Asthma

Asthma is a condition in which airways that delivers air to the lungs become swollen and narrowed. When the lining of the airways is inflamed, it produces more mucus, making breathing difficult. It is characterized by shortness of breath, coughing, chest tightness and wheezing. It often starts during childhood, but in some cases it develops in adults too. This type of asthma is called late-onset asthma. In adults, asthma is more common in women than men.

The airways of people who have asthma are very sensitive to certain substances. They get triggered by things that can be inhaled through air such as cigarette smoke, common cold, exercise and pollens. When you come in contact with any of these triggers, the muscles around the airways get tightens and the airways become narrow. Due to narrow airways, it’s harder to get air in and out of your lungs. It affects people of all ages. To prevent attack, asthma patients should avoid substances that trigger asthma.

Common asthma triggers

Common asthma triggers include:

• Tobacco smoke
• Dust mites
• Air pollution
• Allergens like pollen, animal hair
• Cold air
• Wood smoke
• Mold
• Obesity
• Genetics
• Medicines: Some medicines like aspirin and NSAIDs make asthma symptoms worse.

Diagnosis

Your doctor may diagnose asthma based on thorough medical history, physical examination, and performing breathing tests. He will check how well your lungs work. He will conduct a physical examination and will ask you about the past history and family history. He will ask you if you cough a lot, especially at night. A number of tests can be carried out to confirm the diagnosis, including:

Spirometry breathing test

It is a very common test used to check how well your lungs work. You will be asked to take a deep breath and exhale as fast as you can into a tube attached to a machine (spirometer). It measures the amount of air you can inhale, exhale and how fast you can blow air out.

Peak flow breathing test

It measures how fast you can blow air out of your lungs in one second. It can be done by breathing into a small hand-held device known as a peak flow meter. Other test involves chest X-ray, blood tests, and allergy tests.

Symptoms

The symptoms of asthma vary from person to person. It may range from mild to severe. These include:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness
• Wheezing
• Coughing: It is usually worse at night and in the morning.

Asthma attack

When the symptoms of asthma get severe and are not easily controlled, it is called an asthma attack. During an asthma attack, the muscle around the airways constricts, narrowing the passages and making it difficult to breathe. It develop suddenly and can be life threatening.

Cause of Asthma

The exact cause of asthma is not known, although it is known that you are more likely to develop it if you have a family history of asthma. Certain risk factors associated with asthma are:

Family history

Asthma can run in families. Having a family history of asthma increases the risk in you.

Occupation factors

It occurs due to exposure to chemical irritants, industrial dusts, gases or other harmful substances you may be exposed to at work.

Allergic asthma

Individual with allergies to pollen, pet dander or dust mites are more likely to get asthma.

Childhood asthma

Babies exposed to tobacco smoke are more likely to get asthma. If a woman had smoked during pregnancy, her baby is also at risk of getting asthma.

Pollution

Exposure to indoor or outdoor air pollution can increase your risk of developing asthma.

Treatment of Asthma

There is no cure for asthma, but proper management and lifestyle changes can help control the condition. Steps to manage asthma includes:

• Avoid triggers that cause your asthma symptoms
• Take medications as prescribes by your doctor
• Monitor asthma to check when it is getting worse
• Learn to manage asthma when it gets worse

Medication

Medication is the most common form of treatment. It is generally given through the inhaled route. Inhaling a drug is most effective way, as it goes directly into the lungs. Asthma medicines are categorized into 2 groups: long-term control medicines and quick relief medicines (rescue).

Quick relief medications

Quick relief medications, also known as Short- term control medicines, prevent symptoms during an asthma attack. They carry out this by relaxing the tightened muscles around your airways. Common quick relief medications include:

Short-acting beta2-agonists (SABAs): Short-acting beta2-agonists (albuterol, levalbuterol) works by relaxing the muscles around your airways. These are the first choice for quick relief of attacks. It is administered using a portable and hand-held inhaler or a nebulizer.

Short acting anticholinergics: Short acting anticholinergics like ipratropium relax the smooth muscle around the airways and reduce mucus production. It blocks a chemical in the body called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine plays a role in contraction of muscle.

Corticosteroids: Corticosteroids, which include deltasone, medrol provide immediate relief during an attack.

Long-term control medicine

It relieves inflammation and helps open the airways. These are taken everyday even if you don’t have symptoms. Common types of long-term medications include:

Inhaled corticosteroids: Inhaled corticosteroids are considered as the most effective type of medicine to prevent attacks. It helps reduce inflammation in the lungs so to prevent asthma attack.

Long-lasting Beta 2-Agonist: Beta agonist helps open the airways. It should always be taken in combination with inhaled corticosteroids.

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