What is Asthma and How to Cure it?
Asthma is a chronic disease caused by inflammation in the respiratory tract. This inflammation makes the respiratory tract swollen and very sensitive. As a result, the respiratory tract narrows, causing a lack of air flowing into the lungs.
The cells in the respiratory tract may also make more mucus than usual. This mucus can further narrow the respiratory tract.
There are five common types of asthma, including:
- Exercise-induced asthma
- Nocturnal asthma (nighttime)
- Occupational asthma
- Cough-variant asthma
- Allergic asthma
Why asthma should not be taken lightly?
According to WHO,
- Asthma is one of the most important non-infectious diseases. It is a chronic disease of the respiratory tract of the inflamed lung and makes it narrow.
- About 235 million people are currently suffering from asthma. This is a common illness among children.
- Asthma has a relatively low mortality rate compared with other chronic diseases but most asthma-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
- Drugs can not cure, but only control asthma.
Causes and Risk Factors
What causes asthma?
The exact cause of asthma is unknown. The researchers think some interactions of genetic and environmental factors can cause asthma, most commonly in early life. These factors include:
- The tendency to develop allergies, called atopies (AT-o-pe)
- Parents who have asthma
- Certain respiratory tract infections during childhood (ARI)
- Contact with the airborne allergens and exposure to various viral infection in infancy and in early childhood while the immune system develops
If asthma or atopy is present in your family, irritant exposure (for example, cigarette smoke) can make your respiratory tract more reactive to substances in the air. Asthma attacks can occur when you are exposed to "asthma triggers." Your triggers can be different from other asthma sufferers. Triggers may include:
- Allergens from dust, animal dander, cockroaches, fungi, and pollen from trees, grasses and flowers
- Irritants such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, chemicals or dust at work, compounds in home decorating products, and sprays (such as hairspray)
- Drugs such as aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and nonselective beta-blockers
- Sulfites in foods and beverages
- Upper respiratory viral infection, such as runny nose
- Physical activity, including sports
Who is at risk for asthma?
According to WHO, asthma is a common disease among children. Actually, asthma affects people of all ages, but most often begins in childhood because:
- Have a respiratory infection (highest risk)
- Have allergies, eczema (allergic conditions on the skin)
- Parents have asthma
Among children, boys tend to have asthma more often than girls. But among adults, women are more commonly affected by this disease than men. It is not clear how sex and sex hormones play a role in causing asthma.
A few people exposed to contact with some chemical irritants and industrial dust at work. They will have a high risk of asthma. This type of asthma is called occupational asthma.
Signs & symptoms
What are the characteristics and symptoms of asthma?
The characteristics and symptoms of asthma are:
- Cough. Asthma cough is often worse at night or early morning, making it difficult to sleep.
- Wheezing. Mengi is a high-pitched whistling sound that appears when you breathe.
- Chest tightness. It may feel like something is pressing against your chest.
- Hard to breathe. Some people who have asthma say they can not breathe or they feel out of breath. You may feel like you can not blow air out of your lungs.
If you have these symptoms, it does not necessarily mean you have asthma. The best way to diagnose asthma with certainty is to use lung function tests, medical history (including type and frequency of symptoms), and physical examination.
Severe symptoms can be fatal so it is important to treat the symptoms when you first realize it so it does not get worse.
Diagnosis
How to diagnose asthma?
Your doctor will diagnose asthma based on:
- Medical history and family. Your doctor may ask about your family history of asthma and allergies. She may also ask if you have asthma symptoms and when and how often they occur. Let your doctor know if your symptoms seem to occur only during certain times or in certain places only, or if symptoms worsen at night. Your doctor may also ask about related health conditions that may interfere with asthma treatment.
- Physical examination. The doctor will listen to your breathing and look for signs of asthma or allergies.
- Pulmonary function test. Your doctor will use a test called spirometry to check how your lungs work. This test measures how much air you can breathe and exhale. This test also measures how quickly you can blow air out.
Other tests may include:
- Test allergies to find out allergens that affect you, if any.
- Test to measure how sensitive your respiratory tract is. This is called a bronchial test. Using spirometry, this test repeatedly measures the function of your lungs during physical activity or after you receive an increase in the dose of cold air or special chemicals to inhale.
- A test to show whether you have other conditions with the same symptoms as asthma, such as reflux disease, vocal cords dysfunction, or sleep apnea.
- Chest x-ray or ECG (electrocardiogram). This test will help find out whether foreign objects or other diseases can cause your symptoms.
Medication & Treatment
What are the commonly used asthma medications?
Asthma is a disease that can not be cured. However, ways ranging from drug use to lifestyle changes can help control asthma symptoms and prevent relapse.
Asthma is treated with two types of drugs: long-term control and instant-relief medication:
- Long-term control drugs: Most people with asthma should take long-term control medications daily to help prevent symptoms. Long-term drugs are the most effective in reducing airway inflammation and help prevent symptoms. These medications include: inhaled corticosteroids, Cromolyn, Omalizumab (anti-IgE). If you have severe asthma, you may have to take corticosteroid or liquid pills for a short period to keep your asthma in control.
- Instant relief medication: All people who have asthma need these medications to help relieve symptoms of asthma that may recur. Inhalation of short-acting beta2-agonist (Albuterol, pirbuterol, levalbuterol or bitolterol) is the first choice for fast relief. Other drugs are Ipratropium (anticholinergics), Prednisone, prednisolone (oral steroids). You should use fast-relief medication when your new asthma symptoms start to appear. If you use this medicine more than 2 days a week, talk to your doctor about your asthma control. You may need to make changes to your asthma action plan.
Emergency treatment
Most people with asthma, including children, can safely manage their symptoms by following their asthma action plan. However, you may need medical attention at any given time.
Call your doctor for advice if:
- Drugs do not eliminate asthma attacks
- Your peak flow is less than half of your best peak flow number
Contact emergency care if:
- You have difficulty walking and talking because you are out of breath
- Your lips or nails are bluish.
What complications may occur due to asthma?
Bad control of asthma can have an adverse effect on your quality of life. This condition may result in:
- Fatigue
- Can not move optimally
- Psychological problems include stress, anxiety, and depression
If you feel that asthma seriously affects the quality of your life, contact your doctor. Your asthma action plan may need to be reviewed to better control the condition.
In rare cases, asthma can cause a number of serious respiratory complications, including:
- Pneumonia (lung infection)
- Partial or complete lung damage
- Respiratory failure, where oxygen levels in the blood become very low, or carbon dioxide levels become very high
- Asmatic status (severe asthma attack that does not respond to treatment)
All of these complications are life-threatening and require medical care.
How can I control my asthma?
If you have asthma, you will need long-term care. The success of asthma treatment requires that you take an active role in your care and follow your asthma action plan. This action plan will help you know when and how to use your medication. This plan will also help you identify the triggers of asthma and control your disease if asthma symptoms worsen.
To control asthma, work with your doctor to control your asthma or your child's asthma. Children aged 10 or older and younger children may take an active role in their asthma care. Taking an active role to control your asthma can be done by:
- Work with your doctor to treat other conditions that may interfere with asthma treatment
- Avoid things that aggravate your asthma condition (asthma trigger). However, one of the unnecessary triggers you avoid is physical activity. Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Talk to your doctor about medicines that can help you stay active.
- Work with other health care to create and follow an asthma action plan
- Learn how to use the drug properly
- Record your asthma symptoms as a way to track how well your asthma is controlled
- You also have to do flu vaccine every year.
