Asthma is a common disease affecting millions of people all over the world. You may have seen people having at least one or asthma symptoms in your neighborhood, family and friends, hence, it is essential to be well aware of asthma. There are some key questions that help you know about better asthma treatment.
Here some particular questions and their answers to give you thorough information about asthma:
Asthma:
Asthma is a lung disease which narrows the airways that carry oxygen to the lungs, causing wheezing and breathlessness. In detail, asthma inflames the airways due to which these tubes are swollen and injured. The airways react vigorously to certain inhaled substances which affect the muscles around the airways so they are tightened and become narrower that allows less air volume to pass through the lungs. This condition makes the cells of airways more sticky or thick making them narrower.
Causes of asthma:
According to the research studies, asthma is caused by some genetic and environmental factors that include-
Inheritance:
If there is asthma in the family due to exposure to irritants like tobacco smoke, etc., it can be passed to the next generation. This inherited tendency is called Atopy.
A child can get asthma from their parents.
Certain respiratory infections happen during childhood.
Exposure to allergens in early childhood can cause asthma. These allergens can be tobacco smoke, perfumes, smog, tree, grass and weed pollens, cleaning agents, house dust mites, re-circulated air, weather changes, etc.
In some cases, asthma is caused by non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs, beta-blockers and sulphites.
Also Read:Know about various types of asthma
People at risk :
Asthma can affect people from all age groups, but, most often in children. A study finds that the number of asthma patients in America is more than 25 million, of which 7 million are under 18.
This disease probably affects young children who have respiratory infections as well as other risk factors like allergies, eczema, or whose parents who have asthma. Sex hormones also play a role in causing asthma in children; boys are affected more than girls, and among adults, women affected with the disease more than the men. A normal person can also be affected by respiratory problems because of the chemical irritants at the workplace – which is known as occupational asthma.
Symptoms of Asthma:
The most common asthma symptoms and signs include:
Wheezing – It is the whistling sound that occurs when you breathe
Breathing problem – It happens when people find it difficult to breathe smoothly
Chest tightness – In this case a person feels like something is squeezing or sitting on the chest
Coughing – It can be worse at night or early morning in asthma
Diagnosis:
Asthma can be diagnosed by medication and natural or home products. Before medication, some physical exams are conducted to check the conditions of nasal passages, allergic skin and wheezing. In diagnostic tests like lung function test a doctor checks the working condition of the lungs using spirometry to measure how much air can be breathed at a time.
Asthma treatment and control:
Asthma is a long-term disease with a gradual decline. The asthma treatment controls include:
- Prevention from coughing and breathlessness
- Reduce the need for quick relief medicines
- Maintain lung functioning
- Prevent asthma attacks
To control asthma, we should take some necessary steps like:
- Regular consultation of a doctor
- Avoiding things which trigger asthma
- Follow an asthma action plan
Living with asthma?
Follow asthma action plan which is developed under the doctor’s prescription. Take regular asthma checkups for better treatment and asthma controls. Take medicines as per the asthma action plan.
Asthma frequency:
Asthma attacks can be classified into four major types, such as:
- Severe persistent – Frequent asthma attacks, frequent night time and peak expiratory flow. PEF remains less than 60% of normal
- Moderate persistent – PEF less than 80% of predicted
- Mild persistent – PEF reduced, but greater than 80 percent of predicted
Also Read:How Smoking is Killing you from inside!
Home remedies to relieve asthma:
Ginger, mustard oil, figs, garlic, coffee, eucalyptus oil, honey, onions, lemon and carom seeds all some the effective natural or home items that can help you relieve from asthma.
Chances of death due to asthma:
According to the study, each day 10 people in America die of asthma and around 3700 people die every year due to this problem, in which about 65% are women. African-American death rate is high due to asthma; they are three times likely to develop asthma symptoms.
Conclusion:
Asthma is not a non-curable disease. This disease can break out at any time, even when you feel fine and healthy. However, with today’s medication and latest asthma treatments people able to manage the disease efficiently. They can live normal and active lives and sleep without interruption from asthma. Asthma patients can also successfully manage the disease by the home treatments and good asthma action plan that involves doctors and health care providers.
