Introduction

Asthma is a long-term disease of the lungs. It causes your airways to get inflamed and narrow, and it makes it hard to breathe. It is a respiratory disease and one finds difficulty in breathing.

Asthma is a severe infection that effects around 25 million Americans and causes almost 1.6 million trauma center visits each year. With treatment, you can live well. Without it, you may need to go to the ER frequently or stay at the medical clinic, which can influence your day to day routine. Asthma is set apart by the inflammation of the bronchial tubes, with mucus like secretions inside the tubes. Individuals with asthma have side effects when the airways get interrupted or loaded with mucus.

Moreover, as is the case with other allergic conditions, such as eczema (atopic dermatitis), hay fever (allergic rhinitis), and food allergies, the prevalence of asthma appears to be on the rise.

There are three major signs of asthma:

  • Airway blockage: When you breathe, the bands of muscle around your airways are relaxed, and air moves spontaneously. But the muscles tighten when you have asthma. The air doesn’t pass through easily.
  • Inflammation: Asthma causes red, swollen bronchial tubes in your lungs that leads to the inflammation of lungs.
  • Airway irritability:  People with asthma have subtle airways that becomes narrow when they come into contact with even slight triggers.

Diagnosis

Asthma is diagnosed by taking a thorough medical history and doing a physical examination. The diagnosis of asthma is common to primary-care doctors, but experts such as allergists or pulmonologists may be involved. Coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing are common symptoms of allergic rhinitis in those with a family history of allergic disorders or a personal history of allergic rhinitis, especially after exercise, viral illnesses, or at night.

Following are the diagnostic procedures that may help with the diagnosis of asthma

  • Lung function testing with spirometry
  • Skin testing for common aeroallergens
  • Blood tests for allergic antibody (IgE)

 

Causes

There are multiple causes that aggravates asthma in people. It could happen due to any allergies caused by the environmental conditions or maybe due to individual’s genetic makeup. Following risk factors may include:

  • Family history of allergic conditions
  • Personal history of hay fever
  • Viral respiratory illness during childhood
  • Exposure to cigarette smoke
  • Obesity
  • Lower socioeconomic status
  • Exposure to air pollution or burning biomass
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Sinusitis, colds, and flu
  • Allergens such as pollens, mold, pet dander, and dust mites
  • Irritants like strong odors from perfumes or cleaning solutions
  • Air pollution
  • Tobacco smoke
  • Exercise
  • Cold air or changes in the weather, such as temperature or humidity
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Strong emotions such as anxiety, laughter, sadness, or stress
  • Medications such as aspirin
  • Some food preservatives as well

Some other risk factors may include the gender roles. Boys are more likely to have asthma than girls and in the middle age or between adults its more common in females than males.

Signs and symptoms

An asthma attack occurs when the muscles surrounding the airways are prompted to tighten. Bronchospasm is the medical term for this tightening. The lining of the airways becomes swollen or inflamed during an attack, and the cells lining the airways produce more and thicker mucus than usual. Bronchospasm, inflammation, and mucus production all create symptoms such difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and difficulty with daily tasks.

Other signs and symptoms of an asthma attack include; when breathing in and out, there is a lot of wheezing sound produced. Coughing that won’t quit. Breathing becomes too fast. Pain or pressure in the chest become unbearable. Aggravation of chest pain may start to happen. Talking becomes difficult. Ap person may become anxious with anxiety or panic attacks that leads to a pale face and sweating. Lips or fingernails turn blue.

These problems may show signs such as:

The physical exam in asthma is often completely normal. Wheezing may be present on occasion. The respiratory rate rises, the heart rate rises, and the work of breathing rises during an asthma exacerbation. Breathing often requires the use of accessory muscles, and breath sounds may be reduced. It’s worth noting that even in the midst of a severe asthma attack, the blood oxygen level usually remains quite normal. As a result, a low blood oxygen level is a sign of approaching respiratory failure.

Treatment

Fast-acting rescue medicines or long-term treatments, both work in the treatment and prevention of asthma.

Short acting (Rescue-inhalers)

These medications are used to ease asthma symptoms. Short-acting beta-agonists are the primary choice. Epinephrine, Albuterol and llevalbuterol (ProAir HFA, Proventil HFA, Ventolin HFA) are among them (Xopenex HFA).irways. This helps to open them up, allowing you to breathe more easily.

  • Anticholinergics like ipratropium (Atrovent) expand your airways while also reducing mucus. Longer time is taken than beta-agonists with a shorter half-life.
  • Oral corticosteroids such as prednisone and methylprednisolone reduce airway edoema.
  • Anticholinergic and short-acting beta-agonists are both included in combination quick-relief medications.

Preventive long-term medications

These medicines aid in the relief of symptoms and the prevention of asthma episodes. They decrease airway edoema and mucous, making individuals less sensitive to asthma triggers.

  • For long-term management inhaled corticosteroids are used. Beclomethasone, Budesonide, Fluticasone and mometasone are some of the medications available.
  • Inhaled long acting (beta antagonists) relaxes the smooth muscles that surround your airways to open them up. This medicine will be used with an inhaled corticosteroid. Formoterol and vilanterol are included in these.
  • An inhaled corticosteroid named as combination inhaled medicines along with long acting beta antagonists can be used too for example, Breo and Dulera.

References

[i] https://www.webmd.com/asthma/what-is-asthma

[ii] https://www.medicinenet.com/asthma_overview/article.htm