No one really knows what causes asthma, but what we know is asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. The cause of asthma symptoms can vary from person to person, but one thing is constant when airways come into contact with an asthma trigger, the airways become inflamed, narrow and fill with mucus.
When you have an asthma attack, spasms of the muscles around the airways, inflammation and swelling of the mucosal membrane lining the airways, and excessive amounts of mucus contribute to airway narrowing. This makes airway resistance increase and the work of breathing more difficult, causing shortness of breath, cough and wheezing. You may have coughing with asthma because of the irritation inside the airway and the body’s attempt to clean out the accumulations of thick mucus.
Asthma has no cure. Even when you feel fine, you still have the disease and it can attack you at any time.
So why do other people have asthma and others don’t? This question can be answered by your family history and background. As there is a strong genetic component of asthma associated with genes.
FACTORS THAT INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF DEVELOPING ASTHMA
- A family history of asthma or other related allergic conditions [known as ‘atopic conditions] such as eczema, food allergy or hay fever.
- Developing another atopic condition such as food allergy.
- Having bronchiolitis as a child [common lung infection].
- Being exposed to tobacco smoke as a child, particularly if your mother smoked during pregnancy.
- Being born prematurely [especially if you need a ventilator].
- Being born with a low birth weight [less than 2 kgs].
PEOPLE WHO ARE AT RISK OF ASTHMA.
Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts during childhood. Young children who often wheeze and have respiratory infections as well as other risk factors are at highest risk of developing asthma that continuous beyond 6 years of age. The other risk factors include having allergies, eczema or parents who have asthma.
SYMPTOMS OF ASTHMA
- Cough with or without sputum production.
- Puling in of the skin between the ribs when breathing.
- Shortness of breath that gets worse with exercise or activity.
- Wheezing that comes in episodes and may be worse at night or in early morning, gets worse when breathing in cold air, or with exercise.
- Bluish color to the lips and face.
- Decreased level of alertness such as severe drowsiness or confusion
- Extreme difficulty in breathing
- Rapid pulse.
- Chest pains.
- Tightness in the chest.
SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN
- Coughing especially at night.
- Wheezing or whistling sound when breathing. Especially when exhaling.
- Trouble breathing or fast breathing that causes the skin around the ribs or neck to pull in tightly.
- Frequent colds that settle in the chest.
WHAT CAUSES ASTHMA SYMPTOMS TO OCCUR EVERY TIME.
- Infections of the airways and chest.
- Allergens, such as pollen, dust, mites, animal fur or feathers.
- Airborne irritants, such as cigarette smoke, chemical fumes and pollution.
- Some painkillers such as aspirin and Ibrufens.
- Emotional factors such as stress or too much laughter.
- Foods containing sulphites such as concentrated fruit juice, jam, prawns and many processed or pre-cooked meals.
- Weather conditions such as sudden change in temperatures, cold air, windy days, poor air quality and hot humid days.
- Indoor conditions such as mould or damp house dust mites and chemicals n carpets and flooring materials.
PREVENTION
- Learn about your asthma and ways to control it.
- Stay away from things or activities that may trigger an asthma attack.
- Use your medications properly.
- Keep track of your asthma symptoms and level of control.
- Get regular checkups for your asthma.
TREATMENT
You should work together with your doctor to develop and carry out a plan for eliminating asthma triggers and monitoring symptoms. there two basic kinds of medication for treating asthma.
- Control drugs to prevent attacks. Long term control drugs for asthma are used to prevent symptoms in people with moderate to severe asthma.you must take them every day for them to work. This include:
- Inhaled steroids prevent symptoms by preventing airway swelling.
- Long-acting eta-agonist inhalers also help prevent asthma symptoms and also help control it.
- Quick relief rescue drugs work fast to control asthma symptoms. This are taken when you are coughing, wheezing, having trouble breathing or having an asthma attack, can also be used just before exercising to help prevent asthma symptoms caused by exercise. Also, there are allergy shots. If your asthma is triggered by an allergy you should consider allergy shots, which are very effective in relieving allergy symptoms and can cure your allergy.
The above treatments generally apply to all people who have asthma. However, some aspects of treatment differ for people in certain age groups and those who have special needs. Make sure to always talk to your doctor to get proper guidelines on how to live with asthma.