Overview:
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways which transport air to and from the lungs. In this condition, a person’s airways become narrowed, swelled up and produce extra mucus. That makes it difficult for you to breathe. Though no full cure is available at the moment, there are specific management methods which would help the patient live a full and active life. It can be a minor condition or in certain extreme cases, it could lead to a deadly attack. So, let us know more about this widespread respiratory disease.
What is Asthma:
Normally, when you breathe in air, the air travels through your nose, throat, into the airways and finally into your lungs. Asthma occurs when the lining of such airways swells up and the surrounding muscles tighten. Mucus fills up in the airways further, reducing the amount of air passing through. The coughing and tightening feeling in the chest are typical of an asthma attack. Asthma is not curable, but the symptoms can be greatly controlled. The status of your asthmatic condition tends to be volatile and changes over time. So, it is very important that you consult your doctor regularly, track the changes and adjust your treatment as needed.
Types of Asthma:
There are different kinds of asthma that can affect a person:
- Bronchial asthma is the most common type and affects the bronchi in the lungs.
- Allergic asthma is caused due to allergens like pet dander, food, mold, pollen etc.
- Intrinsic asthma is caused due to irritants in the air we breathe , like cigarette smoke, viral diseases, cleaning products, perfumes, air pollution etc.
- Occupational asthma is caused due to triggering factors in the workplace like gases, chemicals, dust or latex.
- Nocturnal asthma is a type in which the symptoms get worse at night.
- Cough-variant asthma is characterized by symptoms like persistent, dry cough.
- Seasonal asthma is the type of asthma which occurs only at certain times of the year or in certain conditions like cold air in winter, pollen during hay fever etc.
Symptoms of Asthma:
Asthma symptoms vary among individuals. The type of asthma you have will determine the symptoms you experience. Not everyone with asthma will experience the same set of symptoms. The common signs and symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble in sleeping due to frequent coughing and wheezing
- Fatigue
- Coughing or wheezing attacks which are worsened during times of common cold and flu
- Tightness or pain in the chest
- Wheezing, i.e. a whistling or squealing sound when exhaling, especially common in children
Causes of Asthma:
Medical experts have not been able to clearly identify why some people have asthma and others do not. It is the most common chronic disease when it comes to children. No sole particular reason has been identified for causing this breathing condition. Many different factors and aspects of the environmental and genetic makeup contribute or trigger the development of asthma in individuals. These include:
- If one of your parents has asthma, you are more susceptible to it.
- People who have a prolonged childhood history of viral infections are at greater risk.
- Frequent contact with allergens and irritants could trigger asthma. Common indoor allergens include dust mites, animal proteins and dander from pets, toxic fumes from household cleaners, fungi spores, paint and cockroaches.
- High exposure to cold and dry air
- Strong emotions like shouting, laughing, crying etc. and stress can trigger signs of asthma
- Asthma may be triggered due to workplace irritants like gases, dust or chemical fumes.
- Smoggy environmental conditions, high humidity, and intense air pollution tends to cause higher occurrence and recurrence of asthma.
- Smoking cigarettes and other forms of tobacco leads to an increased risk of asthma.
- Respiratory diseases like flu and pneumonia triggers asthma attacks.
- In certain cases, taking part in physical activities and exercises could trigger asthma.
- African-Americans and Puerto Ricans are at a greater risk of developing asthma.
- In their childhood, boys are more likely to develop asthma than girls. However, in adulthood, women get asthma more frequently than men.
- Majority of asthma cases take place when an individual is still in their childhood years.
- Children and adults who are obese or overweight are more probable to developing asthma.
Treatment for Asthma:
Treatment for asthma falls under four primary categories. These include long term medications, first aid, breathing exercises and home remedies. Your doctor will decide the right treatment or combination of treatments for you depending on various factors. These include your age, type of asthma you have, and the triggering factors.
Most medicines to treat this condition have to be taken through inhalers – medical devices that pump the medications into the lungs. It is important that you use the right type of inhaler and use it in the correct manner. Before using, you need proper training from your doctor or a medical professional to make sure you can take your medications properly.
- Long-term control medications: These medicines need to be taken on a daily basis to prevent asthma symptoms. They include inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, beta agonists, combination inhalers and theophylline.
- Quick relief/first-aid medications: These drugs are necessary to provide rapid, short-term relief from symptoms and asthma attacks. These may also be recommended by the doctor to be taken before exercises or strenuous activities. These include nebulizers and rescue inhalers which help you to inhale medicines deep into your lungs during asthma flare-ups. Bronchodilaters help to relax out the tightened muscles of your lungs. Anti-inflammatories help to target and fight the inflammation in your lungs.
- Breathing exercises: These exercises help you to pass more air in and out of your lungs. Over time, breathing exercises help to increase lung capacity and fight severe asthma symptoms.
- Home remedies: Some home remedies are effective in stopping asthma symptoms from escalating and may come in handy during an emergency. Coffee and caffeinated teas help to open up airways and ease symptoms for up to four hours. Inhaling essential oils like eucalyptus, lavender, basil also help to fight symptoms.
Prevention of Asthma:
Since researchers have not been able to identify the exact cause of asthma, it is quite challenging to know the ways to prevent this breathing condition. However, by working together with your doctor, you could design and implement a step-by-step plan which would prevent asthma attacks.
- You need to identify and steer clear of all the triggers which have caused you breathing difficulties in the past.
- Staying up-to-date with pneumonia and flu vaccinations help.
- You need to monitor your own breathing patterns and learn to recognize the early signs of an impending attack.
- You need to get routine allergy shots to make your body less sensitive to the triggers.
- Take your medications as per your doctor’s prescription without any fail or breaks.
- You need to pay attention and refrain from excess use of quick-relief inhalers.
- Eating a healthy diet, cutting down on processed food, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and reducing stress are some of the healthy ways of avoiding asthma attacks.
Conclusion:
Even though there is no absolute cure for asthma, there are quite a few effective treatments which help to decrease the symptoms and help the patient to live a healthy and better life. Inhalers are of utmost importance when it comes to fighting asthmatic conditions. So, you must keep your inhalers handy at all times and know how to use them properly. The key is to be educated about your condition, learn to identify all the warning signs, carry out on-the-spot relief treatments and consult a doctor whenever the need arises.
