ASTHMA

What Is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects your airways. The airways are the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways are inflamed (swollen). The inflammation makes the airways very sensitive, and they tend to react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When the airways react, they get narrower, and less air flows through to your lung tissue. This causes symptoms like wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), coughing, chest tightness, and trouble breathing, especially at night and in the early morning.

Asthma cannot be cured, but most people with asthma can control it so that they have few and infrequent symptoms and can live active lives.


When your asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it is called an asthma episode or attack. During an asthma attack, muscles around the airways tighten up, making the airways narrower so less air flows through. Inflammation increases, and the airways become more swollen and even narrower. Cells in the airways may also make more mucus than usual. This extra mucus also narrows the airways. These changes make it harder to breathe.


Asthma attacks are not all the same—some are worse than others. In a severe asthma attack, the airways can close so much that not enough oxygen gets to vital organs. This condition is a medical emergency. People can die from severe asthma attacks.

So, if you have asthma, you should see your doctor regularly. You will need to learn what things cause your asthma symptoms and how to avoid them. Your doctor will also prescribe medicines to keep your asthma under control.

Taking care of your asthma is an important part of your life. Controlling it means working closely with your doctor to learn what to do, staying away from things that bother your airways, taking medicines as directed by your doctor, and monitoring your asthma so that you can respond quickly to signs of an attack. By controlling your asthma every day, you can prevent serious symptoms and take part in all activities.

If your asthma is not well controlled, you are likely to have symptoms that can make you miss school or work and keep you from doing things you enjoy. Asthma is one of the leading causes of children missing school.


Causes of Asthma

The cause of asthma is not known, but there is evidence that many factors play a part.

Genetic factors: asthma tends to run in families, and many people with asthma also have other allergic conditions such as rhinitis (inflammation of the nose lining). "Allergy" is a hypersensitivity to some proteins foreign to the body; a small dose of the "allergen" will produce a violent reaction in the person concerned.


Environmental factors: in wealthy, hygienic Western countries, most babies are not exposed to bacterial infections that "kick start" the immune system in early life and may be important in directing the immune system away from allergic responses. They also grow up in warm, well-furnished, carpeted homes that don't allow much airflow. This encourages the rapid breeding of large numbers of house dust mites in bedding, carpets and furnishings. Many children, instead of playing outside in fresh air, spend most of their time indoors. This further increases dust mite sensitisation. Exposure to tobacco smoke, whether during the mother's pregnancy or in early childhood, predisposes children to developing asthma. It also makes their symptoms more severe. Children can also become sensitised to animals, pollens moulds and dust in the environment if they are genetically predisposed.


Dietary changes: changes in diet in Western countries, such as a high proportion of processed foods, a higher salt intake, a lower antioxidant intake and a lack of fresh oily fish (lower intake of omega-3 fatty acids) may contribute to the development of asthma.


Lack of exercise: spending more time inside in front of the television means that children get far less exercise. Reduced exercise may mean less stretching of the airways, and a greater tendency for the muscle in the airway walls to contract abnormally when exposed to minor irritants.


Occupational exposure: in adults, asthma can develop in response to irritants in the workplace - chemicals, dusts, gases, moulds and pollens. These can be found in industries such as baking, spray painting of cars, woodworking, chemical production, and farming.


How does asthma affect women differently?

Puberty and menstruation

Some girls find that when they first go through puberty their asthma symptoms worsen. Your symptoms will usually return to normal once your menstrual periods stabilize.

Keep a peak flow diary to track how your menstrual period is affecting your asthma.
If your asthma gets consistently worse, see your healthcare professional. You may be in need of an extra preventative medicine, which you would take on the week before your period to minimize symptoms.

Some medicines such as anti-inflammatory medicines used to treat menstrual pain may actually induce asthma attacks. If you take such medicines regularly, talk to your doctor.

Sleep

Asthma in young women significantly increases the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder where the tissues at the back of the throat temporarily collapse during sleep, causing the pathway to the lungs to be obstructed until the brain wakes up. This results in poor sleep quality and drowsiness. Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include loud snoring, cessation of breathing at night, excessive daytime sleepiness, and needing to pass urine frequently at night. Long-term consequences of untreated sleep apnea include high blood pressure and a higher risk for developing heart attacks and strokes.

Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, it is vital for both you and your baby that you control your asthma. Uncontrolled asthma can lower the oxygen level in your blood, which means that your baby gets less oxygen, too, and therefore your baby’s growth and development will be affected.

Most, although not all, asthma medicines are safe to take during pregnancy. Doctors recommend that it is much less risky to take some asthma medicines during pregnancy than to take the chance that you will have an asthma attack.

If you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, talk to your healthcare professional about your asthma and how to have a healthy pregnancy.

Motherhood

Asthma is a major issue for children. It is the third-leading cause of hospitalization among children under 15 years of age. Treatment costs are estimated at $3.2 billion annually for children under 18.

Menopause

Because menopause is another point in time when your hormones are in flux, your asthma symptoms may worsen. Be conscious of any changes in your symptoms, and discuss them with your healthcare professional.
Osteoporosis

This condition, through which your bones become brittle, is a major health problem for aging women. This disease affects one in three women after menopause. Studies have found that women who suffer from asthma may be slightly more likely to get osteoporosis. Taking steroid tablets (eg, prednisone) or high doses of preventative inhalers over an extended period of time may increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. You should talk to your clinician about this.

Women with asthma should be exceptionally careful to reduce their risk of osteoporosis. Here are some ways in which you can reduce the risk:

1.Ensure that your diet has sufficient calcium by consuming foods like yogurt, cheese, and milk. Tinned fish with bones, tofu, and leafy greens also contain a high dose of calcium.
2Do regular weight-bearing exercise. Walking, dancing, weight-training, and running are all examples of weight-bearing exercise.
3Do not smoke. Smoking is an independant risk factor for developing osteoporosis.
4Drink only moderate amounts of alcohol.


Asthma symptoms

Asthma symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe. They may include:

1.coughing
2.wheezing
3.shortness of breath
4.tightness in your chest
These symptoms tend to be variable and may stop and start. They are usually worse at night.


Home remedy for asthma relief

1.Express the juice from garlic. Mix 10 – 15 drops in warm water and take internally for asthma relief.

2.Mix, onion juice ¼ cup, honey 1 tablespoon and black pepper 1/8 tablespoon.

3.Mix licorice and ginger together. Take ½ tablespoon in 1 cup of water for relief from asthma.

4.Drink a glass of 2/3 carrot juice, 1/3 spinach juice, 3 times a day .

6.Add 30-40 leaves of Basil in a liter of water, strain the leaves and drink the water throughout the day effective for asthma.


How Is Asthma Treated?

Your doctor can work with you to decide about your treatment goals and what you need to do to control your asthma to achieve these goals. Asthma treatment includes:

1.Working closely with your doctor to decide what your treatment goals are and learning how to meet those goals.
2.Avoiding things that bring on your asthma symptoms or make your symptoms worse. Doing so can reduce the amount of medicine you need to control your asthma.
3.Using asthma medicines. Allergy medicine and shots may also help control asthma in some people.
4.Monitoring your asthma so that you can recognize when your symptoms are getting worse and respond quickly to prevent or stop an asthma attack.

With proper treatment, you should ideally have these results:

1.Your asthma should be controlled.
2.You should be free of asthma symptoms.
3.You should have fewer attacks.
4.You should need to use quick-relief medicines less often.
5.You should be able to do normal activities without having symptoms.


Your doctor will work with you to develop an asthma self-management plan for controlling your asthma on a daily basis and an emergency action plan for stopping asthma attacks. These plans will tell you what medicines you should take and other things you should do to keep your asthma under control.

Medicines for Asthma


There are two main types of medicines for asthma:


1.Quick-relief medicines—taken at the first signs of asthma symptoms for immediate relief of these symptoms. You will feel the effects of these medicines within minutes.
2.Long-term control medicines—taken every day, usually over long periods of time, to prevent symptoms and asthma episodes or attacks. You will feel the full effects of these medicines after taking them for a few weeks. People with persistent asthma need long-term control medicines.

Quick-relief medicines

Everyone with asthma needs a quick-relief or "rescue" medicine to stop asthma symptoms before they get worse. Short-acting inhaled beta-agonists are the preferred quick-relief medicine. These medicines are bronchodilators. They act quickly to relax tightened muscles around your airways so that the airways can open up and allow more air to flow through.

You should take your quick-relief medicine when you first begin to feel asthma symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath. You should carry your quick-relief inhaler with you at all times in case of an asthma attack.

Your doctor may recommend that you take your quick-relief medicines at other times as well—for example, before exercise.

Long-term control medicines

The most effective, long-term control medicine for asthma is an inhaled corticosteroid (kor-ti-ko-STE-roid) because this medicine reduces the airway swelling that makes asthma attacks more likely.

Inhaled corticosteroids (or steroids for short) are the preferred medicine for controlling mild, moderate, and severe persistent asthma. They are generally safe when taken as directed by your doctor.
In some cases, steroid tablets or liquid are used for short periods of time to bring asthma under control. The tablet or liquid form may also be used to control severe asthma.

Other long-term control medicines include:

1.Inhaled long-acting beta-agonists. These medicines are bronchodilators, or muscle relaxers, not anti-inflammatory drugs. They are used to help control moderate and severe asthma and to prevent nighttime symptoms. Long-acting beta-agonists are usually taken together with inhaled corticosteroid medicines.

2.Leukotriene modifiers (montelukast, zafirlukast, and zileuton), which are used either alone to treat mild persistent asthma or together with inhaled corticosteroids to treat moderate or severe asthma.

3.Cromolyn and nedocromil, which are used to treat mild persistent asthma.

4.Theophylline, which is used either alone to treat mild persistent asthma or together with inhaled corticosteroids to treat moderate persistent asthma. People who take theophylline should have their blood levels checked to be sure the dose is appropriate.

If you stop taking long-term control medicines, your asthma will likely worsen again.

Many people with asthma need both a short-acting bronchodilator to use when symptoms worsen and long-term daily asthma control medicines to treat the ongoing inflammation.

Over time, your doctor may need to make changes in your asthma medicine. You may need to increase your dose, lower your dose, or try a combination of medicines. Be sure to work with your doctor to find the best treatment for your asthma. The goal is to use the least amount of medicine necessary to control your asthma.

Most asthma medicines are inhaled. They go directly into your lungs where they are needed. There are many kinds of inhalers, and many require different techniques. It is important to know how to use your inhaler correctly.