Why Is My Asthma Getting Worse with Age?

Does it feel like your asthma is getting worse as you get older? Although aging affects lung health, you can take control of your breathing. Find out why asthma may worsen as you get older and what you can do to manage it.

Asthma is often viewed as a childhood illness that improves with age. However, that isn’t entirely true. A chronic condition, asthma affects people of all ages and can develop at any time.

Although symptoms change and may improve in some cases, it isn’t uncommon for asthma to worsen with age.

Since May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness month, our team at MyHomeDoc wants to explain why your asthma is harder to control as you get older and how you can manage your symptoms and reduce the risk of complications.

About your asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that affects the tubes in the lungs that take in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Asthma causes inflammation and swelling in these tubes, making it hard to breathe in and out.

Various external triggers may cause the inflammation and swelling, such as:

Exercise
Cold or flu infection
Change in weather
Allergies
Air pollutants
Smoke
Certain medications
Stress

You’re more likely to develop asthma if it runs in your family or if you have allergies..

Why asthma worsens with age

Age-related changes to the lungs and overall health are uncontrollable factors that may cause your asthma to worsen with age.

The lungs and chest muscles naturally weaken with age, making breathing more labor-intensive. The lungs also lose elasticity, affecting the ability to exhale.

Beyond the physical changes, other factors may also affect your asthma as you get older, such as:

Lifestyle changes

You may find that you aren’t as active as you once were. Aerobic exercise keeps your lungs strong and pliable. It also improves circulation and helps with weight management.

Extra weight and decreased lung capacity can make your asthma feel worse.

Reduced immunity

Your ability to fight off infections also declines with age, making you more susceptible to infections. Recurring respiratory infections can mean more asthma attacks.

Treatment challenges

You may find it harder to use your inhaler to manage symptoms if you have arthritis in your hands. Changes in memory may also make it harder to remember whether you took your medicine or not.

Not taking your medication as prescribed makes it harder to prevent or minimize asthma symptoms.

Managing your asthma to improve symptoms

Asthma is a chronic condition requiring ongoing medical care and monitoring. Our team at MyHomeDoc provides chronic disease management for conditions like asthma. We monitor symptoms and manage and adjust medications to help you breathe better as lung function and abilities change.

We also assist with lifestyle changes. We offer a weight loss program and can work with you to develop an exercise program and offer guidance on nutrition.

With our same-day doctor service, we can help you manage sudden changes in your breathing, potentially preventing an asthma attack. We provide all through our telehealth platform, making it easy and convenient for you to get medical care from your home.

Your asthma may worsen with age, but you can take steps to manage it, and we can help.

Call us today or book an appointment online. We provide telehealth services for all of Texas and have offices in Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Victoria, Texas.