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Wishing for a Wheeze-Free Year

Coughing and shortness of breath had her visiting the emergency room more often than the playground.

Why is the flu dangerous?

Know when you need medical attention.

You've had an asthma attack. Now what?

Learn the steps to take after you’ve had an asthma attack

Are your symptoms a red flag?

Some asthma symptoms mean you need to talk to your healthcare team

Oral Corticosteroids (OCS) for Asthma

You may be prescribed OCS if you’ve had an asthma attack. However, prolonged use of OCS has severe health implications. 

If you think your asthma is uncontrolled, take Our Quiz.
If you think your asthma is uncontrolled, take Our Quiz.
What Is Asthma?

Doctors define asthma as a “chronic inflammatory disease of the airway.”

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How To Tell You Have Asthma

Learn about the signs & symptoms of asthma and proper diagnosis.

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Newly Diagnosed? Start Here

Access information and educational resources on living with asthma.

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Medications & Treatment

Learn about the different types of asthma medications and treatment options available.

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Common Asthma Triggers

Triggers often lead to asthma attacks. A trigger is any thing or condition that causes inflammation in the airways, which then leads to asthma symptoms.

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Asthma In Children

Asthma affects the lives of over 850,000 children in Canada. Find out how to best manage your children’s asthma.

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Severe Asthma

What is Severe Asthma? Symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

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COVID-19 & Asthma

It is important that you continue to take your prescribed asthma medications during the pandemic. Learn more about COVID-19 and asthma.

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Nasal Polyps & Asthma

Learn about nasal polyps and how they are treated.

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Education

Asthma education is key to taking control of your disease and living life symptom-free. If you know how to manage your asthma, you can avoid asthma attacks and stay active.

Advocacy

We advocate for change on issues important to the asthma community, like access to medication. Learn more about how our advocacy initiatives are helping Canadians breathe easy.

Research

Our National Research Program supports research into both early-onset and late-onset asthma. Together we are working to further our understanding of asthma and one day, unlock a cure.

Read our Winter Wellness Tips

Stay well with asthma this season with these simple steps

Flu season is here

People with chronic health conditions like diabetes, cardiac or pulmonary disorders and asthma are among those at most risk from influenza. Individuals with chronic health conditions like asthma also have the highest risk for influenza-related complications.

The most effective way to prevent influenza is by getting an annual flu shot. Dr. Susan Waserman, Chair of Asthma Canada’s Medical and Scientific Committee, especially encourages people with asthma and their families to get a flu shot yearly to help prevent complications with their chronic condition.

 Flu shots are recommended annually to help reduce the frequency of asthma exacerbations, as viral and upper respiratory tract infections can both cause asthma episodes and make people with asthma more sensitive to asthma triggers.”

Oral Corticosteroids for Asthma

Most people with asthma do not use oral corticosteroids as part of their treatment plan. Oral corticosteroids can be used to treat uncontrolled asthma or in some cases, severe asthma. 

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Position Statement on Oral Corticosteroids

It is time to protect people with asthma from oral corticosteroids (OCS) overuse and to recognize overuse for what it is: a warning sign that it is time to improve asthma management.

 

Asthma Canada continues our efforts to outline and advocate regarding the concerns of overexposure to OCS. Through our Consensus Committee of healthcare professionals and patients, we’ve developed a position statement which we will leverage in our education and advocacy efforts.

Read StatementLire La Declaration

The Lung Vaccination Working Group

Established in 2018, the Lung Vaccination Working Group is a national coalition of healthcare organizations, co-chaired by Asthma Canada and Immunize Canada, working collaboratively to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination and to increase rates of immunization among adults affected by respiratory conditions.

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You Can Help Stop Asthma Attacks

There are over 3.8 million Canadians living with asthma in Canada, and every year an estimated 250 Canadians lose their lives to the disease. You can help change that. By supporting Asthma Canada, you fund asthma education, advocacy and research to stop asthma attacks today, and unlock a cure tomorrow.