What is Asthma? Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease that affects the airways that carry air in and out of the lungs. Like chronic lung disease, asthma causes the muscles around the airways to become inflamed and narrow. The airways can also become filled with mucus, reducing the air's ability to pass through and making breathing harder.
Asthma causes recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstructions, and bronchospasm, which are easily triggered and lead to asthma attacks in most cases. Wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath are the symptoms generally seen during Asthma. The symptoms may occur a few times a day or a few times a week, and they don't go away. Also, its symptoms may become worse at night or with exercise, which requires medical treatment right away, especially severe asthma attacks.
Thus, chronic respiratory diseases like Asthma make several physical activities challenging due to breathing difficulties. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 25 million people in the US have Asthma.
Symptoms of Asthma
Some Asthma symptoms help you understand you are suffering from it. They are:
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Coughing
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Breath shortness
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Chest pain
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Sleeping trouble
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Anxiety
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Chest tightness
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Rapid breathing
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Difficulty in talking
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Fatigue.
If you observe any of the above symptoms or severe persistent asthma, immediately visit your doctor and consult. You can also visit our store to check which asthma inhalers are the best for managing asthma symptoms.
Causes of Asthma
Asthma can be caused due to multiple reasons. Below, we have listed some of the most prevalent causes of Asthma.
Viral infections
People who experience frequent viral respiratory infections from early childhood mainly have Asthma. Viral infections may include respiratory syncytial virus(RSV) infections and many others.
Genetics
Genetics can also be a cause of Asthma. If any of your close family members are suffering from it, it increases the chances of it occurring in your body.
Environmental factors
Exposure to chemical fumes, such as toxins, allergens, and thirdhand smoke, may also contribute to Asthma symptoms.
Hygiene hypothesis
Staying near dirt and dust or unhygienic places may also cause Asthma problems. Hence, always practice hygiene to protect yourself from such issues.
Smoking
Smoking cigarettes may also cause Asthma. When one smokes, you come in contact with harmful smoke, which can increase the risk of Asthma.
Read Also - Related Diseases to Asthma is COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
Types of Asthma
There are several types of Asthma, as discussed below:
Allergic Asthma
Allergic Asthma mainly prevails due to molds, pet dander, and pollens.
Nonallergic Asthma: Nonallergic Asthma flares up due to stress, exercise, illness, and other nonallergic conditions.
Occupational Asthma
Occupational Asthma mainly occurs due to harmful substances in the workplace, such as dust, gases, fumes, etc.
Aspirin-induced Asthma
Aspirin-induced Asthma is triggered due to aspirin or NSAIDs, including ibuprofen, naproxen, and more.
Cough Variant Asthma
Cough variant asthma is related to a dry cough. It is not similar to other asthma types.
Nocturnal Asthma
Nocturnal asthma symptoms worsen during the night. Heartburn, dust mites, pet dander, and other causes can cause them.
Childhood asthma
Childhood asthma happens in infants below the age of 5 years.
Exercise-induced Asthma
Exercise-induced asthma is a condition in which physical activities or exertion trigger the narrowing of the airways. In such cases, specific exercises lead to symptoms like difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing.
Risk factors for Asthma
Factors that increase the chances of developing Asthma include:
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Overweight
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Family history of Asthma
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They have allergic conditions such as atopic dermatitis, which causes red, itchy skin and hay fever and might contain symptoms like runny nose, congestion, and itchy eyes.
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Being a smoker
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Exposure to smoke released from industries and vehicles, exhaust fumes, or other types of pollution
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Exposure to chemicals, farming waste, and pesticides
Complications of Asthma
In normal conditions, you may keep your asthma problem under control. Still, asthma is a severe condition that leads to several complications in your day-to-day life.
Here are some of the complications you may experience during Asthma. Ignoring them can be harmful and might worsen with time.
Inadequately controlled Asthma may cause complications like:
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Feeling tired every time
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Stress, depression and anxiety
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Delay in growth or puberty in children
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Underperformance at work and other activities
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Lung infections(pneumonia)
The above listed and some other complications may appear when you heal Asthma.
Diagnosis of Asthma
Diagnosing Asthma is not possible in a single step. Your healthcare provider will examine you through a few steps, which are listed here.
Health history
Your doctor will first ask a few questions about whether your family suffers from such a disease. If yes, you are more likely to develop it.
Physical exam
A physical exam involves listening to your breathing with a stethoscope. Skin tests are sometimes performed to determine whether you are suffering from any allergic reactions, which have a high Asthma risk.
Breathing tests
Breathing tests allow doctors to check the air going in and out of the airways. A spirometry is used to measure the speed of the air.
X-ray / CT scan
Scans are mostly done to get an in-depth view of your lungs. X-rays and CT scans can show any infections that can contribute to Asthma.
Prevention measures for Asthma
The following measures can help you prevent Asthma:
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Smoking causes irritants to the lungs when you have Asthma. Hence, avoid Smoking.
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Avoid taking stress.
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Have a healthy, balanced diet that improves health.
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Avoid staying near chemicals and fumes
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Prevent coming in contact with substances that trigger allergies(allergens) that make your asthma worse
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Avoid common asthma triggers like cold air, dust, pollens, and smoke
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Maintain a healthy body weight.
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Perform regular exercises.
Also, Discover Home Remedies that may help you Deal with An Asthma Attack.
Treatments for Asthma
Some of the treatments mainly prescribed for asthma are listed below.
Bronchodilators
A bronchodilator is a fast-acting Asthma treatment that relaxes the tightened muscles around the airways. Bronchodilators help pass air, decreasing the problem.
Bronchodilators are oral medications used with a nebulizer or an inhaler. They are generally used to treat sudden asthma symptoms.
Biologics
Asthma patients who don't respond to medications are treated with biologics. These drugs target particular antibodies in the body that lead to inflammation.
Doctors mainly give biologics in the form of injections.
Medications
Taking medications daily to treat Asthma may also help. But the medicines are not an immediate treatment. Some of the drugs are:
Anticholinergics
Anticholinergics stop the tightening of muscles around the airways. Anticholinergics are medicines that can be taken daily with anti-inflammatories to relieve symptoms.
Anti-inflammatories
Anti-inflammatory medicines reduce swelling and mucus production. Thus, they help clear the airways, making it easier to breathe and helping avoid asthma triggers.
Bronchial thermoplasty
Bronchial thermoplasty is an Asthma treatment performed with an electrode to heat the airways. This helps loosen the tightened muscles and can help those with severe Asthma. Bronchial thermoplasty is carried out by a doctor in the hospital.
Final Lines:
That's all one needs to know about asthma. If left untreated, asthma can lead to severe problems like a sudden asthma attack or significant breathing difficulties. Hence, if you experience any symptoms, visit a nearby doctor and discuss them.
