Asthma or bronchial asthma is a lung condition. Your airways become swollen, constricted, and clogged with too much mucus. Medication is an option for treating these symptoms.
Overview
What is asthma?
Breathing problems are brought on by a lung disorder called asthma, sometimes known as bronchial asthma. It doesn’t go away and is a chronic (ongoing) ailment that needs ongoing medical care.
Currently, about 25 million Americans suffer from asthma. This sum includes more than 5 million children. Your asthma could turn lethal if treatment is not administered.
What is an asthma attack?
Because the muscles around your airways are relaxed during normal breathing, air may flow through them easily and softly. Three things could happen when you have an asthma attack:
1. Bronchospasm: The muscles surrounding the airways contract. Your breathing gets harder as it gets tighter. Air cannot flow freely via constricted airways.
2. Inflammation: Your airways’ mucous lining swells. Swollen airways make it harder for air to enter or leave your lungs.
3. Mucus production: The attack causes your body to produce extra mucus. The thick mucus obstructs the airways.
Wheezing is the sound your airways make when you exhale and it happens as your airways get more constricted. An exacerbation or flare-up is another word for an asthma attack. It’s the expression used to characterize unmanaged asthma.
What types of asthma are there?
There are various types of asthma, depending on the underlying cause and severity of symptoms. Healthcare providers identify asthma as:
1. Intermittent: You can function normally in between asthma flare-ups since this type of asthma comes and goes.
2. Persistent: People with persistent asthma typically have symptoms for the majority of the time. The severity of the symptoms can vary widely. Your doctor uses the frequency of your symptoms to determine how severe your asthma is. They also consider how well you can carry out tasks amid an attack.
Asthma has multiple causes:
1. Allergic: Asthma attacks can be triggered by allergies in certain persons. Allergens encompass substances such as pollens, molds, and pet dander.
2. Non-allergic: An asthma attack might be brought on by external circumstances. Weather, stress, exercise, and illness can all trigger a flare.
Asthma can also be:
1. Adult-onset: This type of asthma appears after the age of 18.
2. Pediatric: This kind of asthma, often known as childhood asthma, can affect babies and toddlers and frequently starts before the age of 5. Asthma may outgrow children. Make sure you discuss this with your kid’s provider before deciding whether or not your child needs to carry an inhaler with them in case they experience an asthma episode. Your child’s physician can help you become aware of the risks.
Furthermore, the following forms of asthma exist:
1. Exercise-induced asthma: This kind, also known as exercise-induced bronchospasm, is brought on by physical activity.
2. Occupational asthma: Most persons with this kind of asthma are exposed to irritating substances at work.
3. Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome: This kind develops when a person has both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Breathing becomes difficult with both conditions.
Who can get asthma?
Asthma can strike anyone at any age. People with allergies or those who have been near tobacco smoke are more likely to develop asthma. This includes breathing in smoke from other people who are smoking as well as breathing in smoke from clothing or surfaces in places where people have smoked.
Statistics show that people with asthma are more likely to be born as females than as boys. Asthma affects more Black people than persons of other races.
Symptoms and Causes
What causes asthma?
The reason why some people develop asthma and others do not is unknown to researchers. However, some variables carry a greater risk:
1. Allergies: Asthma risk can increase if you have allergies.
2. Environmental factors: After being exposed to something that irritates the airways, a person may acquire asthma. Some of these include gasses, toxins, allergies, and second- or third-hand smoke. For young toddlers and newborns, whose immune systems are still developing, they can be very harmful.
3. Genetics: If there is a family history of asthma or other allergy illnesses, you are at a higher risk of developing them yourself.
4. Respiratory infections: A few respiratory illnesses, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), can harm the developing lungs of young infants.
What are common asthma attack triggers?
An asthma attack could happen if you are exposed to something that aggravates you. These drugs are referred to by medical professionals as “triggers.” It is simpler to prevent asthma attacks when you are aware of what triggers your asthma.
For some people, an attack can be triggered instantly. An attack may start for other people at different times, perhaps hours or days later.
Each person may have distinct triggers. However, a few typical triggers are:
1. Air pollution: A variety of external factors can trigger an asthma attack. Examples of air pollution include smoke from wildfires, vehicle exhaust, and other sources.
2. Dust mites: These are the invisible pests that live in our homes. If you are allergic to dust mites, you may get an asthma attack.
3. Exercise: Some folks may experience an attack after working out.
4. Mold: Mold can grow in moist areas, which can be problematic if you have asthma. Even being allergic to mold is not a need for an attack.
5. Pests: Mice, cockroaches, and other domestic pests can trigger asthma episodes.
6. Pets: Our pets may trigger episodes of asthma. If you have a skin rash that is allergic to pet dander, breathing it in could irritate your respiratory system.
7. Tobacco smoke: Asthma risk increases if you smoke or if someone else smokes in your home. It’s advisable to give up smoking and avoid smoking in enclosed spaces like cars and homes. Your supplier can assist.
8. Strong chemicals or smells: Some folks may get attacked by these things.
9. Certain occupational exposures: You can be exposed to a range of materials at work, including chemicals, wood or wheat dust, and cleaning supplies. Any of them could set off an asthma attack in you.
What are the signs and symptoms of asthma?
People with asthma usually have distinct symptoms. These indications and symptoms are common to many respiratory illnesses:
1. Wheezing.
2. Coughing.
3. pain or pressure,Chest tightness.
4. Breath of Shortness.
You might not experience every symptom on every flare-up of asthma. Your symptoms and warning signs of chronic asthma can vary over time. In addition, symptoms can change in between asthma attacks.
Diagnosis and Tests
How do healthcare providers diagnose asthma?
Your healthcare provider will review your medical history as well as information about your parents and siblings. Your healthcare professional will also inquire about your symptoms from you. You must tell your provider about any history of allergies, eczema (an allergic reaction that causes an itchy rash), and other lung diseases.
Spirometry may be ordered by your provider. This test measures the amount of airflow entering your lungs and is used to monitor the effectiveness of your therapy as well as to make a diagnosis. Your healthcare provider may recommend a skin test, blood test, or chest X-ray.
Management and Treatment
What asthma treatment options are there?
There are several ways that you can manage your asthma. Your healthcare provider may suggest medicine to treat symptoms. Among them are:
1. Bronchodilators: These drugs cause the muscles surrounding your airways to relax. The muscles were relaxed, allowing the airways to open. They also make it easier for mucus to move through the airways. When symptoms of asthma flare-up, these drugs help you feel better. They treat both intermittent and chronic asthma.
2. Anti-inflammatory medicines: These medications lessen the amount of mucus and edema in your airways. They facilitate the flow of air into and out of your lungs. They might be prescribed by your doctor to take daily to manage or avoid your persistent asthma symptoms.
3. Biologic therapies for asthma: When symptoms of severe asthma do not go away with appropriate inhaler medication, they are utilized.
Asthma medications can be taken in several ways. You can inhale the medicine using a nebulizer, metered-dose inhaler, or other type of asthma inhaler. Your doctor may prescribe you oral medications to take orally.
What is asthma control?
Controlling symptoms is the main objective of asthma treatment. Control your asthma means you:
1. Able to carry out your desired tasks both at work and at home.
2. Possess no symptoms of asthma.
3. Use your pain reliever medication infrequently.
4. Without having your asthma interfere with your sleep.
How do you monitor asthma symptoms?
It’s important to monitor your asthma symptoms. It’s a crucial component of illness management. Peak flow (PF) meters may be requested to be used by your healthcare professional. This apparatus gauges the rate at which air exits your lungs. It may assist your doctor in changing the way your medication is prescribed. It also indicates whether your symptoms are worsening.
Prevention
How can I prevent an asthma attack?
If your physician diagnoses you with asthma, you will need to determine what triggers an attack. By avoiding the triggers, you can contribute to preventing an assault. You cannot, however, prevent yourself from getting asthma.
Outlook / Prognosis
What’s the outlook for someone with asthma?
Even if you have asthma, you can still have a very good life and participate in sports and other activities. Your physician can help you manage your symptoms, pinpoint your triggers, and stop or manage bouts.
Living With
What is an asthma action plan?
You will develop an asthma action plan with your healthcare provider. The timing and method of taking your meds are explained in this plan. It also provides advice on what to do in response to asthma symptoms and when to seek emergency care. If there is anything you don’t understand, ask your healthcare professional.
In the event of a serious asthma attack, what should I do?
If you are having a severe asthma attack, you should get emergency medical help.
Make use of your rescue inhaler as soon as possible. You can use a rescue inhaler to help clear your airways by using fast-acting drugs. This is not the same as a daily maintenance inhaler. Use the rescue inhaler whenever symptoms hurt; if the flare-up is severe, you can use it more frequently.
If any of the following apply to you and your rescue inhaler isn’t functioning, get into the emergency room:
1. Anxiety or panic.
2. Chest pain or pressure.
3. Difficulty talking.
4. Pale, sweaty face.
5. Rapid breathing.
6. Persistent coughing or intense breathing-related wheezing.
Additional Common Questions
How can you determine whether you have asthma or not?
To find out if you have asthma or another ailment, you must visit a healthcare professional. Various respiratory conditions produce coughing and wheezing or make breathing difficult.
Can asthma be cured?
No. Although asthma cannot be cured, it can be controlled. As they get older, children with asthma may outgrow it.
Why is my asthma worse at night?
Some refer to asthma that worsens at night as nocturnal asthma or nighttime asthma. Though there are some reasonable ideas, there are no concrete explanations for why this occurs. Among them are:
1. The way you sleep: Acid reflux or mucus leaking into your throat from your stomach might occur when you sleep on your back. Additionally, breathing becomes more difficult when you sleep on your back since it puts pressure on your chest and lungs. On the other hand, lying on your side or face down can compress your lungs.
2. Medication side effects: Certain asthma medications, such as montelukast and prednisone, can interfere with your sleep.
3. Air that’s too hot or too cold: Breathing in hot air might restrict your airways. For some folks, cold air triggers asthma attacks.
4. Lung function changes: Naturally, at night, lung function decreases.
5. Asthma is poorly controlled during the day: If symptoms are not managed throughout the day, they won’t go away at night. It’s critical to collaborate with your healthcare practitioner to ensure that your asthma symptoms are managed day and night. It’s critical to treat symptoms that occur at night. Nighttime can bring on severe asthma episodes and occasionally even fatalities.
A note from Blogjug
With asthma, many people lead happy, meaningful lives. In their respective sports, a few elite athletes with asthma have established records. You can select the optimal asthma management strategy with the assistance of your healthcare provider. Consult your healthcare professional about managing your symptoms.
3 thoughts on “Asthma: Types, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Diagnosis”