It is said that if you have asthma, you probably be smoking. Not only can smoking worsen asthma symptoms, but lack of sleep can also increase the risk of asthma, a new research study suggests.
Asthma & Facts
Asthma, known as a reactive airway disease, is a lung disorder that affects around 20 million people in the United States of America, according to the clinical data. Asthma symptoms occur when the airway becomes inflamed and cause difficulty in breathing. The lung disorder could be the result of environmental factors such as an increase in exposure to pollution or indoor allergens. There is a higher risk of developing asthma if a member of a family has it. Whatever causes asthma, it is a life-threatening condition that must be carefully managed.
The Link between Asthma and Sleep
It makes sense that having a common respiratory condition can make it difficult to get high-quality sleep.
A research study found that those who have sleepless nights are more prone to have breathing issues. The study found that a lack of sleep triples the risk of developing airway disease. Scientists found insufficient rest causes change to accumulate, affecting the airways in the lungs. Yes, you have heard it right that sleepless nights can trigger asthma in adulthood.
Lack of Sleep Increases the Risk of Asthma
The risk rises increases three times among those who regularly have difficulty sleeping. People with this chronic lung disorder often suffer from nighttime wheezing, breathlessness, and coughing, that mostly disturb the sleep. Since the lung disorder tends to constrict the airways in the lungs, it can ultimately result in nighttime wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. All of these make it hard to fall asleep or may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Those people who are suffering from nocturnal asthma, a type of asthma with symptoms chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing. This condition makes sleep impossible and leaves you feeling tired and irritable during the day.
It is also believed that certain changes occur in the body at night, which are part of the natural circadian rhythm. During asthma, the airways become slightly inflamed and close up a little, and airflow decreases. The condition will be worsened when the bedroom might also be full of allergens like pet dander and dust mites. These allergens can irritate airways of an asthma patient whenever he/she gets into bed.
The connection between sleep issues and asthma, unfortunately, is strong. Asthma can cause sleep problems, and sleep disturbances can worsen asthma symptoms. Sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts may occur. However, it is still not known why people with asthma have a higher chance of developing sleep apnea.
Asthma Care Tips
If you have had this chronic lung disorder, you don’t need to worry. You will be able to stop these endless nights of poor sleep. Follow these simple asthma care steps and you might be able to get rid of asthma symptoms.
- Firstly, remove all the allergens including pet dander, pollen, and dust mites from the bedroom.
- Make sure that you are properly following your asthma treatment that is taking asthma medications regularly. An asthma patient is not allowed to miss his/her asthma medicine at any cost otherwise worsening of symptoms can happen.
- For a complete asthma cure, take the medicines as your doctors recommend to keep inflammation down.
- You must talk to your doctor about whether your asthma medicine is long lasting to keep working through the night until morning.
Asthma has also been linked to increased risk of developing a wide range of life-threatening health complications, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Conclusion
Getting a better night sleep should be taken as a health priority by every individual. Moreover, the second one should be losing extra pounds to stay fit. Regularly take your prescribed asthma medications to reduce asthma symptoms.
