Asthma is a serious chronic disease in which the bronchi, which are the main ducts of the lung is narrowed or blocked because of inflammation. This inflammation is often caused by a substance or event that serves as a trigger asthma episode. Some substances and events that can serve as triggers of asthma are different allergens, irritants, cold air, strong odors, exercise, gastrointestinal disturbances, or stress. Furthermore, in some people, acid reflux can trigger an asthma attack. Besides the swelling can cause an increase in mucus production and a tightening of the muscles in the walls of the bronchi. This causes the airways to narrow, producing characteristic symptoms of this condition.
Asthma Symptoms
Caution: Asthma is a serious condition and is a medical emergency. If you or someone around you suffers from acute asthma attacks consult your doctor or go to an emergency room quickly.
Symptoms of asthma include coughing, wheezing, runny in the form of phlegm, and dyspnea or fatigue (short breath). The severity of symptoms varies from a whistle may occur to a lesser severe difficulty breathing. Sometimes we think of asthma as a condition annoying but not life threatening. However, thousands of people die each year because of an asthma attack.
Asthma symptoms occur more frequently during the night. In some cases, asthma presents with long periods in which there are no symptoms until a crisis occurs or what many people call an asthma attack. In other cases the symptoms are more or less continuously, producing occasionally a sharpening of these. There are cases in which only show a persistent cough and tightness in the chest area. In some children appear to be a recurring bronchitis, coughing and phlegm without fatigue on breathing or other symptoms that occur in adults.
Incidence
Asthma has a higher incidence in children than in adults. It is estimated that in children the incidence is about eleven percent. However, in some cities with a high incidence of environmental pollution can be up to twenty five percent. About 80 percent of children with asthma develop symptoms before five years of age. By school age is more common among men. Fortunately, the trend is toward healing and that among adults the incidence is reduced to between four and six percent. People who were breastfed as children have a lower incidence of asthma.
Diagnosing Asthma
The diagnosis of asthma may be difficult due to the variety of symptoms and the need to rule out other conditions that can cause some similar symptoms. Conditions that can cause asthma-like symptoms include pulmonary emphysema, the beginnings of congestive heart failure and a vocal cord dysfunction known as episodic laryngeal dysfunction that affects mostly women. To reach a diagnosis is used in many cases to a medical history and various tests. One test used is known as pulmonary function test which determines how much air enters and leaves the lungs when we breathe.
To measure lung function are mainly used two instruments. One of them is called a spirometer and the other as meter peak. Another test used is the bronchial provocation. In this methacholine used an agent known to cause asthma. If you have asthma this agent will cause a small constriction of the airways, which can be measured with a pulmonary function test. In young children can not perform pulmonary function tests and diagnosis is done by careful collection and analysis of medical records and observation of patient response to an inhaled bronchodilator medication. If the patient improves with this drug is as safe as it is asthma. Exposure to cigarette smoke.
- Exposure to asthma triggers present in the workplace. These are chemicals used in agriculture, beauty salons and in the manufacture of electronic components, paints, steel and plastics.
- Having the parent (or both) asthmatics
- Low birth weight
- Obesity
- GE Reflux
In people whose asthma began before or two years of age whose mother also suffers or suffered from asthma, as well as those with a positive allergy test in which there are persistently impaired respiratory function the probability that the asthma is sustained after arrival adulthood is higher.
Complications of asthma
Allergy to which often starts asthma can be gradually replaced by inflammation. Over the years this can lead to tissue destruction of the bronchi. In these individuals occurs because of chronic inflammation, an irreversible obstructive airway and pulmonary function may decrease rapidly.
Tags: Asthma, bronchodilator medication, coughing, dyspnea, fatigue, symptoms, wheezing
