Information About Asthma…

What is mean by Asthma ?

A common disorder in which chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes (bronchi) makes them swell, narrowing the airways. Asthma involves only the bronchial tubes and does not affect the air sacs (alveoli) or the lung tissue (the parenchyma of the lung) itself.Asthma (AZ-ma) is a chronic (long-term) lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. The coughing often occurs at night or early in the morning.
Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts in childhood. In the United States, more than 22 million people are known to have asthma. Nearly 6 million of these people are children.

When you have asthma and are exposed to a trigger, the airways leading to the lungs become more inflamed or swollen than usual, making it harder for you to breathe. The airways also get smaller due to a tightening of the muscles surrounding the airways, and they get “stuffed up” due to a build-up of mucus.

Classification of Asthma:
Asthma is often put into categories or groups based on the “triggers” that cause the asthma symptoms or attacks. These categories or types of asthma are:

Allergic asthma :

Allergic asthma is the most common type of asthma. About 90% of kids with childhood asthma have allergies, compared with about 50% of adults. Inhaling specific substances called allergens (allergy triggers, such as pollen, mites, or molds) brings on the asthma symptoms associated with allergic asthma. Nearly everyone with asthma (allergic or nonallergic) gets worse after exercising in cold air or after inhaling any type of smoke, dust, fumes, and sometimes strong smells.

Seasonal asthma:

Tree pollen, grass pollen, molds spores or flowers releasing pollen can all be triggers of seasonal asthma. For example, some people find that their asthma is worse in the spring when there is an increase in flowering plants. Others find their asthma is worse in the late summer or early fall when ragweed and leaves from trees are more likely to cause problems. With careful attention and a calendar, it is simple to identify a root cause of one’s asthma without the need for painful skin testing.

Non-allergic asthma:

For some people with asthma, asthma attacks have nothing to do with allergies. Although these people get the same symptoms and have the same changes in their airways as patients with allergic asthma, their asthma is not triggered by allergies. Like any patient with asthma, however, asthma attacks may be triggered or made worse by one or more non-allergic asthma triggers including materials (irritants) in the air you breathe, such as tobacco smoke, wood smoke, room deodorizers, pine odors, fresh paint, household cleaning products, cooking odors, workplace chemicals, perfumes, and outdoor air pollution. Respiratory infections, such as the common cold, Influenza, or a sinus infection may also give you symptoms. Finally, exercise, cold air, sudden changes in air temperature, and even gastro esophageal reflux (heartburn) may be triggers for people with non-allergic asthma.

Exercise-induced asthma :

Exercise-induced asthma is distinct from allergic asthma in that it does not produce long-term increase in airway activity. People who only experience asthma when they exercise may be able to control their symptoms with preventive measures such as warm-up and cool-down exercises.

Nocturnal asthma:

Can occur in a patient with any type of asthma. It refers to asthma symptoms that seem worse in the middle of the night, typically between 2 and 4 AM.

Things that can cause asthma symptoms to get worse at night may include sinus infections or postnasal drip caused by allergens like dust mites or pet dander. Your body clock may also play some role: levels of substances your body makes like adrenaline and steroids, both of which protect against asthma, are lowest between 4 and 8 AM, making it easier for people with asthma to get symptoms during these times of the night.

Hot to control the Asthma:

There are two main categories of asthma drugs: short-term, quick-relief medications that relieve asthma symptoms, and long-term controller medications that are used every day by people with persistent asthma, even when they feel fine.

Reference books for how to avoid the Asthma: