What is asthma?

Asthma is a chronic, or long term, condition in which a person’s airways become inflamed and narrowed. Airways are tubes that allow air into and out the lungs. People with asthma have inflamed and sensitive airways. This inflammation and sensitivity tends to lead to strong reactions to certain inhaled substances and causes the muscles around the airways to tighten. The airway cells produce excess mucus, making the airways narrow further, resulting in less air flow to the lungs. This results in recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing.

When the symptoms of asthma become more intense and/or more symptoms ensue, an asthma attack is occurring. When this happens, the lining of the lungs quickly become swollen, air passages become filled with thick mucus and the muscles around airways tighten. If not treated swiftly, an asthma attack can be life threatening.

Asthma has no cure, but with proper treatment the disease is manageable. It affects roughly 25 million people in the United States, and about 7 million of those affected are children. While asthma can affect people of any age, most cases start during childhood. A variety of factors can increase a person’s risk of developing asthma. These include:

Being a smoker;
Being exposed to exhaust fumes or other kinds of pollution;
Being overweight;
Exposure to secondhand smoke;
Having a mother who smoked during pregnancy;
Having a parent or other blood relative with asthma; or
Having an allergic condition.

Asthma symptoms can vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe. Symptoms of asthma could include:

Chest pain or tightness;
Coughing, which is typically worse at night or in the morning, causing difficulty sleeping;
Shortness of breath; and
Wheezing or whistling sound when exhaling.

It is imperative that patients with asthma be well aware of their triggers, or the things that lead to the inflammation and tightening of the airways. Triggers can also include substances to which a person is allergic. Knowing and avoiding these triggers can help prevent an asthma attack from occurring. Common triggers include:

Air particles from car exhaust and pollution;
Animal hair;
Certain medications, such as aspirin or ibuprofen
Extreme weather conditions;
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD);
Menstrual cycle;
Mold, pollen and dust;
Physical activity, including exercise;
Smoking and secondhand smoke;
Stress;
Sulfites in food and drinks, such as shrimp, dried fruit, beer or wine; and
Viral upper respiratory infections, such as a cold.

Diagnosing asthma initially involves analyzing a patient’s detailed medical history and listening to the lungs. Tests for lung function include:

Spirometry to measure how much air the patient exhales after a deep breath; and
Peak flow meter to check the level of air the patient exhales.

Doctors recommend patients with asthma continue to use a peak flow meter to help figure out when symptoms worsen. Additional tests may be necessary to rule out other conditions.

Treatment for asthma varies depending on the severity of symptoms, age and triggers, but it typically involves developing an asthma action plan. This plan outlines when to take specific medications, when to increase or decrease the dosages and when to call the doctor or go to the emergency room. In addition to avoiding specific triggers, a doctor will recommend medications for both quick relief and long-term asthma control. Quick relief medications, such as inhalers, quickly open swollen airways. Long term medications are preventative and help to reduce inflammation within the airways.

Additional information may be found at these websites:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/basics/definition/con-20026992?p=1

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma/#

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/asthma/id059105.pdf