What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the airways, which can cause constriction in the airways, difficulty in breathing, coughing, and wheezing. While the symptoms of asthma can sometimes be mild, they can also cause severe respiratory distress and be life-threatening.

Causes of Asthma

The exact causes of asthma are not fully understood, but it is believed to result from a combination of genetic, environmental, and other factors. Asthma usually develops when a person’s airways become hypersensitive and react to various triggers. These triggers can include cigarette smoke, air pollution, pollen, dust mites, animal fur, certain medications, exercise, and cold air. Asthma commonly begins in childhood and decreases in severity with age.

Symptoms of Asthma

Symptoms of asthma can vary from person to person. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, tightness in the chest, and difficulty in breathing. Asthma symptoms typically worsen at night or in the early morning hours. Symptoms can be mild or can cause severe breathing difficulties, which can be life-threatening.

Diagnosis of Asthma

The diagnosis of asthma is made using various tests, such as evaluating symptoms, physical examination, respiratory function tests, and allergy tests. Respiratory function tests measure air flow in the airways and determine the severity of asthma.

Treatment Options:

The goal of asthma treatment is to control symptoms and prevent the progression of the disease. Therefore, asthma treatment is done in two stages: controlling symptoms and achieving long-term asthma control.

First Stage: Controlling Symptoms

Controlling asthma symptoms is achieved using medications that help to alleviate or eliminate symptoms. These medications can also be used during asthma attacks. These medications include:

Bronchodilators: These medications open up constricted airways during an asthma attack and help alleviate symptoms. These medications can be taken orally or inhaled using an inhaler.

Corticosteroids: These medications reduce inflammation in the airways and help alleviate symptoms. These medications are typically taken inhaled or in tablet form.

Combination Inhalers: These inhalers contain both a bronchodilator and a corticosteroid. These medications are used to reduce inflammation in the airways and open up constricted airways.

Second Stage: Achieving Long-Term Asthma Control

Long-term asthma control involves using medications to prevent the recurrence of symptoms. These medications include:

Inhaled corticosteroids: These medications reduce inflammation in the airways and prevent the recurrence of asthma symptoms.

Long-acting bronchodilators: These medications open up constricted airways and prevent the recurrence of asthma symptoms.

Combination Inhalers: These inhalers contain both a long-acting bronchodilator and an inhaled corticosteroid. These medications are used to reduce inflammation in the airways and open up constricted airways.

Asthma treatment usually continues throughout life. It is important to use medications regularly for asthma control. In addition, avoiding triggers, adopting a healthy lifestyle, and regularly visiting a doctor can help control asthma symptoms.

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