Asthma: Signs and Symptoms of a Major Twenty First Century Illness

I have had asthma since the summer of 2004 when I was living in Spokane, Washington. They had some fires in the nearby mountians and that August I was kept awake all night by coughing. My doctor said that I had asthma and gave me an inhaler. It wasn't until I moved to Colorado that I figured out that my triggers were cold, dry air, smoke, and sometimes hot air. Colorado is very well known for its dry weather. However shortly after I moved to Colorado Springs, my symptoms disapeared. I stopped using the inhaler and soon forgot the need for it. I didn't need it for two years, then this winter we had a lot of snow. The skiers were happy at the ski resorts, but I couldn't stop coughing, I was coughing all day and all night especially when it was snowing. My asthma symptoms had returned and I spent part of February and most of March coughing until I thought I was going to go crazy! Eventually I was able to get to the doctor to seek treatment for my Asthma symptoms. Now I am breathing a lot easier and not coughing nearly as much. In doing research about asthma I discovered that left untreated it actually can be fatal. So it is important to understand the signs and symptoms of Asthma.