Asthma

Asthma Alternative names - BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

Asthma is a disease that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.

Causes

Asthma is caused by inflammation (swelling) in the airways. When an asthma attack occurs, the lining of the air passages swells and the muscles surrounding the airways become tight. This reduces the amount of air that can pass through the airway.



 
In persons who have sensitive airways, asthma symptoms can be triggered by breathing in  substances called allergens or triggers.

Common asthma triggers include:

    Animals (pet hair or dander)
    Dust mites
    Certain medicines (aspirin and other NSAIDS)
    Changes in weather (most often cold weather)
    Chemicals in the air or in food
    Exercise
    Mold
    Pollen
    Respiratory infections, such as the common cold
    Strong emotions (stress)
    Tobacco smoke

Many people with asthma have a personal or family history of allergies, such as hay fever (allergic rhinitis) or eczema. Others have no history of allergies.

Symptoms

Most people with asthma have attacks separated by symptom-free periods. Some people have long-term shortness of breath with episodes of increased shortness of breath. Either wheezing or a cough may be the main symptom.

Asthma attacks can last for minutes to days, and can become dangerous if the airflow is severely blocked.

Symptoms include:

    Cough with or without sputum (phlegm) production
    Pulling in of the skin between the ribs when breathing (intercostal retractions)
    Shortness of breath that gets worse with exercise or activity
    Wheezing

Emergency symptoms that need prompt medical help:

    Bluish color to the lips and face
    Decreased level of alertness, such as severe drowsiness or confusion, during an asthma attack
    Extreme difficulty breathing
    Rapid pulse
    Severe anxiety due to shortness of breath
    Sweating

Other symptoms that may occur:

    Abnormal breathing pattern --breathing out takes more than twice as long as breathing in
    Breathing temporarily stops
    Chest pain
    Tightness in the chest

Tretment

The goals of treatment are:

    Control airway swelling
    Stay away from substances that trigger your symptoms
    Help you to be able to do normal activities without asthma symptoms

You and your doctor should work as a team to manage your asthma. Follow your doctor's instructions on taking medicines, eliminating asthma triggers, and monitoring symptoms.

MEDICINES FOR ASTHMA

There are two kinds of medicines for treating asthma:

    Control medicines to help prevent attacks
    Quick-relief (rescue) medicines for use during attacks

Long-term Medicines

These are also called maintenance or controller medicines. They are used to prevent symptoms in people with moderate to severe asthma. You must take them every day for them to work. Take them even when you feel OK.

Some long-term medicines are breathed in (inhaled), such as steroids and long-acting beta-agonists. Others are taken by mouth (oral). Your doctor will prescribe the right medicine for you.

Quick-relief Medicines

These are also called rescue medicines. They are taken for:

    Coughing, wheezing, trouble breathing, or an asthma attack.
    Just before exercising to help prevent asthma symptoms caused by exercise.
    Tell your doctor if you are using quick-relief medicines twice a week or more. Your asthma may not be under control and your doctor may need to change your dose of daily control drugs.

Quick-relief medicines include:

    Short-acting inhaled bronchodilators
    Oral corticosteroids for when you have an asthma attack that is not going away

A severe asthma attack requires a checkup by a doctor. You may also need a hospital stay. There, you will likely be given oxygen, breathing assistance, and medications given through a vein (IV).

ASTHMA CARE AT HOME

    Know the asthma symptoms to watch for
    Know how to take your peak flow reading and what it means
    Know which triggers make your asthma worse and what to do when this happens.

Asthma action plans are written documents for managing asthma. An asthma action plan should include:

    Instructions for taking asthma medicines when your condition is stable
    A list of asthma triggers and how to avoid them
    How to recognize when your asthma is getting worse, and when to call your doctor or nurse

A peak flow meter is a simple device to measure how quickly you can move air out of your lungs.

    It can help you see if an attack is coming, sometimes even before symptoms appear. Peak flow measurements help let you know when medicine or other action needs to be taken.
    Peak flow values of 50% - 80% of your best results are a sign of a moderate asthma attack. Numbers below 50% are a sign of a severe attack.

Prevention

You can reduce asthma symptoms by avoiding triggers and substances that irritate the airways.

    Cover bedding with allergy-proof casings to reduce exposure to dust mites.
    Remove carpets from bedrooms and vacuum regularly.
    Use only unscented detergents and cleaning materials in the home.
    Keep humidity levels low and fix leaks to reduce the growth of organisms such as mold.
    Keep the house clean and keep food in containers and out of bedrooms. This helps reduce the possibility of cockroaches. Body parts and droppings from cockroaches can trigger asthma attacks in some people.
    If a person is allergic to an animal that cannot be removed from the home, the animal should be kept out of the bedroom. Place filtering material over the heating outlets to trap animal dander. Change the filter in furnaces and air conditioners often.
    Eliminate tobacco smoke from the home. This is the single most important thing a family can do to help someone with asthma. Smoking outside the house is not enough. Family members and visitors who smoke outside carry smoke residue inside on their clothes and hair. This can trigger asthma symptoms. If you smoke, now is a good time to quit.
    Avoid air pollution, industrial dust, and irritating fumes as much as possible.


Source:http://www.nytimes.com