthma?
There is no universal consensus on how medical health professionals should classify different kinds of asthma, but one 2019 review suggests the following categories:
What are the different severity levels of asthma?
What does mild persistent asthma feel like?According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, mild persistent asthma is when symptoms occur at least twice weekly but not daily.
Nighttime flare-ups happen at least twice per month but less than once a week. Lung function is at least 80% of typical lung function, and it can affect a person's ability to do their usual activities.
Is mild persistent asthma serious?As long as it remains mild, mild persistent asthma is usually manageable with medication and not life threatening.
However, it is worth noting that the severity of asthma can change from mild to severe or severe to mild. Anyone with asthma should continue to monitor their condition and follow a doctor's recommendations.
What is the treatment for mild asthma?Mild asthma usually responds to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy, which can reduce inflammation and help manage or prevent a flare-up.
Asthma is a common inflammatory condition that affects a person's airways. If left untreated, it can be disruptive, and, sometimes, dangerous.
An individual who thinks they may have asthma should seek the advice of a medical health professional.
A doctor can diagnose asthma relatively easily, and treatment options are usually quite effective.
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Question or Comment?The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90DPTB0029). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
Solutions For Mild Psoriasis
Mild to moderate psoriasis means that the red or purple, scaly patches ("plaques") cover less than 10% of your body. But just because your psoriasis is mild doesn't mean it's easy to live with. If the patches are in visible places like your hands or legs, you may be embarrassed to go out without wearing long sleeves and pants. Also, small areas of psoriasis can turn into big problems if they're itchy or painful.
Your goal is to have clearer skin. To do that, you and your doctor need to find the right psoriasis treatment.
Each person with psoriasis is different. That's why your doctor will use a few factors to decide which treatment to try:
Your doctor may use the Koo-Menter Psoriasis Instrument to help decide on a treatment. This one-page tool asks questions to find out how much psoriasis affects your life. The doctor can use your answers to determine whether you need a skin cream, light therapy, or a drug that works throughout your body.
Usually doctors start with the mildest treatments for people with mild-to-moderate psoriasis. Often the first treatment you'll try is a skin cream or ointment. If a mild treatment doesn't work, you'll move up to stronger treatments until your doctor finds one that helps you.
In general, you should not apply topical medications to open and infected areas, so speak with your doctor if your skin plaques become actively inflamed.
What it is: Corticosteroids, or steroids, are the most commonly used topical treatment for psoriasis.
How it works: Steroid drugs curb the growth rate of skin cells and reduce inflammation.
Types of corticosteroids: There are a variety of steroid creams, gels, ointments, lotions, and shampoos. They range from weak to strong. The stronger the steroid, the more effective it is. However, stronger steroids also cause more side effects.
Side effects include thin skin, changes in skin color, acne, stretch marks, redness, more visible blood vessels, or increased risk for infection. Although uncommon, topical steroids can be absorbed into the circulation and cause side effects such as cataracts, glaucoma, and Cushing's syndrome. These uncommon side effects are more likely to occur if you use very high-strength topical steroids over a large area for an extended period of time.
What it is: A form of synthetic vitamin D that you rub on your skin.
How it works: Vitamin D creams slow skin cell growth.
Vitamin D creams include:
Side effects include skin irritation, burning, itching, dry skin, peeling skin, or rash. In rare cases, too much vitamin D can be absorbed into the body, which can lead to increased levels of calcium.
What it is: A lab-made form of vitamin A.
How it works: It slows skin cell growth and reduces inflammation.
Types of topical retinoids:
Side effects include skin irritation, redness, and sensitivity to sunlight (you need to wear sunscreen while using this medicine). Let your doctor know if you are pregnant or might become pregnant because this medicine may harm an unborn baby.
What it is: A lab-made form of a substance that comes from the South American araroba tree.
How it works: It slows the growth of skin cells.
Types of anthralin:
Side effects include skin irritation. It can also leave brown stains on clothes, hair, bed sheets, and skin.
What it is: The same type of medicine that is used to treat acne.
How it works: Salicylic acid lotions, gels, creams, ointments, pads, plasters, soaps, and shampoos lift scales and help to remove them. Sometimes salicylic acid is used with other psoriasis treatments, such as corticosteroids or coal tar.
Side effects include skin irritation and hair loss.
What it is: A cream or ointment that's applied daily to treat psoriasis
How it works: This treatment slows down skin cell growth.
Side effects vary depending on which topical you've been prescribed but generally include skin irritation, itching, or redness. For roflumilast (Zoryve), side effects can include headache, diarrhea, nausea, insomnia, upper respiratory tract infection, and urinary tract infection.
What it is: Coal tar is one of the oldest treatments for psoriasis.
How it works: Coal tar shampoos, creams, and lotions, gels, ointments, and solutions slow the growth of skin cells. They also reduce scaling, itching, and swelling. The Goeckerman treatment, once widely used, combines coal tar with light therapy. It has fallen out of favor due to its inconvenience.
Side effects include skin irritation and sensitivity to sunlight. Coal tar can also cause strong odor and staining of clothing, bed linens, and hair.
A few other over-the-counter remedies can help treat psoriasis, including:
Always discuss medications with your doctor, including over-the-counter remedies, to see if they are right for you. Your doctor may also recommend light therapy or an injected drug called a biologic that works throughout your body if your psoriasis is bothering you or having a big impact on your life.
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