What is Asthma? Understanding the Basics of Respiratory Disease

In today’s global landscape, where pollution is choking the life out of everyone “Asthma” as a disease is quite prevalent. It is globally impacting millions of people including adults, children and young individuals. While asthma could occur at any given age but more often than not it happens in nascent childhood stage and evolves over a period of time in adulthood. Although asthma is a debilitating disease but with proper management and precaution, an individual can live a comfortable life despite and inspite of asthma disease. 

What is Asthma?

To put it simply, asthma is a disease of lungs. In asthma, there is severe inflammation in the airways which makes it difficult for individuals to breath as the inflammation restricts and obstructs the passage of airflow. This restriction is, however, a response to the triggers for example – pollen, dust, smoke, irritants, physical exertion. Furthermore, the airway produces more mucus which is why it becomes even more difficult to breath that causes symptoms like wheezing, cough, tightness in chest and consistent shortness of breath.

What Causes Asthma?  

Up until now the exact cause of asthma isn’t understood but many experts point out towards the environment and genetic factors as key causes of asthma. But to narrow down some of the causes and triggers, here’s a list:

•   Allergy: Allergy is a triggered response. It happens due to external factors mainly. From pollen, dust, fragrance, pet fur, environment allergens to what not. Once the person the exposed to these aforementioned allergens, the asthma gets triggered and causes inflammation ultimately leading to the restriction of the airflow thus difficulty in breathing.
•  Lifestyle and Environment Factors: Smoking, exposure to smoking, smog weather, season’s impact and air pollution can trigger asthma. To explain more, these environment factors triggers the inflammation. This inflammation causes the airways to swell and restrict the flow of air in the air pipe thus causing difficulty in breathing.
• Excessive weight or morbid obesity: The growing pandemic of obesity worldwide is causing asthma as well. The excess weight leads to inflammation thereby causing asthma led by restriction in the airway passage.
•  Respiratory Infections: Various viral infections especially in early childhood such as flu, bronchitis, or severe cold can deteriorate the health condition of those who are predisposed to asthma.

Symptoms of Asthma:

•  Frequent Respiratory Infections: Asthma could make people more prone to respiratory infections, as asthma is quite chronic at times which is why it weakens the defence mechanisms of the air passage.
• Fatigue: Experiencing fatigue is quite common amongst those who suffer from asthma. One key reason is poor control over their existing symptoms.
• Chest Tightness: Its been reported widely that people who suffer from asthma have a sensation of tightness in chest or a feeling of pressure of varying kind. This happens because the muscles surrounding the air passage contracts thereby further narrowing down the airway passage in the body which simultaneously makes breathing difficult.
• Coughing: Although coughing as a symptom is generic but people who suffer from asthma cough a lot especially in the night time and in early mornings. This coughing episode can worsen upon exposure to allergens, external irritants and post-exercise.
•  Shortness of Breath: A striking difficulty in breathing is quite common in individuals who suffer from asthma. Even a minute and mundane task can lead to shortness of breath. Other triggers could be exercise or physical activity. This happens in the night time however the reason remains the same – inflammation and restriction in the air passage pathway.
• Wheezing: When a person who has been diagnosed with asthma breathes – a wheezing sound can be either felt by the individual or can be observed by another person nearby (owing to the intensity of the sound). This wheezing is persistent at certain times and at certain moments such as exposure to pollutants.

Asthma Diagnosis:

1. Spirometry: To asses the lung functions as a measure of breathing capability, spirometry test it conducted. Through this test, the inhalation power of lung is gauged via a test. This helps in deducing how well the airways function.
2.  Peak Flow Monitoring: To assess the fastness of the air being inhaled by the lungs there is a medical device known as peak flow meter that measures the fastness at which the air is being inhaled. A reading that is low in the peak flow meter indicates that the asthma is not very well-managed.
3. Allergy Tests: Owing to the various nature of allergens present in the environment, they are the most common triggers for the asthma. A doctor performs a randomised skin test and blood test to ensure the presence of asthma.
4. Chest X-ray: To assess the lung health of an individual, an X-ray set up is employed to know the severity of the lung damage. This helps in ruling out any potential damage that might have happened or might be happening.

Treatment of Asthma:

There are several ways to cope, manage and treat asthma, some of the key highlights are:

1. Medication: Under medication, most prescribed method is the usage of inhalers.
2. Oral Methods of Medication: In some cases, doctors prescribe oral medications that can alleviate the inflammation thus mitigating difficulty in breathing
3. Allergen Avoidance: Prevention is better than cure, this saying is most applicable in asthma treatment. Preventive measures such as wearing masks, avoiding pollution-heavy places, zero interaction with pollens can bring a great deal of relief to those who get triggered by these allergens.
4. Lifestyle modifications: Avoiding smoking, passive smoking, inhalation or paints/fumes can contain the asthma condition and prevent from going to worse.

If you, your loved ones or your little ones are dealing with breathing issues, lung problems or have been diagnosed with asthma, you can explore the top-notch treatment by the pulmonologist at Paras Health. Our facilities have the most sought-after treatment plans, doctors, support staff and advanced tools and machinery to assist the asthma, lung and breathing management. In case you need to talk to our health experts, please reach us at 080 3538 3051.