Asthma
A Brief Introduction
Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. With asthma, a blockage of airflow in and out of the lungs occurs from muscle squeezing, swelling and excess mucous.
Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. With asthma, a blockage of airflow in and out of the lungs occurs from muscle squeezing, swelling and excess mucous.
Physicians who are not specialists in this disease may mistake its symptoms for an infection, unaware that the underlying problem is asthma.
Triggers for Asthma
Asthmatic symptoms can be triggered by several factors, including:
Allergens or irritants
Exercise
Medications or foods
Viral or sinus infections
Reflux disease
Emotional anxiety
Hay fever(allergic rhinitis) is considered a risk factor for developing asthma, as up to 80% of asthmatics also have hay fever. Both can be triggered by year-round allergens, including pollens, molds, animal dander, and house mites and other insect droppings.
Other substances can aggravate asthma, including air pollutants (cigarette smoke, chemicals in the air, wood smoke), occupational exposure to allergens (gases, vapors, dust, and fumes), strong odors (perfumes, household cleaners, paints and varnishes), airborne particles (chalk dust, talcum powder), and changing weather conditions (humidity, temperature, winds).
Viral infections can also trigger and/or aggravate asthma, especially in children. These infections irritate the nose, lungs, sinuses and throat, which may trigger asthma flare-ups. Sinusitis (an inflammation in the cavities around the eyes and nose) can also trigger asthma.
Managing Asthma
Because asthma is a chronic disease, it requires careful monitoring and effective treatment. The treatment of asthma has four main components :
The use of objective measures of lung functions to assess the severity of asthma and to monitor treatment (peak flow meters and spirometers)
Environmental control measure to avoid or eliminate factors that trigger asthma symptoms or flare-ups
Medication therapy for long-term management to reverse and prevent airway inflammation as well as therapy to manage asthma flare-ups
Patient education to foster a partnership between the patient, his family and the physician.
Asthma in Children
In infants and young children, asthma may appear as rapid or noisy breathing, cough, and/or chest congestion.
Asthma symptoms can interfere with many school activities for children, as asthmatic children may have less stamina than other children. Many asthmatic children may try to avoid or limit their involvement in physical activities to prevent the coughing and wheezing that may occur.
Children with asthma do not often identify chest tightness, because they are often so used to the feeling that they are unaware that it is a warning sign. For parents, often the only observable symptom of chest tightness is recurring coughing spells.
Once asthma is diagnosed, proper treatment and management can occur. Often the child must use a peak flow meter to measure the flow of air from the lungs. Often medications are also used to prevent and improve symptoms. Once the child has been diagnosed and is receiving asthma treatment, the child should be encouraged to participate in normal physical activities as much as possible. While many parents feel the need to prevent their asthmatic children from engaging in physical activity, aerobic exercise is very important to the asthmatic child to improve airway function.
With proper diagnosis, monitoring and treatment, individuals with asthma can engage in regular physical activity and can live normal healthy lives.
