Asthma

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a common, chronic, long term disease that causes an inflammation in the airways, which in turn narrows them a little. This can, as expected, cause difficulty in breathing from time to time, with the added complication of wheezing when inhaling, which is a whistling sound.

One of the most problematic and potentially dangerous problems that occur due to having asthma are asthma attacks, in which a shortness of breath occurs that interrupts the asthmatic's well being. This continues until medication is administered or some other form of intervention occurs and breathing returns to normal. If nothing is done to help the attack, the airways gradually tighten more and more over time, with breathing getting more labored, with less oxygen getting through. Therefore, it is extremely important to treat an attack immediately or else it can become fatal.

Causes of Asthma

It is not clear what causes asthma to develop in people, but there is a general idea on what can trigger asthma attacks. Among the top offenders include allergies and allergens, such as food and food additives, pollen, dust mites, cockroaches, bacteria, molds or animal hair. Another apparent cause is a viral infection; when sufferers catch a virus, it tends to affect their respiratory system, thus further irritating the airways and making asthma more troubling. Should an asthmatic catch a virus, such as a cold or flu, it is recommended to see a doctor to treat that so it does not cause breathing problems later on.

Asthma Symptoms

The symptoms of asthma are fairly straightforward, though the asthmatic may not have all of them at once. The most common symptoms include coughing, especially at night, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness, pain or pressure. Symptoms for asthma are not always the same for everyone and to reiterate, may not be present all at once. Should any symptoms occur, it is advisable to see a physician for proper diagnosis.

Treatments

Treatment options are available for asthma sufferers, although it must be stated that asthma is never truly cured. It is possible for the disease to seemingly disappear, but all this means is that it is not causing problems for the time being. Sufferers may go for very long periods without any asthma symptoms, but it is still very important to keep it monitored in case an asthma attack rises out of nowhere. This is possible even after years of not showing any symptoms of the disease.

While asthma cannot be cured, it can be well controlled. Good asthma control prevents chronic and troublesome symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath, reducing the need for quick-relief medications, helping sufferers maintain good lung function, letting them maintain normal activities and sleep through the night, as well as preventing asthma attacks that could land sufferers in the hospital.

There are two types of medication, both in the form of inhalers: long term and quick relief. The long term inhalers aim to reduce airway inflammation, which in turn helps to prevent asthma symptoms from recurring. The quick relief inhalers, also known as rescue inhalers, are the ones used when problematic symptoms rise and start to keep sufferers from breathing.

In Closing...

To summarize, asthma, while it can be fatal if not treated properly and if it is severe enough, is easily controlled when sufferers know how to handle them.