This blog will guide you about Asthma. Firstly, we will discuss what is Asthma. Then we will discuss the potential Causes of Asthma. Secondly, this blog explains the Symptoms of Asthma. It will also inform you about the Stages of Asthma. Thirdly, it will explain the Treatment and Medications for Asthma. At the end, It will provide you with some important Precautions for Asthma Patients. This blog contains Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Precautions of Asthma.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is the chronic lung disease that affect people of all ages. It is caused by inflammation and muscle tightening of around the airways which makes it harder to breathe.
It is ranked 4th most dangerous respiratory disease in the World. Asthma is affecting many patients in the world every year. According to Global Burden of Disease Collaboration (2019) 262 million people are affected by Asthma worldwide.
Asthma makes a person’s breathing process difficult. Sometimes it becomes severe and cause much inconvenience for the patient. This condition is called as Asthma Attack in medical language.
The number of Asthmatic patients is rising every year. Its extent vary with ages and sensitivity of the patient.
Asthma disease highly effect a person’s life. Because he cannot walk much because he can become short of breathe any time. He cannot do much physical work and face tiredness a lot.
Asthma is a very dangerous respiratory diseases and precautions are must when a person is exposed to it. This blog contains Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Precautions of Asthma.
Causes of Asthma:
Following are some of the causes of Asthma:
Genetic Factors:
Genetic factors means that there are some genetic variation that cause respiratory diseases in the patient. It also means that if anyone in your ancestors had asthma, you are more at risk of getting asthma as the next generations because genes are transferred from one generation to another.
Environmental Factors:
Environmental factors includes the pollutants and other toxic components are triggers to increase the chances of causing asthma. These toxic components can be like air pollutants, exposure to bad odor, micro-particles present in the air. Environmental factors include anxiety and stress in your life.
Triggers for Asthma:
Some triggers lead to asthma these triggers are as follows
Allergens
Sinusitis
Extreme Emotional Responses
Medications
Physical Exercise
Dietary Insufficiencies
These factors may lead to asthma but according to health professionals, direct source of asthma is still unknown. So, direct cause of asthma cannot be detected.
Symptoms of Asthma:
The symptoms for diagnosis of Asthma are as follows:
- A persistent cough, especially at night
- Wheezing when exhaling and sometimes when inhaling
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sometimes even when resting
- Chest tightness, making it difficult to breathe deeply
- The early stages of asthma are not severe but final stages can be fatal in some cases if left untreated.
This blog contains Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Precautions of Asthma.
Asthma Attack:
Asthma attack is the moment in which there is narrowing and swelling of airways at an extent where it is very difficult to breathe. The symptoms of Asthma are at worst during Asthma attack. It can occur because of any trigger from the environment that has a bad impact on Respiratory tract. The only way to treat asthma attack, is using an inhaler as quick as possible or siting in proper ventilation or having fresh air. Asthma attack brings out the symptoms of asthma present in a person in their worst way. This is a difficult short period of time for asthma patients.
Triggers for Asthma Attack:
Following are some of the common triggers of Asthma:
- Exercise
- Smoking
- Allergies
- Dust mites
- Pollens
- Stress
- Air Pollution
- Cockroaches
- Strong Odors
- Cold and Flu Virus
- Pets etc.
Stages or Asthma:
There are four stages of Asthma. These stages are different from each other. These are as follows:
1. Intermittent Asthma:
Intermittent asthma occurs when one has symptoms less than two days a week and awakening nightmares less than two times a month. The symptoms on this type of asthma are not consistent. Patients may spend long periods without any symptoms. There is less worsening of the symptoms, and may stay only for 2 days a week.
2. Mild Asthma:
Mild asthma consist of having episodes for more than two days a week. The nightmare awakening is 3 to 4 times a month. The symptoms in this asthma appears more than twice a week and the symptoms are mild. Night-time symptoms of mild asthma twice a month and less than once a week. This asthma is severe than the intermittent asthma and occurs in more intervals than intermittent one.
3. Moderate Asthma:
Moderate asthma is where the patient is symptomatic daily and has night-time awakenings greater than once a week but not nightly. There is a daily exposure of symptoms to the asthma patient. Coughing and wheezing is at most. This may disturb normal life activities and also make difficult to sleep. Respiratory rate is higher in this condition. It is way difficult to treat.
4. Severe Asthma:
Severe asthma is when a patient is symptomatic throughout the day and often has nighttime awakenings more than seven times within a week. The symptoms are harder to control. It is the most life-threatening and serious type of asthma in all asthma types. This contains worst symptoms unlike other types. You can have night-time and day time asthma attacks and different allergies even through minor triggers around the patient. This should be treat as soon as possible.
These stages have different duration of symptoms. This criteria makes all the stages different from each other. This blog contains Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Precautions of Asthma.
Treatment of Asthma:
Asthma is an incurable disease. There is no complete cure for Asthma. But some treatments are identified to control the severe symptoms of Asthma. These treatments are as follows:
1. Using an Inhaler:
The best way to treat severe symptoms of Asthma, the patient should use the inhaler to avoid extreme conjunction of the lungs. Inhaler is a device that delivers the medicine directly to the lungs to avoid any kind of inconvenience for the patients in any emergency situation. This is the most effective way to treat asthma and get an instant relief. Inhaler can be easily taken with you everywhere in a small bag. This is how we can control asthma attack anywhere at your school or your workplace.
2. Self-care:
Self-awareness and self-care play the most important roll for asthma patients. People affected with asthma and their families should be educated about the precautions and prevention of extreme conditions of asthma to keep the patient safe and secure. They should know how to deal the patient in emergency situation and the environment of the patient should be purified to help the patient to breathe well. Self-care is must in Asthma, because as you can take care of yourself nobody can take.
Medication for Asthma:
Following are some of the medications used for Asthma:
- Corticosteroids
- Mass cell stabilizers
- Combination medicines
- Immunomodulators
- Bronchodilators
- Methylxanthines
- Ventolin HFA
- Anticholinergic etc.
These are the medicines that can be used for asthma.
Precautions for Asthma:
Following are the precautions of Asthma:
- Identify the Asthma Triggers
- Exercise safely with Asthma
- Keep your inhaler with you
- Avoid Triggers
- Stay away from Allergens
- Get Asthma Vaccination
- Diet
- Take a deep breath
- Avoiding smoking areas.
By following these precautions you will be able to prevent worst symptoms of Asthma and Asthma Attack.
Conclusion:
Asthma is a disease that cause tightening of chest and narrowing of airways that makes breathing difficult for the patient. It is an incurable disease but there are some precautions and treatments for Asthma to take it under control. Asthma patients and their families must be known to precautions of asthma and how to deal it in emergency situations. The air should be purified around asthma patients to help them breathe freely and safely. Asthma is a common disease and take lives of people every year. Its symptoms get fluctuating in patients but they get asthma attack with every trigger anytime.
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