Bronchial Asthma
is a chronic lung disease that causes episodes of difficult breathing. Asthma symptoms are caused primarily due to constriction, tightening of the muscles surrounding the airways, and inflammation, soreness, swelling and irritation of the airways in the lungs.
Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts during childhood.
What is an Asthma Episode / Attack?
An asthma episode, or an asthma attack, is when symptoms are worse than usual. They can come on suddenly and can be mild, moderate or severe.
What happens during an asthma attack?
- The muscles around your airways tighten up, narrowing the airway.
- Less air is able to flow through the airway.
- Inflammation of the airways increases, further narrowing the airway.
- More mucus is produced in the airways, undermining the flow of air even more.
What is the trigger?
A trigger is anything that irritates the airways and causes the symptoms of asthma. Everyone’s asthma is different and you may have several triggers. An important aspect of controlling your asthma is avoiding your triggers.
Symptomes & signs
Common symptoms of asthma include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing. Symptoms are often worse at night or in the early morning, or in response to exercise or cold air. Some people with asthma only rarely experience symptoms, usually in response to triggers, whereas other may have marked persistent airflow obstruction.
Treatment:
Although there's no cure for asthma, there are effective medicines for asthma that allow most people to control their asthma so that is doesn't interfere with daily life.
Relievers Everyone with asthma should have a reliever inhaler. Relievers are medicines that are taken immediately to relieve asthma symptoms.
Preventer inhalers
Preventers control the swelling and inflammation in the airways, stopping them from being so sensitive and reducing the risk of severe attacks. Not everyone with asthma will be prescribed preventer medicine.
Steroid tablets
If your asthma symptoms become severe, your doctor or asthma nurse may give you a short course (3-14 days) of steroid tablets. Steroid tablets work quickly and powerfully to help to calm your inflamed airways. Short courses of steroid tablets are also used to treat acute asthma attacks and are used for essential emergency treatment of asthma attacks.
Prevention
While medicine cannot currently prevent you or your child from getting asthma, you can learn how to get control of asthma and prevent asthma symptoms from significantly impacting you.
