Outgrowing Asthma: Fact Or Fiction?

Can you outgrow asthma? Many asthmatics and parents of asthma sufferers have asked this question. There have been many cases of individuals who were diagnosed with asthma as children and then saw their symptoms decrease and even disappear entirely as they reached young adulthood. But did these individuals actually outgrow the condition or is there another answer for their seemingly miraculous recovery?

The simple answer is that, despite evidence to the contrary, it is not possible to outgrow asthma. Asthma is a chronic, lifelong condition. Even if symptoms seem to taper off, the underlying condition of the lungs that caused them still exists and it can still lead to an attack at any time. But that doesn’t mean that all asthma sufferers have to give up hope.

So how do you explain those individuals who used to suffer from regular asthma attacks and then just stopped experiencing symptoms altogether? There could be several possible explanations. The most likely is that they never actually had asthma to begin with. Because the symptoms of asthma can be closely related to those of other allergy related conditions, it could be that what a doctor thought was asthma was really some other kind of allergy that spontaneously improved as the immune system matured.

Even if the diagnosis of asthma is correct, it may still be possible for symptoms to go into remission for extended periods of time under the proper care. If you are vigilant about treating symptoms, use the right medication and reduce your exposure to potential allergens, you can reduce the incidence of asthma attacks. Can you outgrow asthma? Not really, but you can knock it down to size.

Outgrowing the condition, or sending it into remission, is also dependent on when you first experienced symptoms. Asthma can first appear in childhood or in adulthood. Individuals with adult onset asthma are much less likely to see their symptoms go into remission than those who had childhood asthma. That’s because the body goes through physical changes between childhood and adult life that can help to naturally reduce the likelihood of an attack.

As we get older, our immune systems become stronger and better capable of fighting off allergens and illnesses. Our bodies also grow, and that can lead to improvements in the weakness and inflammation of the lungs that trigger asthma. As the lungs grow stronger, these conditions may in fact lessen, allowing the lungs to function better.

Environmental changes can also help to improve your health. If you reduce your regular exposure to allergens and follow a good overall health regimen, you increase your chances of overcoming sensitivity to various triggers. So can you outgrow asthma? Technically no, but you can help to improve your health and if you’re lucky, your asthma symptoms may become a thing of the past.

An asthma diagnosis can be discouraging, but with the proper care and treatment, you can live a full, rich life and you may even be able to reduce the frequency of attacks or even see your symptoms go away completely. Asthma will always be a part of your life, but you can take control back and help yourself to live symptom free.

Wishing you the best of health

The Allergy Store