Asthma
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease in which the airways of the lung constrict. Asthma sufferers experience excessive pools of mucus that obstruct the airways. They also struggle with inflammation of these airways as a result of various triggers such as: environmental allergens like cigarette smoke, exposure to cold or warm air, perfumes, moist air, exercise, pet allergens, emotional distress and other activates.
The results of exposure to these triggers are symptoms of wheezing, dyspnea, (shortness of breath), and coughing. The constriction of the airways is treated through the use of bronchodilators medications that open up the airways for at least a brief period of time. This causes improvement between episodes of wheezing again. Click here to discover how to put an end to asthma naturally.
Signs and Symptoms
Some who have asthma have chronic symptoms without symptom-free periods. Others have intermittent symptoms with specific triggers that cause the wheezing and coughing to occur. The primary symptoms are dyspnea, coughing, tightening of the chest, stridor (noisy breathing), and a difficulty undertaking physical activity.
When asthma suddenly gets worse, the condition is called an “asthma attack”. This is a sudden onset of symptoms, particularly of wheezing, stridor and dyspnea. The patient may produce clear mucus in the latter stages of an attack.
The wheezing primarily occurs during expiration but can be during inspiration and expiration. Other signs of an asthma attack include rapid heart rate and respirations, rhonchorous sounds as heard when using a stethoscope, and the use of accessory respiratory muscles to breathe. In a severe asthma attack, the patient can actually turn blue and can pass out from lack of oxygen.
Causes of Asthma
Asthma is complex. It is a result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors that interplay to cause the disease. Some environmental and genetic aspects of asthma only cause symptoms when in combination.
Some common environmental factors include tobacco smoke—especially maternal tobacco smoking in the presence of her child. Bad air quality, such as with pollution from traffic causes high ozone levels and triggers asthma symptoms. Having a cesarean section seems to be more associated with an asthmatic child. In fact, the ratio is 20% higher than with vaginal deliveries.
Caregiver psychological stress is related to the child having asthma. It is believed that the stress affects the immune system of the child.
A negative risk factor is having lots of viral respiratory illnesses as a baby and having siblings or going to daycare. This is a controversial finding and it all may depend on genetics. Babies on antibiotics a lot during infancy are at a greater risk of developing asthma.
Exposure to chlorination in pools was found by research to trigger asthma in children. The chemical is believed to be nitrogen trichloride and it is felt to be significantly associated with asthmatic symptoms in pool life guards and in swimmers.
Genetic Reasons
More than a hundred genes have been found to be related to having asthma. Twenty five of them have been definitely associated with asthma. The bulk of the genes are connected to the immune system. Researchers feel there is a lot to be learned about the exact role of these genes in the development of asthma. It appears that some genes cause asthma but only when they are combined with particular exposures in the environment.
Pathophysiology
In asthma, the airway constriction is due to constriction of the bronchial tree and inflammation of the bronchial tree. The result is narrowing of the lung airways because of tightening of the airway smooth muscle. There can be edema of the airway and diffuse swelling caused by an allergic immune response.
During an asthmatic attack, the inflammation of the airways interacts with the environmental triggers, including dust, smoke or pollen. Excess mucus is created and the airways narrow. The airways of those who have asthma are considered hypersensitive to particular triggers. The primary problem in asthma seems to be related to the immunological system. The sufferers seem to have excessive inflammation in their bronchial tree.
Treatment
There are bronchodilators made with beta agonists and steroid inhalers or oral steroids to reduce the inflammation. One method of treatment is to use the antioxidant glutathione, which is diminished in many forms of lung disease. Sign up for the asthma free e-course and discover how gluthatione can help you put an end to asthma for good.
