Common condition
Asthma is a lung condition or disorder that often starts in childhood but can affect people of any age. Common symptoms of asthma are shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing, due to airways swelling up and narrowing.
There is currently no cure for asthma but it is possible to control this condition with treatment and negate any impact it can have on your quality of life.
What is Asthma and what are the causes?
Asthma affects over 8 million people in the UK. It’s a chronic (long-term) condition that usually involves the inflammation and narrowing of airways and the lungs, this usually causes breathlessness, coughing, and wheezing in sufferers. There is no known cure for asthma but it’s not uncommon for children and young adults to “grow” out of it.
12 percent of the population in the UK are affected by asthma - this condition occurs more commonly in women and children but it can develop in anyone at any age.
Asthma Causes
What exactly causes asthma is unknown, but there are multiple potential contributing causes - including environmental and genetic factors. Environmental factors can include air pollution, outdoor allergens, indoor allergens, overall air quality, and some respiratory infections.
Genetic factors can include a family history of asthma, obesity, and psychological stress. Asthma is often more common in children who suffer from hay fever, allergies or eczema. Children born prematurely, who are exposed to tobacco smoke, or have lower birth weight babies are also more likely to suffer from asthma.
What are the symptoms of Asthma?
The main symptoms of asthma are classified as the following: wheezing, shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest, and severe coughs. Often, symptoms will be worse at night and early mornings.
Asthma symptoms are usually brought about by triggers:
- Exercise
- Stress or anxiety
- Laughing
- Tobacco smoke
- Airbourne pollution
- Allergens (including pollen, dust mites, animal fur and food allergies)
- Chest infections (including cold & flu)
- Medicines (including aspirin, ibuprofen, and beta blockers)
- Weather conditions (cold air, a sudden change in temperature, high humidity)
Trigger factors should be avoided (if possible). Where there is a risk for triggers, a blue inhaler should always be carried around in case of an emergency.
Asthma attacks
During an asthma attack, the following may happen:
- The muscles around the airways can tighten up, constricting it.
- The airway becomes inflamed
- The amount of mucus in the airway increases
These symptoms all cause less air and oxygen to pass through the airways. In many ways, like a negative feedback loop. Asthma attacks require emergency services if a person doesn’t respond to their inhaler.
How is Asthma Diagnosed?
Asthma can be managed but it is a serious condition that should be diagnosed by a doctor.
A GP or trained medical professional will be able to diagnose asthma based on symptoms. Keeping a journal and recording symptoms can help this process (as it can aid doctors in figuring out what triggers your asthma).
A peak flow test may be administered. Which measures how quickly you can blow air out of your lungs. Tests like these help medical professionals understand how well your treatment is controlling your asthma.
How can Asthma be treated?
There are two main aims of asthma treatment - relieving current symptoms and preventing future ones. These goals are achieved with different inhalers and lifestyle alterations.
Asthma can be controlled and managed with medications, allowing people to live normal lives. The treatments are usually categorized into the short and long-term, short-term medications provide quick relief and long-term medications can help to prevent future asthma attacks.
Over time, if your asthma is being controlled well, you should be using your blue inhaler less and less. If this is not the case, your doctor will most likely adjust your treatment until your blue inhaler frequency starts to reduce.
Short-term (blue reliever inhalers)
These inhalers treat the breathlessness, coughing, and wheezing associated with asthma. Common medicines include things like Ventolin and Salamol. These inhalers can also be used in anticipation of symptoms, like before exercise. Some medications can also act to open up airways when they’ve narrowed.
Long-term (brown/purple prevention inhalers)
While there’s no permanent cure for asthma, treatments can alleviate the symptoms that lead to an asthma attack. Corticosteroid-based treatments are used to reduce the sensitivity of airway linings, reduce inflammation, and slow mucus production. It’s important to take these treatments regularly; so they’re able to build up an effect within the body.
Can you prevent or control Asthma?
While it’s impossible to guarantee asthma prevention (because the direct cause isn’t understood, yet) with lifestyle adjustments and proper medication usage you can control it. Here are some tips to help deal with asthma:
- Stay away from triggers - this includes allergens or activities that you’re aware of that flare up your asthma. Air filtration devices can also enhance overall air quality and may help you.
- Exercise - physical activity can strengthen your lung capacity and potentially help keep your asthma under control. Some may need to take their blue inhaler as a precautionary measure before exercising.
- Attend Regular asthma reviews - these reviews help determine how your asthma is progressing, an honest review will help you manage your symptoms and lessen your dependence on relievers.
- Take inhalers as prescribed - your corticosteroid inhalers, when taken regularly, will vastly improve how under control your asthma is in the long term.
- Get the flu jab - Asthma sufferers are more susceptible to viral respiratory tract infections (like the flu).
- Stop smoking - if you’re a smoker, stopping it can dramatically reduce the overall severity of your asthma.
Alternative Treatments
Asthma can be treated or cured by over-the-counter medications and If you think you need a different treatment you will need to confer with your doctor or GP. It’s important to stick with your prescribed inhaler and not try different ones - your doctor will review if your asthma is under control or not.
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Additional information
Asthma in Babies: Early Identification, Effective Management, and Preventive Measures
Asthma Demographics: Prevalence, Disparities, and Impact on Society
Optimizing Indoor Air Quality: A Comprehensive Guide to Humidifiers, Dehumidifiers, and Air Purifiers for Respiratory Health and Comfor
Optimizing Indoor Air Quality: A Comprehensive Guide to Humidifiers, Dehumidifiers, and Air Purifiers for Respiratory Health and Comfort
Optimizing Management of Nocturnal Asthma: Understanding Symptoms, Treatment, and Sleep Strategies
