A Brief Introduction:
Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by chest tightness, shortness of breath,
coughing and wheezing. With asthma, a blockage of airflow in and out of the lungs occurs
from muscle squeezing, swelling and excess mucous. Between 12-15 million people in the
United States have asthma, including up to 5 million children.
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- Trachea-Windpipe
- Bronchial tubes - Air
passages of the lungs
- Lungs
- Bronchial tube
- Muscles - The bronchial
tubes are wrapped with muscles
- Bronchiole - Smaller
branches of the bronchial tubes
- Alveoli - Ballon-like sacs
through which air passes
- Mucus lines the bronchial
tubes
- Inflamed airway
- Tight muscle
- Alveoli with trapped air
- Inflamed swalled airway
- Extra mucus
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Physicians who are not specialists in this disease may mistake
its symptoms for an infection, unaware that the underlying problem is asthma. Asthma is
characterized by three airway problems: obstruction, inflammation and hyper
responsiveness. Asthma patients respond to environmental factors differently than
non-asthmatics. In response to a trigger, the asthmatic’s airways become narrowed and
inflamed, which results in wheezing, coughing and tightness in the chest. If you have
asthma, you can minimize symptoms by avoiding these triggers, and by working with your
doctor to develop an effective plan for treatment.
Triggers for Asthma:
Asthmatic symptoms can be triggered by several factors, including: |
- Allergens or irritants
- Exercise
- Medications or foods
- Viral or sinus infections
- Reflux disease
- Emotional anxiety
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"Hay fever” (allergic
rhinitis) is considered a risk factor for developing asthma, as up to 80% of asthmatics
also have hay fever. Both can be triggered by year-round allergens, including pollens,
molds, animal dander, and house mites and other insect droppings.
Other substances can aggravate asthma, including air pollutants (cigarette smoke,
chemicals in the air, wood smoke), occupational exposure to allergens (gases, vapors,
dust, and fumes), strong odors (perfumes, household cleaners, paints and varnishes),
airborne particles (chalk dust, talcum powder), and changing weather conditions (humidity,
temperature, winds).
Viral infections can also trigger and/or aggravate asthma, especially in children. These
infections irritate the nose, lungs, sinuses and throat, which may trigger asthma
flare-ups. Sinusitis (an inflammation in the cavities around the eyes and nose) can also
trigger asthma.
Managing Asthma:
Because asthma is a chronic disease, it requires careful monitoring and effective
treatment. The treatment of asthma
has four main components1: |
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According to the Guidelines, there are six goals
for the effective management of asthma:
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Prevent chronic
and troublesome symptoms
Maintain (near)
"normal" breathing
Maintain normal
activity levels, including exercise
Prevent recurrent
asthma flare-ups, and minimize the need for emergency room visits or hospitalizations
Provide optimal
medication therapy with no or minimal adverse effects
Meet
patients’ and families’ expectations of satisfactory asthma care
By working with their doctor to manage their asthma, asthmatics should be able to
participate in normal daily activities.
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Asthma Medications
The purpose of asthma medications is to reduce the inflammation in the patients’
airways that cause the wheezing, coughing, tightness in chest and other symptoms. The
following medications are commonly used in asthma treatment: |
Anti-Inflammatory
Drugs - cromolyn or nedoromil, which stop and prevent the inflammation in the lungs
Corticosteroids -
used in inhaled or oral form, depending on the severity of the asthma
Bronchodilators -
used in emergencies to open up the bronchial tubes to allow more airflow.
Anti-leukotrienes
- fights potent chemicals called leukotrienes, responsible for airway inflammation
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Asthma in Children
Asthma is the most common and serious disease in childhood. Asthma affects nearly
5 million children in the United States, and is the cause of nearly 3 million doctors
visits and 200,000 hospitalizations each year. 2 In infants and young children, asthma may
appear as rapid or noisy breathing, cough, and/or chest congestion.
Asthma symptoms can interfere with many school activities for children, as asthmatic
children may have less stamina than other children. Many asthmatic children may try to
avoid or limit their involvement in physical activities to prevent the coughing and
wheezing that may occur.
Children with asthma do not often identify chest tightness, because they are often so used
to the feeling that they are unaware that it is a warning sign. For parents, often the
only observable symptom of chest tightness is recurring coughing spells. Up to 80% of
children with asthma develop symptoms before the age of five. For this reason, the proper
diagnosis of childhood asthma relies heavily on parents’ observations about their
child’s symptoms.
Once asthma is diagnosed, proper treatment and management can occur. Often the child must
use a peak flow meter to measure the flow of air from the lungs. Often medications are
also used to prevent and improve symptoms. Once the child has been diagnosed and is
receiving asthma treatment, the child should be encouraged to participate in normal
physical activities as much as possible. While many parents feel the need to prevent their
asthmatic children from engaging in physical activity, aerobic exercise is very important
to the asthmatic child to improve airway function.
With proper diagnosis, monitoring and treatment, individuals with asthma can engage in
regular physical activity and can live normal healthy lives. |
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