Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that affects people of all ages. It causes wheezing and makes breathing difficult. A person suffering from asthma could encounter symptoms such as chest tightness, wheezing, dyspnea, coughing, etc.
Exposure to an allergen or irritant, infections, exercise, and mental stress are all potential triggers. The interior walls of the airways, or bronchial tubes, become enlarged and inflamed as a result of asthma.
When the symptoms of asthma become unbearable, an asthma attack ensues. Attacks can happen out of nowhere and range in severity from mild to life-threatening. During an asthma attack, the airways enlarge, the muscles around them constrict, and airflow into and out of the lungs becomes difficult.
Swelling in the airways might prevent oxygen from reaching the lungs in rare circumstances. This implies that oxygen cannot reach essential organs or enter circulation. As a result, persons who are experiencing severe symptoms should get medical help right away.
Types of asthma:
1. Childhood asthma
Asthma in children is the most common chronic condition. It can strike at any age, although it strikes children more frequently than adults. It has been observed that asthma is most common in children aged 12-14 years, while children aged 5-14 years have the second greatest frequency of this condition.
The following are some of the most prevalent asthma triggers in children:
- Cold and respiratory illnesses
- Cigarette smoking, including secondhand tobacco smoke
- Allergens
- Interior and outdoor air pollutants, such as ozone and particle pollution
- Exposure to cold air
- Rapid temperature fluctuations
- Excitement
- Stress
- Exercise
2. Adult-onset asthma
Asthma can develop at any age, adult-onset asthma develops during adulthood. Adults’ chances of having asthma are influenced by a number of variables, such as;
- Respiratory illness
- Allergies and exposure to allergens
- Hormonal factors
- Obesity
- Stress
- Smoking
3. Occupational asthma
Occupational asthma develops as a consequence of exposure to an occupational allergen or irritant. About one-sixth of adult-onset asthma cases begin at work. Furthermore, around 21% of working persons with asthma report that their symptoms worsen at work. Asthma triggers can be found in both indoor and outdoor work situations.
4. Difficult to control and severe asthma
Some people experience severe symptoms for causes that are unrelated to asthma. They may not yet know how to use an inhaler properly, for example. Others suffer from severe asthma that is resistant to treatment. Even with large doses of medicine or proper inhaler use, asthma does not respond to therapy in some circumstances.
Eosinophilic asthma is a kind of asthma that does not respond to standard treatments in severe situations. While traditional asthma drugs may help some patients with eosinophilic asthma, others may benefit from biological therapy.
5. Seasonal asthma
This form of asthma is triggered by allergens that are only present in the environment at specific times of the year. Seasonal asthma symptoms might be triggered by chilly air in the winter or pollen in the spring or summer.
Seasonal asthma patients still have the disease through the remaining part of the year, although they generally don’t have any symptoms. Asthma, on the other hand, is not necessarily always caused by an allergen.
Treatments:
Asthma treatment options are expanding and improving.
The treatment’s purpose is to:
- Assist a person in breathing more easily.
- Increase the number of activities they may participate in.
- Reducing the number of attacks.
- Quick-relief and long-term control drugs are two of the current therapy alternatives. Quick-relief drugs relieve symptoms, whereas long-term control treatments, when taken daily, minimize the number of asthma attacks.
1. Quick-relief asthma treatments
These drugs should only be taken if you have asthma symptoms or an attack. They give immediate relief, allowing you to regain control of your breathing.
Bronchodilators: Bronchodilators operate fast to relax the muscles surrounding your airways and relieve symptoms. Bronchodilators are given through an inhaler (rescue) or nebulizer. They can be given before exercise to avoid an asthma flare-up or to treat acute symptoms of asthma.
First aid asthma therapy: If you suspect a friend or family member is experiencing an asthma attack, urge them to sit up straight and help them use their rescue inhaler or nebulizer. Depending on the drug, the dose will differ. In the case of an attack, check the directions insert to make sure you know how many puffs of medicine you’ll need.
If your symptoms last longer than 20 minutes and the second round of medicine doesn’t help, visit nearby hospital right away.
2. Long-term asthma control medications
These drugs are used on a regular basis to help lessen the quantity and severity of asthma symptoms, but they do not treat the immediate symptoms that occur during an attack.
Anti-inflammatories: Corticosteroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs are inhaled and help decrease swelling and mucus formation in the airways, making breathing easier.
Anticholinergics: These aid in preventing muscular stiffness around your airways. They’re frequently combined with anti-inflammatories and used on a regular basis.
Long-acting bronchodilators: These should only be taken in conjunction with anti-inflammatory asthma drugs.
3. Biologics
Biologics are used by doctors to treat severe asthma that hasn’t responded to other drugs or trigger management. They function by identifying and removing certain antibodies from your body. As a result, the route that leads to asthma-inducing inflammation is disrupted.
4. Bronchial thermoplasty
This therapy involves heating the airways inside the lungs using bronchoscope which helps to lessen the size of the surrounding muscle and prevent it from tightening. This procedure takes less than an hour and is conducted by a doctor in a clinic or hospital. Bronchial thermoplasty is a procedure for persons with severe asthma with recurrent exacerbation that can give up to 5 years of symptom alleviation.
Do not wait around for severe symptoms rather visit a pulmonologist at the earliest if you have even the mildest symptoms of asthma to avoid any kind of further complications.
