Austin, TX - Spring is in the air, and for some of the 22 million people in the nation with asthma, that means trouble.

Springtime allergies can cause severe breathing problems, but new asthma guidelines may help you and your doctor come up with a better treatment.

The new guidelines emphasize asthma assessment and monitoring, patient education, controlling environmental factors, and monitoring other conditions and medications.

Doctors say lung function testing is critical to properly diagnosing asthma.

The new guidelines also emphasize the importance of doctors demonstrating the proper technique in using asthmatic devices, like inhalers.

For more information on these guidelines go to the National Institutes of Health website at www.nih.gov.