Editor’s Note: This is the first part of a three-part series on Iowa State students living with medical conditions. Today’s story examines asthma and its effects on ISU students with the disease. Wednesday’s story will analyze diabetes and Thursday’s will take a look at arthritis.

As a 9-year-old boy pumped full of enthusiasm for hockey practice, Mike Ogbourne skated the length of the ice and became winded.

Ogbourne, now a senior in mechanical engineering at Iowa State, compares the incident to trying to suck air through a straw.

He was later diagnosed with asthma, an obstructive lung disease affecting more than 14.6 million Americans, according to the American Lung Association.

Jay Brown, allergist/immunologist at McFarland Clinic, 1215 Duff Ave., defined asthma as an inflammatory condition of the lungs that manifests itself in wheezing, shortness of breath and episodes of coughing.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), a private not-for-profit organization offering support to asthma and allergy patients, said asthma episodes include these symptoms: the lining in air passages becoming inflamed and swelling, mucus clogging the airways and muscles around the airways tightening.

Brown categorized the disease into two broad categories: intermittent and persistent asthma. Intermittent asthma is “episodic” and sufferers usually have asthma symptoms a few times yearly.

Persistent asthma may be broken down into mild, moderate and severe cases, Brown said.

Mild asthma sufferers experience symptoms between two and three times weekly.

Moderate asthma patients may have symptoms daily, while those enduring severe asthma may experience them several times daily.

Asthma can be triggered by allergens, irritants in the air, respiratory infections, exercise, weather and expressing strong emotions, according to the AAFA.

Ogbourne and Shannon Hughes, junior in chemical engineering, both said their asthma cases are induced mostly by physical activity.

Ogbourne, who plays hockey for the Cyclones, said asthma occasionally affects his stamina, though it’s not a major hindrance.

“There’s nothing that [asthma] has kept me from doing,” he said.

Hughes said her asthma becomes more pronounced in spring and winter and corresponds with her seasonal allergies.

“I know my limits. I know what I can and can’t do,” she said. “Right now if you wanted me to run a mile, I probably couldn’t do that without having an asthma attack.”

Sometimes Hughes has difficulty climbing steps.

Though medical experts haven’t found a cure for the disease, Brown said the future looks bright.

“There have been remarkable strides made in recent years which have increased our understanding of asthma and our ability to treat it,” he said.

According to the AAFA, there are two basic types of asthma medications: anti-inflammatory medicines and bronchodilators.

The anti-inflammatory medicines prevent or reverse inflammation in the airways. The drugs may either be inhaled or taken orally.

Bronchodilators open airways by “relaxing muscles that tighten in and around the airways during asthma episodes” to relieve asthma symptoms, according to the AAFA.

While many asthma sufferers use inhalers to help reduce or prevent asthma symptoms, some asthma patients use nebulizers during asthma attacks.

Brown said a nebulizer is a machine, similar to an air compressor, which offers an alternative method of administering medication to patients.

According to the American Lung Association, asthma may be life-threatening if not properly treated.

AAFA has developed a four-part asthma management plan to help control asthma. The plan is as follows:

• Identify and minimize contact with asthma triggers

• Understand and take medications as prescribed.

• Monitor asthma and recognize early signs that it is worsening.

• Know what to do when asthma is worsening.