Asthma
Friday 20 June 2008
Asthma is a really common condition affecting over 5 million adults and 1 million children in the UK. Read about the symptoms and treatment.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a condition that affects the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs.
No one knows exactly what causes asthma but it’s thought to be a combination of environmental and genetic factors.
Teens who are overweight may be more likely to have asthma, although a person doesn't have to be overweight to have it.
It’s not contagious though so you can't catch it from someone who has it.
What happens during an attack?
An asthma attack is triggered when someone with asthma comes into contact with something that irritates their airways.
When this happens, the muscles around the walls of the airways tighten so that the airways become narrower. The lining of the airways becomes inflamed and start to swell, making it difficult to get enough air in the lungs.
Sometimes sticky mucus or phlegm builds up which can further narrow the airways and can make it more difficult to breathe properly.
Symptoms
A person having an asthma attack might experience symptoms such as:-
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Tightness in the chest.
Not everyone will get all of these symptoms and some people experience them from time to time, whilst others experience these symptoms all the time.
Left untreated, a flare-up can last for several hours or even several days. Most people feel better once the flare-up is over, although it can take several days to completely clear up.
The rest of the time a person’s breathing can seem completely normal, although some asthma sufferers will find that they always feel slightly short of breath.
Triggers
Everyone’s asthma is different and there are whole load of possible triggers. If you are asthmatic, knowing what these are is one of the best ways to control your asthma so you can avoid them!
Sometimes the triggers can be really obvious like a reaction to pets, or over doing exercise. However sometimes a reaction can be delayed, so you have to do some detective work to figure out your own triggers.
Common triggers include
- Allergens such as dust, mold, pollen, animal hair and and cockroaches.
- Some foods
- Second hand smoke can trigger asthma attacks.
- Perfumes or even some make up or cleaning products.
- Exercise can trigger attacks too – but usually this can be treated
- The weather can trigger attacks
- Colds, flu and viral infections
- Crying or being upset, depression or even laughter!
- Hormones, especially during a period for girls
Treatment
There’s no sure for asthma but it can be quite easily controlled with various medicines and usually does not interfere too much in daily life. However it is important to go to your GP, get it diagnosed, get the right medicine and take it properly!
The most effective way of dealing with asthma is with an inhaler. Inhalers quickly relax the muscles surrounding the narrowed airways. This allows the airways to open wider, making it easier to breathe again.
The type of treatment you might get includes:-
- Reliever inhalers
- Preventer inhalers
- Steroid tablets
- Spacers
- Nebulisers
- Complementary therapies
Control
If you are having trouble sleeping or find that you are always short of breath it could mean that you are not taking your medication properly, or may have the wrong type.
It may also mean that you need to be more conscious about avoiding your own triggers.
If your asthma is not under control get yourself back to your GP and start an asthma action plan.
