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What is Asthma?
Asthma (pronounced AZ-muh) is
defined in Essential Allergy, by Niels Mygind, Ronald Dahl, Soren Pedersen and
Kristian Thestrup-Pedersen 2nd edition as :
A lung disease characterised by:
- variable and reversible airway
obstruction;
- airway inflammation; and
- bronchial hyper-responsiveness.
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that makes airways (bronchial
tubes) particularly sensitive to irritants, and this is characterized by
difficulty in breathing.
Asthma is a highly ranked chronic health condition in adults in most western
countries, and it is the leading chronic illness of children.
Asthma cannot be cured, but for most patients it can be controlled so that
they have only minimal and infrequent symptoms and they can live an active
life.
If you have asthma, managing it is an important part of your life.
Controlling your asthma means staying away from things that bother your
airways and taking medicines as directed by your doctor. By controlling your
asthma every day, you can prevent serious symptoms and take part in all
normal activities. If your asthma is not well controlled, you are likely to
have symptoms that can make you miss school or work and keep you from doing
things you enjoy.
People with asthma have extra sensitive or hyper-responsive airways.
When a person experiences a worsening of their asthma symptoms, it is called
an asthma episode or, in severe cases, an asthma attack. During an asthma
attack, smooth muscles around the bronchial tubes contract, making the
airway openings narrower so less air can flow through. Inflammation
increases and the airways become more swollen and narrow. Cells in the
airways also make more mucus than usual, which narrows the airways further.
The changes to the airways cause the symptoms of asthma. For example, it is
difficult for air to pass in and out of the lungs and the oxygen levels in
the blood decrease.
Asthma attacks are not all the same-some are worse than others. In a severe
asthma attack, the airways can close so much that not enough oxygen gets to
vital organs. This condition is a medical emergency. People can die from
severe asthma attacks. A person suffering from an asthma attack has a
sensation similar to drowning.
If you have asthma, you should see your doctor regularly. You will need to
learn what things cause your asthma symptoms to worsen and how to avoid
them. Your doctor will also prescribe medicines to keep your asthma under
control.
This narrowing of the air passages is due to different combinations of:
- contraction of muscles around the air passages,
- swelling of the airway lining due to airway inflammation, and,
- excessive mucus in the airways.
About one in 13 adults and one in eight children have asthma in the western
world, and rates are on the increase. It can affect anyone, at any age,
anywhere.
Asthma is becoming increasingly common in the developed world and is now the
most common chronic condition in the west. Aspects of our modern environment
such as air pollution, processed foods, and centrally heated, double-glazed
houses (an ideal breeding grounds for house dust mites) are thought to be
major contributing factors.
An asthma 'attack' describes the symptoms of tightness in the chest, a
wheezing or whistling noise in the chest, coughing, breathlessness, and
difficulty breathing that occur when the airways become narrowed, inflamed,
and blocked by mucus.
An asthma attack can occur suddenly. However, many people with asthma learn
to recognise the warning signs that herald an attack, such as an itchy nose
or itchy skin, dizziness or light-headedness, or an irritating cough.
Learning the warning signs can often alert a sufferer in time to take
preventive action, such as medication.
Asthma is a chronic condition, which means that attacks can occur over a
long period of time. Although there are times when acute episodes strike
asthmatics, most asthma sufferers say that there are long periods during
which they suffer few, if any, symptoms.
Asthma changes progressively during the lifetime of someone who has it. For
example, children may grow out of asthma, but some of these people develop
asthma again later in life.
Drugs, such as those resembling two of our hormones, help asthma. These two
hormones are adrenaline (epinephrine in the USA) and hydrocortisone (a
steroid).
There are also other drugs which help treat asthma. Whilst drugs can remove
all your symptoms if you have mild asthma, people with more severe or
long-standing asthma don't get nearly such good results, so alternate
medications are required.
In people who have lifelong asthma, the effectiveness of drugs in removing
the obstruction of the airways decreases. One of the aims of treatment,
according to current concepts, is to minimise the inflammation in the lung
airways which we believe causes this long-term decline.
At a Glance … What is Asthma ?-
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that makes airways (bronchial
tubes) particularly sensitive to irritants, and this is characterized by
difficulty in breathing.
- Asthma is a highly ranked chronic health condition in adults in most
western countries, and it is the leading chronic illness of children.
-
Asthma cannot be cured, but for most patients it can be controlled so that
they have only minimal and infrequent symptoms and they can live an active
life.
- If you have asthma, managing it is an important part of your life.
Controlling your asthma means staying away from things that bother your
airways and taking medicines as directed by your doctor.
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Asthma Books
Here we are launching two asthma eBooks with basic information and tips about
Astma and Allergies.
- The Asthma Secrets
- The Asthma Basics
Come back and Check them out in a few weeks!
Asthma Resources
The asthma resources on this site are based on various reports and the experience of respected authorities.
The Symptoms of Asthma
Coughing. Coughing in people with asthma is often worse at night or
early in the morning, making it hard for them to sleep...
Treatments for Asthma
Asthma is a chronic lung condition that is characterized by difficulty in
breathing. People with asthma have extra sensitive or hyper-responsive airways...
Allergies and Asthma
During an asthma attack, the airways become irritated and react by narrowing and
constructing, causing increased resistance to airflow, and obstructing the flow
of the air passages to and from the lungs...
What is Vocal Cord Dysfunction?
Asthma is a highly ranked chronic health condition in adults in most western
countries, and it is the leading chronic illness of children...
How to Handle Acid Reflux?
Some research indicates that the symptoms of asthma may get worse when stomach acid rises up your gullet, a condition called gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, or, more commonly acid reflux...
What Triggers Asthma?
If you have asthma, managing it is an important part of your life. Controlling
your asthma means staying away from things that bother your airways and taking
medicines as directed by your doctor.
Different Causes of Asthma
But what causes asthma ? Why do some people develop asthma ? Why is asthma more
common in the western world ?
More Articles about Asthma...
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