What is Asthma?
The condition in
which airways become narrow due to swelling and produce extra mucus is called asthma.
Asthma is an obstructive lung disease. There are many external and internal
factors which can trigger inflammation and causes the walls to swell and fill
with mucus. Further narrowing of airways is caused due to the muscle
contraction of breathing passage. This narrowing due to swelling makes it difficult
for a patient to exhale. These problems in exhaling are symptoms of asthma
attack. Other common symptoms of asthma are wheezing, coughing, difficult
breathing and shortness of breath. Asthma is a minor disease for some people and
for some people it can be a major disease that may lead to a life threatening
asthma attack. It is very important for a patient to stay in touch with his
doctor, because asthma is a disease which changes over time.
We can control asthma
but it cannot be cured. You have to live with it every day of your life. If someone
is diagnosed with asthma at early stage, he/she have a greater chance to
control it. We can control asthma attacks with proper treatment. The frequency
of attacks will be more if you are not doing a proper treatment.
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Symptoms of Asthma
When
breathing becomes difficult an attack of asthma is triggered. Attack could be
sudden, few hours later or even after few days. There are many symptoms of
asthma which includes, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, breathlessness, and
difficulty in speaking. There is no proper timing for symptoms occurrence, they
could occur at day time or even at night time.
The most
common symptom of asthma attack is wheezing.
Wheezing is a whistle like sound, produced when an asthma patient
breath. But it’s not necessary that everyone who wheezes is an asthma patient
or someone who doesn’t wheezes is not an asthma patient.
Causes of Asthma
It is not fully
known why people exactly get asthma. The main reasons seem to be the family
history and the environmental factors, but it is not applicable to all people. The
allergens or triggers can start it in sensitive people. Some of the main
allergens are:
Ø Dust
Ø Molds
Ø Tobacco smoke,
Ø Stress
Ø Cold air
Ø Infections
Ø Air pollutants
Ø Fragrances
Ø Hormones
Ø Occupational Irritants
There are many
other factors which increase the risk of developing asthma, such as; if any of
your blood relative such as sibling or parent had the history of asthma, then
the chances of developing asthma in you increases. Obesity is another factor
which increases the chances of asthma. Smoking also increases the chances of
asthma. Pollution such as dust, smoke, agricultural pollution, breathing perfume,
dry weather, stress, etc. also increases the chances of asthma.
In developed
countries like United States asthma is very common. Almost 17million American
and 3 million Canadian people are suffering from asthma. The reason behind this
could be; people of developed countries spend most of their time indoor where they
are exposed to indoor dust and mold, they breathe more polluted air than underdeveloped
countries, lack of physical activities and exercises.
Prevention of Asthma
For most
of the patients there is no cure for asthma but it can be managed, it is a
lifelong disease. But by following your doctor’s prescription you could prevent
asthma attack and live a happy life. It is very important for an asthma patient
to learn about his condition, what he/she can do to improve it and live a
better life. Following are few steps to prevent asthma:
Discover your asthma triggers:
We have already discussed in detail the factors which trigger
the asthma attack, which are air pollution, cold air, pollens, indoor and
outdoor allergens. You have to find out what which factors trigger your asthma,
and stay away from them to avoid asthma attack.
Breathe Monitoring:
Shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing are the warning
signs of asthma attack, you have to learn them. Record your airflow regularly
it will help you to recognize and change in your breath and let you do the
preventive measurements.
Identify the Attack Early
You won’t need much medication if you act quickly, by doing
so you can avoid sever attack of asthma. If you record any decrease in your
breath flow act immediately to prevent the attack. Stop doing the work which is
triggering your asthma. If your symptoms do not improve visit your doctor.
Take Prescribed Medication:
Lot of people stop taking medication when their symptoms of a
disease start improving,. Don’t do that if you are an asthma patient. Before
doing any change in your medication it is recommended to visit your doctor and
take his/her advice in this matter. Don’t change your medication on your own
without consulting your doctor; it will be harmful to you.
Dependency on Inhaler:
If you are relying too much on your inhaler you are not
improving or your asthma is not under control. So talk to your doctor if you
are relying very much on your inhaler it’s not a good sign.
Follow Your Action Plan Strictly:
If you are an asthma patient you have to make a detailed plan
by consulting your doctor and medical team to manage your asthma. Asthma is not
a short term disease rather it’s a long term ongoing condition which requires
regular monitoring. You have to take control of your disease if you want to
live on your own conditions; otherwise you have to live on the conditions of
your disease.
Conclusion
Asthma
is a serious disease. Its diagnosis depends upon the history of the patient.
All asthma patients do not wheeze. In asthma management patient education is
very important. Treatment varies from patient to patient. So if you want to
stay healthy and live your life on your own conditions monitor your breath,
stay away from your triggers, stay in touch with your doctor.
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