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Beranda / Asthma

Asthma, Causes and Symptoms and Treatment

Asthma must be controlled in the long run because it can be controlled as long as there is a willingness and effort from the sufferers. The lungs are organs in the respiratory system (respiration) and are associated with the vertebrate circulatory system by breathing. Its function is to exchange oxygen from the air with carbon dioxide from the blood. This process is called "external breathing" or breathing.


The lungs also have nonrespiratory functions. Medical terms related to the lungs often begin in the lungs, from Latin words for pulmonary pulmones. The human airway starts from the mouth and nose, then unites in the neck area into the trachea (throat) that will enter the lungs. In the lungs, one trachea airway will branch in two, one to the left lung and one to the right lung.

After that, each branch will branch out again, the longer it will be smaller until 23 times and lead to the alveoli where gas exchange occurs, oxygen (O 2) enters the blood vessels and carbon dioxide (CO 2) is released. Well, here is an explanation of asthma.

Understanding of Asthma

Asthma is a condition that affects the airways, causing the airway muscles to contract and narrow, become inflamed or produce mucus. Asthma in Greek "asthma" is a type of long-term or chronic disease of the respiratory tract which is characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the airways which causes tightness or difficulty breathing.

For someone who has asthma, the respiratory tract is more sensitive than other people who do not live with this condition. When the lungs are irritated by the trigger above, the respiratory tract muscles of asthmatics will become stiff and make the channel narrow. In addition, there will be an increase in sputum production which makes breathing more difficult.

Asthma affects people of all ages, but most often begins during childhood. The severity and frequency of asthma varies from person to person. In an individual, they may occur from hours to hours or days to days. Experts agree that asthma is a chronic disease that needs to be monitored and controlled for life. Anyone can suffer from asthma, even though it is usually first diagnosed as a young person or children.

Causes of Asthma

Factors that cause asthma are important to know that you can prevent asthma or prevent recurrent asthma attacks for those of you who have a history of asthma. Indeed there are factors that can be changed and cannot be changed. Factors that cannot be changed are genetic factors. But by controlling other factors, these genetic factors can later be suppressed so that they are not dominant. Some of the factors that cause asthma are as follows:

Heredity

In every disease, especially chronic non-infectious diseases, hereditary or genetic factors contribute to causing a disease, including asthma. But the magnitude of the contribution to become the cause of asthma certainly varies from one person to another, depending on the magnitude of the genetic strength derived from previous generations.

So if your parents or grandparents have a history of asthma, then you have a higher risk of suffering from asthma than people who have no history of asthma at all in their family. This genetic factor usually affects the body's autoimmune reactions, where in people with asthma have a respiratory tract that is very sensitive to the environment or exposure to certain substances.

Air pollution

Polluted environments or air pollution can also be a cause of asthma. Air pollution can be in the form of smoke generated from motorized vehicles, factory smoke, smoke from burning garbage or forest fires, as well as the amount of dust flying. This air pollution can contaminate when you leave the house or inside the house.

Houses or rooms that are rarely cleaned can produce pollution in the form of dust that is very easy to trigger the onset of asthma. This air pollution is irritant so that if inhaled the respiratory tract will become sensitive and narrow so that the risk of causing asthma.

Infection in the Lungs

The occurrence of infection in the lungs can also be a cause of asthma. This usually occurs due to secondary effects due to the infection process in the lungs. The most often associated with asthma is the occurrence of inflammation in the bronchial area, or which is often referred to as bronchitis. So even though asthma is not contagious, you need to be vigilant to avoid transmission of infectious diseases in the area around the lungs because it can risk secondary effects of respiratory tract constriction or asthma.

Food Allergy

Some foods can cause an allergic reaction to breathing so that it triggers asthma. This allergic trigger can certainly vary from one person to another. Foods that often cause allergies and cause asthma include seafood, eggs, peanuts, chocolate, cow's milk, soy milk, foods that contain preservatives, and so on. If you have a history of asthma, you should know what types of foods can cause asthma in you.

Exposure to Chemicals

The next cause of asthma is due to exposure to certain chemical substances. These substances are usually present in objects or items around us and can cause an allergic reaction if the smell is inhaled into the respiratory tract causing asthma. These chemicals include, among others, rubber, metals, mosquito coils/spray, perfumes, deodorants, detergents, wall paint, and so on. Consumption of certain drugs can also cause side effects such as shortness of breath or asthma. Therefore, if you take medicines, it should be in accordance with the doctor's prescription and the rules of use.

Cigarettes

Cigarettes contain harmful substances that can cause various diseases, including asthma. Cigarette smoke content, especially nicotine, if it enters the respiratory tract in addition to damaging the lungs can also irritate the respiratory tract. Both active smokers and passive smokers are both at risk for developing asthma.

Stress

Be careful if you store too much of your mind to experience stress. Because stress can also be a cause of asthma. Therefore, manage your mind to always be calm and peaceful in order to avoid stress. Also set the time well so that the work does not accumulate. Because the workload that accumulates is also high risk to cause stress

Asthma Complications

The following are the effects of asthma that can occur:
  • Psychological problems (anxiety, stress, or depression).
  • Decreased performance at school or at work.
  • The body often feels tired.
  • Impaired growth and puberty in children.
  • Status asthmaticus (a severe asthma condition that does not respond to normal therapy).
  • Pneumonia.
  • Respiratory failure.
  • Damage to some or all of the lungs.
  • Dead.
When asthma symptoms appear, the respiratory tract will narrow and the muscles around the channel tighten. In addition, there is an increase in inflammation in the lining of the respiratory tract and sputum production which increases the narrowing of the respiratory tract. By narrowing the parts of the respiratory tract, the air will be more difficult to flow and the patient becomes more difficult to breathe.

Symptoms of Asthma

Asthma is characterized by recurrent episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing. Sputum can form in the lungs due to coughing but is difficult to remove. Well, for that it's good to know some symptoms of this disease.

Early Asthma Symptoms

In general, these signs are not severe enough to stop the patient's activities in daily activities. But, by recognizing these signs, sufferers can stop an asthma attack or prevent it from getting worse. These signs can be an early warning that includes:
  1. Frequent coughing, especially at night.
  2. Difficulty breathing or Shortness of breath.
  3. Feeling very tired or weak when exercising.
  4. Wheezing or coughing after exercise.
  5. Feeling easily tired, upset, or moody.
  6. There is a decrease in lung function as measured by peak flow meters, by blowing out the strongest breath on the device.
  7. Signs of flu, or allergies (sneezing, runny nose, cough, stuffy nose, sore throat, and headache).
  8. Hard to sleep.
If there are these symptoms, identify as early warning signs of asthma symptoms.

Asthma attacks are episodes in which the muscles surrounding the airways are triggered to tighten. This breathing muscles tightening is called bronchospasm. During the attack, the lining of the airways becomes swollen or inflamed and the cells lining the airways produce more mucus than usual.

Bronchospasm, inflammation and mucus production are causes of asthma symptoms such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and difficulty in performing normal daily activities. Other symptoms of an asthma attack include:
  1. Severe wheezing when breathing is good when breathing or exhaling.
  2. A cough that won't stop.
  3. Breathing is very fast.
  4. Chest pain or pressure.
  5. Pull the muscles to help breathing such as the neck muscles, chest muscles, and ribs that appear to rise and fall due to excessive breathing effort.
  6. Difficulty speaking.
  7. Feelings of anxiety or panic.
  8. Pale, cold sweaty face.
  9. Blue lips or nails turn blue, which is known in medicine as cyanosis.
If someone is diagnosed with asthma as a child, the symptoms may disappear when he is a teenager and reappear when he is older. However, symptoms of asthma that are classified as moderate or severe in childhood, will tend to persist even though they can also reappear. However, asthma can occur at any age and does not always start from childhood. Then is there a good treatment done?

Asthma Treatment

The goal of treating asthma is to control symptoms and prevent recurrence of attacks. For most people with asthma, drugs and treatment methods that exist today have been proven effective in keeping asthma symptoms under control.

To get effective results, the doctor needs to adjust the treatment with the symptoms of asthma that appear. In addition, patients also have to undergo regular checks (at least once a year) to ensure that treatment is suitable and that asthma is under control. Sometimes patients need a higher level of treatment at a certain time period.

It is important for patients to recognize things that can trigger their asthma in order to avoid it. If asthma symptoms appear, a commonly recommended drug is a relieving inhaler. An inhaler is an inhaled oral spray. How to use it is also not easy. Repeated training and in-depth education from doctors is needed to teach how to use this inhaler.

There are two types of inhalers used in the treatment of asthma, namely:

1. Reliever Inhaler.

Reliever inhalers are used to relieve asthma symptoms quickly when an attack is in progress. Usually these inhalers contain drugs called short-acting beta2-agonists or beta2-agonists that have fast reactions (eg terbutaline and salbutamol). This drug is able to relax the muscles around the narrowed respiratory tract. That way, the respiratory tract can open wider and make people with asthma can breathe more easily.

2. Preventing inhalers.

In addition to preventing asthma attacks, deterrent inhalers can also reduce the amount of inflammation and sensitivity that occur in the airways. Usually you should use a deterrent inhaler every day for a while before feeling the full benefits. You may also need a relieving inhaler to relieve symptoms when an asthma attack occurs. But if you constantly need the reliever inhaler, then your handling must be reviewed in its entirety.

In addition to the inhaler, handling asthma can also be done with drugs such as "Asthma Medicines". Consult your doctor about the dosage and use of the drug. Usually, this asthma medication is taken as a "symptom controller" and is not used when an asthma attack occurs.

Ipratropium. Although more prescribed in cases of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, ipratropium can also be used to treat asthma attacks. This drug is able to facilitate the flow of breathing by relaxing the muscles of the respiratory tract that tighten when the symptoms of asthma relapse.

Omalizumab. This drug can reduce the risk of inflammation of the respiratory tract by binding to one of the proteins involved in the immune response and reducing levels in the blood. Generally, omalizumab is recommended for patients who suffer from allergic asthma and often experience asthma attacks. As a drug that is usually only prescribed by a specialist, omalizumab is given by injection every 2-4 weeks. The use of omalizumab must be stopped if the drug does not succeed in controlling asthma within sixteen weeks.

Oral steroids. Steroid tablets may be prescribed by your doctor if your asthma is still not controlled. This treatment is usually monitored by a pulmonary specialist who treats asthma sufferers because if used long-term (for example more than three months), the risk of causing certain side effects, such as hypertension, weight gain, muscle weakness, bone loss, thinning skin and bruising.

Theophylline tablet. Drugs that can be used as a medication to prevent asthma symptoms work by helping to dilate the airways by relaxing the muscles around them. In some people, theophylline tablets are known to cause side effects, such as nausea, headache, vomiting, insomnia, and stomach upset. But this can usually be avoided by dose adjustment.

When an asthma attack occurs with symptoms that continue to worsen (slowly or quickly) even though it has been treated with an inhaler or other drugs, the patient must immediately get treatment at the hospital. Although rare, asthma attacks can endanger lives. For people with chronic asthma, inflammation of the airways that has been long and repetitive can cause permanent narrowing.

3. Controlling Asthma

If you happen to have asthma or live with asthma for a long time, don't worry about this condition because asthma is a manageable disease provided you:
  • Identify and avoid asthma triggers.
  • Follow the asthma treatment plan made with the doctor.
  • Recognize asthma attacks and take appropriate treatment steps.
  • Use asthma medications that are recommended by doctors regularly.
  • Monitor your airway condition.
If the use of an asthma reliever relieves fast inhalers, immediately consult a doctor so that your asthma treatment plan is adjusted again. In addition, it is advisable to carry out influenza and pneumonia vaccinations regularly to prevent the worsening of asthma caused by both diseases.

The right steps that can be taken to avoid an asthma attack are to avoid the factors that cause the asthma attack itself. Each patient generally has its own characteristics towards things that trigger the asthma attack. After the occurrence of an asthma attack, if the patient feels he can breathe a sigh of relief, it is recommended to continue the treatment according to the medication and the dose given by the doctor.

For those of you who have a disease such as asthma and often do activities outside the home, you should use a mask, especially when you are or passing places with poor air to avoid motor vehicle fumes, factory smoke, and flying dust. If you experience asthma caused by allergies, then identify any allergic factors that can trigger a recurrence, either because of food, chemicals, certain animals or plants.

After knowing the factors, you should avoid contaminating these factors. Therefore, this is the explanation about asthma, hopefully, this article will benefit the reader.