What is Asthma?
Asthma is one of the most common serious chronic diseases in the United States. If you suffer from asthma, the more you know, the more control you'll feel you have. The medical definition of asthma is simple, but the condition itself is quite complex.
Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways of your lungs. These airways are also known as bronchial tubes. In the case of asthma, chronic means that it never goes away. Asthma is one disease that has two main components occurring deep within the airways of your lungs:
Inflammation The airways of the lungs are always inflamed if you have asthma, and become more swollen and irritated when an attack begins. Your healthcare professional may refer to this swelling and irritation as "inflammation." Inflammation can reduce the amount of air that you can take in or breathe out of your lungs. In some cases, the mucus glands in the airways produce excessive, thick mucus, further obstructing the airways.
Constriction The muscles around the airways in the lungs squeeze together or tighten. This tightening is often called "broncho constriction," and it can make it hard for you to breathe the air in or out of your lungs.
Types Of Asthma
Asthma is often put into categories or groups based on the "triggers" that cause the asthma symptoms or attacks. Within each of these categories, asthma can be further classified as intermittent or persistent. The different types of asthma are:
Allergic Asthma
Allergic asthma is triggered by an allergic reaction to allergens such as pollen or pet dander. People with this type of asthma typically have a personal and/or family history of allergies, such as allergic rhinitis and hay fever, and/or eczema (skin problem resulting in itching, a red rash, and sometimes small blisters).
Seasonal Asthma
Seasonal asthma, a form of allergic asthma, can be triggered by trees, grasses, or flowers releasing pollen into the air. 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 mold from leaves on trees are more likely to cause problems.
Nonallergic Asthma
For some people with asthma, asthma attacks have nothing to do with allergies. Although these people get the same symptoms and have similar changes in their airways as people with allergic asthma, their asthma is not triggered by allergens. However, like any person with asthma, asthma attacks may be triggered or made worse by one or more nonallergic asthma triggers including substances (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, the flu or a sinus infection may also cause symptoms. Finally, exercise, cold air, sudden changes in air temperature, and even gastroesophageal reflux (heartburn) may be triggers for people with either allergic or non-allergic asthma.
Exercise-induced Asthma
Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) simply refers to asthma symptoms that are triggered only by exercise or physical activity. These symptoms are usually noticed during or shortly after exercise. Exercising outdoors in the winter seems to be particularly bad for patients with this type of asthma. However, exercise can also trigger symptoms in people with other types of asthma.
Nocturnal Asthma
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 AM and 4 AM.
Who gets Asthma?
Asthma is not contagious. While its causes are still unknown, researchers have determined that asthma can be caused by both hereditary (inherited) and environmental factors.
You can make sure your asthma is well-controlled:
• By avoiding your asthma triggers
• By taking your medication
• Through education from your healthcare team
• By following an asthma action plan
Common Asthma Triggers
Dust Mites, Animals, Cockroaches, Moulds, Pollens, Cold Air, Air Pollutants, Viral Infections
People with asthma are encouraged to get the flu shot in the Fall.
TREATING ASTHMA
Two Kinds of Medication
Most people with asthma take two kinds of medication. That's because each asthma medication treats only one aspect of the condition:
• Controllers, also called "preventers," reduce inflammation in the airways. Controllers should be taken every day, whether or not you're experiencing symptoms.
• Relievers are very good at helping to alleviate symptoms immediately.
Relievers
Relievers are used to quickly alleviate asthma symptoms. They do this by relaxing the bands of muscle that surround the airways. However, they do not reduce inflammation in the airways - to treat inflammation, you will need to take a controller medication.
Examples of reliever medications include:
• Fenoterol (sold as Berotec®)
• Formoterol (sold as Foradil® or Oxeze®)
• Ipratropium (sold as Atrovent®)
• Isoproterenol (sold as Isuprel®)
Controllers
While relievers help you treat the symptoms of asthma, controller medications help to treat the underlying inflammation of the airways in a person with asthma. By controlling the inflammation, asthma symptoms can be decreased and flare-ups prevented from occurring.
When you start taking controller medications, you may not notice a difference right away. It may take a few weeks before the inflammation in your airways is reduced. Even if you don't feel better right away, don't stop taking your controller medication unless your doctor tells you to.
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