(StatePoint) — While the majority of the more than 25 million Americans living with asthma enjoy active, healthy lives, for others, severe symptoms are part of daily life, despite using high dose asthma medicines and avoiding triggers.

Does this sound familiar? If so, it could be severe asthma, a type of asthma that affects approximately five-10 percent of those with the condition.

Severe asthma increases the risk of death, illness and depression. It also limits the ability to work or go to school. Severe asthma is dangerous and is responsible for 50 percent of all asthma healthcare costs. Control is the key and is attainable even if a person does have severe asthma.

Is the asthma under control? To find out, start by visiting the American Lung Association website, where users can take the My Asthma Control Assessment check and access a downloadable summary of its findings to take to the next doctor’s appointment.

For more information and to access questions to ask the doctor for a more productive conversation, visit www.lung.org/severe-asthma.

Better understanding asthma is the first step to taking better control of the symptoms.