By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

May is Asthma Awareness Month, and the Livingston County Health Department is giving tips to help alleviate symptoms of this chronic condition.

Linda Rhodes, health education and marketing director for the health department, described what exactly asthma is.

“Basically what happens when people have asthma is that their airways will narrow. There’s inflammation, there’s swelling, there’s extra mucous that literally clogs up the airway, and on top of that, the little muscles around your bronchial tubes will actually tighten up,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes also said that sometimes there is no way to avoid asthma triggers completely, but there are tools to help.

“Fortunately right now, with technology, we can watch the pollen counts. You can get an app on your phone or check your computer. The local news frequently gives what the pollen count is for the day. That helps people know to spend a little more time indoors today because you don’t want to be out there,” Rhodes said.

The full forum can be found in the podcast section at WJEZ.com.