Asthma does not have to limit your life. All over the world many people have asthma.
You cannot cure asthma but you can completely control your asthma. Visit Best Pulmonolgy Department in Bangalore.
People with asthma can have normal, active lives. When your asthma is under control – you can work, play, go to school, and sleep well at night.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a condition that affects your lungs. It is one of the most common long-term diseases that is seen in both children and adults. You can get asthma at any age.
Asthma causes wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing at night or early in the morning.
It is not caused by one single factor. There are different types of asthma – genetic, environmental, and occupational factors have been linked to the development of asthma.
- If someone in your immediate family has asthma, you are more likely to have it. Atopy, the genetic tendency to develop the allergic disease, can play a big part in developing allergic asthma. However, not all asthma is allergic asthma.
- Being exposed to things in the environment, like pollen grains, mould or dampness, dust mites, and tobacco smoke have been linked to developing asthma. Air pollution and viral lung infection may also lead to asthma.
- Occupational asthma occurs when someone who never had asthma develops it because he or she is exposed to some allergens/irritants at work.
Asthma is not a contagious disease; you cannot catch asthma from other people.
What Is an Asthma Attack?
An asthma attack includes the sudden development of coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and difficulty in breathing. The attack happens in your body’s airways, which are the pathways that carry air to your lungs.
Airways are tunnels that branch out as they travel towards the lung, and they become progressively smaller and smaller. In normal conditions and when your asthma is in control the air flows in and out of the airways easily.
During an asthma attack, the sides of the airways swell, known as inflammation and the passageways shrink. Thus, less air gets in and out of your lungs. Also, mucous clogs up the airways.
What Causes an Asthma Attack?
An asthma attack can happen when you are exposed to “asthma triggers”. These asthma triggers can be different for different people. It is important to identify your triggers and avoid them.
Be prepared for an attack if you can’t avoid your triggers.
Some of the most common triggers are tobacco smoke, dust mites, outdoor air pollution, smoke from burning wood, cockroach allergen, pet fur, mould, strong sprays, pollen grains and chemicals.
How is asthma detected?
With the help of a breathing test called spirometry – it helps to find out how well your lungs are working by testing how much air you can breathe out after taking a very deep breath.
It is important to measure your breathing capacity intermittently as it helps in accessing the severity of your disease as well as monitors the response to treatment.
Go to the doctor 2 or 3 times a year for check-ups. And go even if you feel fine and have no breathing problems.
How Is Asthma Treated?
Everyone with asthma does not take the same medicine.
You can breathe in some medicines and take other medicines as a tablet.
Asthma medicines come in two types—quick relief and long-term control.
- Quick-relief medicines control the symptoms of an asthma attack. If you need to use your quick-relief medicines more and more, visit your doctor to see if you need a different medicine.
- Long-term control medicines help you have fewer and milder attacks, but they don’t help you while you are having an asthma attack. Take these even if you are feeling better.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINES FOR ASTHMA ARE SAFE TO USE EVERY DAY.
- Controller medicines make the swelling of the airways in the lungs go away.
- You cannot become addicted to controller medicines for asthma even if you use them for many years.
- They do not become less effective over time and so you should not be worried about them not working if you take them every day.
- The dosage of medications in inhalers is minimal and they act directly in the lung so they have minimal side effects.
If you are pregnant, do not stop your asthma medication – consult your doctor. Most asthma medications are safe during pregnancy and keeping your asthma under good control will help protect your child.
KEEP TRIGGERS THAT START YOUR ASTHMA ATTACKS OUT OF YOUR HOME.
- No smoking. Smoking damages your lungs and can reduce how well your controller medication works.
- If your asthma attacks are triggered by strong smells or perfume, don’t use soap, shampoo, or lotion that smells like perfume.
- Dust collects in the mattress, blankets, and pillows. Consider putting special dust-proof covers with zippers on the mattress, quilt, and pillow. Do not use a pillow or a mattress made of straw.
- Wash sheets and blankets in very hot water. Put them in the sun to dry.
- Open windows wide when it is hot or stuffy when there is smoke from cooking, when there are strong smells, and when the floor is being vacuumed.
- If you are allergic to animals with fur, keep them outside. Don’t let them inside the bedroom and ask someone else to care for them.
- Close windows when the air outside is full of exhaust from cars, pollution from factories, dust, or pollen from flowers and trees.
- Regular physical activity is good for people with asthma, but these activities are good for you when you are on controller medications. Your doctor may also tell you to take your reliever medication about 10 to 15 minutes before exercise.
- If your asthma attacks are triggered by strong smells or perfume, don’t use soap, shampoo, or lotion that smells like perfume.
- Dust collects in the mattress, blankets, and pillows. Consider putting special dust-proof covers with zippers on the mattress, quilt, and pillow. Do not use a pillow or a mattress made of straw.
- Wash sheets and blankets in very hot water. Put them in the sun to dry.
- Open windows wide when it is hot or stuffy when there is smoke from cooking, when there are strong smells, and when the floor is being vacuumed.
- If you are allergic to animals with fur, keep them outside. Don’t let them inside the bedroom and ask someone else to care for them.
- Close windows when the air outside is full of exhaust from cars, pollution from factories, dust, or pollen from flowers and trees.
- Regular physical activity is good for people with asthma, but these activities are good for you when you are on controller medications. Your doctor may also tell you to take your reliever medication about 10 to 15 minutes before exercise.
- Remember – you can control your asthma. With your doctor’s help, make your own asthma action plan. Take your long-term control medicine even when you don’t have symptoms. Know your triggers and try to keep away from them.
