Table of Contents
Overview of Asthma
Asthma is growing due to climate change and pollution, causing difficulty to millions of lives. According to the Hindustan Times, 20 million people are suffering from asthma in India every year.
Did you know? For an asthma patient, playing around the pet, petting its flurry back, or enjoying the smell of a freshly mowed lawn is not a thing they can enjoy like any other person.
“I wish I could play with my pet, but I’m lucky that I can still play the sports I like most,” Rohan said looking at the sky outside with a half-smile. He was diagnosed with Asthma when he was 8 years old.
Millions of children around the globe battle against this chronic disease, every day, every season.
What is Asthma?
Asthma affects the air passage that transports air to and from the lungs; it is a chronic condition that narrows the airways in the lungs due to swelling and generation of extra mucus. An asthma patient suffers from breathing problems, wheezing, cough, and shortness of breath. The effect of asthma differs from person to person, for some it is a mild condition while others struggle to even to carry forward day to day chores. In severe cases, asthma might be life-threatening.
What are the causes of Asthma?
The factors that cause Asthma are not fairly known. It has been concluded by most researchers and doctors worldwide that both environmental and genetic elements are responsible for asthma.
causes of Asthma are-
- Exposure to smoke
- Obesity
- Working at baking or manufacture factory for prolong hours
- Hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis)
- Childhood history of seasonal diseases
- Stress
- Family history
- Poor air quality and hygiene issue
Signs and Symptoms of Asthma
The most common signs and symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, cough and regular infection in the respiratory tracts.
All these symptoms are aperiodic; an asthma patient might also survive asthma without showing all such symptoms for a specific period.
The possibilities are many- asthma effects can be regarded as normal; some cases show signs of struggle while extreme cases include rapid heart rate, frequent use of an inhaler, and increasing breathing difficulty.
For some asthma patients, conditions might flare up depending on the natural or man-made conditions. Such sudden asthma attacks are called asthma triggers.
When these substances come in contact, the air- passages become inflamed, narrowed, and are filled with mucus.
Triggers of Asthma-
- Certain chemicals and fragrances
- Pollen
- Tobacco smoke
- Fireplace
- Seasonal changes, mainly in winter (cold air)
- Pet hair
- Dust and pest
- Air pollution
- Imbalance of hormones
The symptoms of asthma tend to worsen at night.
Most people find it difficult to breathe properly at night accompanied by regular wheezing attacks that might get worse if the person is suffering from cold and flu.
When do you need to see a doctor?
If a person is experiencing regular wheezing i.e. occurrence of sound while exhaling or inhaling along with frequent cough and shortness of breathing while doing daily chores, he/she should consult a doctor.
In a worse scenario if the person is frequently wheezing and the use of quick inhaler is also not providing any relief.
They should immediately approach the doctor and get treated.
LetsMD’s partnered hospitals has been offering the best treatment and services, reach out on the toll-free number +91-8448398633 and prevent further damages in the lungs that asthma can cause in the long run.
What are the factors that causes Asthma?
Although there is no such “found” cause of asthma there are several risk factor that may increase your chances of developing asthma.
The listing below had a few habits and conditions that can lead to asthma-
- Excessive smoking
- Gaining weight
- A family member diagnosed with asthma
- Indirect exposure to smoke and bad air
- Prone to respiratory allergies such as hay fever or frequent cough and cold
Treatment of Asthma
There is no cure for asthma but there are quite a lot of remedies and treatments that help and provide relief to the asthma patient.
Bronchial Thermoplasty is one such treatment in which the air passage is extended and smooth muscles present in the airwall are reduced. This procedure is performed only in extreme asthma cases.
To know more: Procedure of Bronchial Thermoplasty
Bronchial Thermoplasty does not cure asthma; it is a process of shrinking the muscles in your lungs which makes breathing difficult for asthma patient.
Thus making breathing easy and also decreases attacks of asthma.
In short, such surgery provides major relief from the discomforts of asthma, providing relief to live healthily.
Prevention and Cures of Asthma
Asthma put forwards a silent never-ending battle for a lifelong time.
With the help from the best doctors accompanied by adequate monitoring and care, you can keep asthma in check.
Thus preventing major attacks and life-threatening emergencies that asthma can cause; follow the step by step method treatment process-
Regulate and follow your asthma plan
Get in touch with your doctor and care team, jot down all the required Dos and Don’ts, prescribed medicines and the duration or how many times you had an asthma attack.
Writing down all the points will give you a clear picture of what you have been missing out or maybe not paid attention to.
Now, the important part is making sure that you follow a routine based on the planner that you made along with your doctor. Once visited, asthma is bound to stay and not leave so you need to tackle it and buckle up to not miss-out the good things of life.
Get vaccinated
Don’t refrain from getting yourself vaccinated. When you get seasonal vaccines or vaccines of possible respiratory diseases (flu, pneumonia etc.), you are helping your system to fight against asthma.
In this process, you will also gift yourself a few extra days of relief from asthma attacks and uneasiness.
Identify your asthma triggers
Every asthma patients have their own set of asthma triggers and every individual must be well aware of his/her triggers.
Pollen, allergy-causing agents, air pollutants, ash particle etc. can trigger asthma. Find out the things that worsen your asthma and be alert against it.
Check your breathing
With time people start to learn about the effects of asthma, impact level, and warning signs, thus building up an understanding of how to handle an asthma attack.
Use a measuring device (home peak flow meter) to monitor your airflow and also keep tracks of the number of times you had breathing problem at night along with the wheezing sound.
All such measures will, in turn, help you prevent major lung damages and ill effects of asthma.
Keep tracks and detect attacks early
As said “Precaution is better than cure”, if you act on time, you will successfully gift yourself the life in a better version.
Try to maintain your medications and never overdose any kind of medicine.
If you see that particular activity is triggering your asthma attacks then dismiss it at once. In worse condition, if nothing works out, immediately consult your doctor.
Stick to your medication
Many-a-times we see that if a disease is not causing much of disturbance in life, we start talking it lightly.
Try not to do it with asthma. Take your medicines on time and do not skip.
If there is a necessity to change particular medicines ask your doctor first. Your doctor’s advice is very important.
Inhailer Usage
Your asthma is not of a moderate level if you’re using an inhaler. Keep your doctor informed about your health and consult ways to maintain and regulate the level of an asthma attack.
Once diagnosed with cancer, a person is bound to deal with it for the entire life. Affecting both adult and children every year, asthma is a severe incurable disease.
Having said that, it must also be kept in mind that no disease should become a barrier to relish the best things in life; if your asthma child loves sports, let him/her play it.
Initially, some difficulties will come up like falling short of breath. But don’t let that hamper it, instead, encourage them to take breaks in between and teach to never give up.
Try and get in touch with the doctor for a regular check-up, follow the prescribed medications, and take extra care of yourself to prevent asthma attacks.
FAQs
Que1.Can asthma be cured?
Ans- There a lot of treatment options but no cure for asthma.
Que2.What drink is good for asthma?
Ans-Drinking ginger along with warm can be beneficial for asthma patient
Que3.What asthmatics should not eat?
Ans-Asthmatics should avoid cow’s milk, eggs, shrimp, fish, peanuts and wheat
Que4.How can I control my asthma without an inhaler?
Ans- Try to stay calm, stay away from triggers, sit upright and take long deep breaths
Que5.How can you tell if someone has asthma?
Ans- If there are signs of skin allergies such as hives and eczema, wheezing sound upon breathing than he/she must consult with the doctor as they can properly examine and diagnose it.
Que6.What does asthma cough sound like?
Ans-Asthma cough is always accompanied by a wheezing sound
Que7. How long an asthma cough last?
Ans- Asthma cough can last for 8 weeks or longer
Que8. Does drinking water help asthma?
Ans- Yes, staying hydrated and drinking enough water, juices and herbal tea can help reduce the symptoms of asthma.