Understanding Asthma

There is an epidemic of asthma in our country and around the world.  Historically, most people got asthma when they were a child and therefore knew about it as adults.  But now a lot of people are getting asthma for the first time as adults.

A good understanding of the basics will help you try to figure out what you can do to help yourself win this battle against your asthma.

Q:  What is Asthma?

A:  Let me explain what is going on in your body when you have an asthma attack.  Asthma is the number one chronic respiratory disease in North America.  It is a disease of the lungs.  People with asthma wheeze because when they are experiencing an attack, the tubes inside their lungs that deliver air, known as bronchi, become inflamed.  When this happens, the muscles of the bronchial walls tighten and extra mucus is produced, causing the airway to narrow.  The severity of the attack can vary from slight wheezing to life-threatening.  These obstructive changes leave very little room for air to get through.  Trying to breathe when this is occurring is like trying to breathe with a pillow over your face.  To make matters worse, people with asthma get an airway inflammation that produces more mucus, which can lead to even more airway obstruction—a vicious cycle that continues, usually until some medication is administered.

Q:  What are the warning signs and symptoms?

A:  The most common symptoms of asthma include difficulty breathing, wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, constricted chest or painfully congested lungs.  Below are more symptoms and warning signs.

·         Unusual fatigue

·         Tight feeling in the chest

·         Dry mouth

·         Mouth breathing

·         Sudden coughing

·         Rapid heartbeat

·         Anxiety

·         Irritability

·         Scratchy throat

·         Perspiration

People with asthma can be divided into mild, moderate and severe cases, depending on their symptoms. 

Mild Asthma

These patients comprise 50 percent of the asthmatic population.  They have symptoms only once or twice per year and are generally controlled on “as needed” bronchodilator medications.

Moderate Asthma

Forty percent of all patients with asthma fall into this category.  These people have symptoms roughly once per month and some require daily medication to keep their symptoms from getting worse and interfering with their daily life.

 Severe Asthma

These cases make up the remainder of patients with asthma.  This is the life-threatening form of this condition.  The severe types usually require multiple daily medications just to maintain decent control over their breathing.  Wheezing and coughing occur most of the time, and these patients usually find it difficult to participate in sporting activities.

 

Q:  How does Asthma work?

 A:  Asthma results from the combined effects of allergic airway inflammation and a dysfunction of the muscles in the airway.  These are the muscles that cause the constriction to occur.  This, along with swelling of the airway, mucus plug formation, and airway remodeling, are the prime causes of the symptoms.

Airway remodeling occurs in someone with a chronic case of asthma over time.  The airway will start to take on a different form than it is supposed to have.  If the inflammatory effects of asthma are not treated, permanent scarring of the lungs can occur, which can permanently alter airway function.

Swelling of the airway and the formation of mucus take place in two phases – through an immediate and a delayed inflammatory response.  This is why attacks often start slowly and build to a frightening crescendo that may lead to hospitalization.

 In the immediate phase, there is usually an allergic trigger such as pollen or animal dander.  This allergen enters the lungs and comes into contact with the bloodstream.  White blood cell known as TH-2 recognizes this allergen as a pathogen that should not be in the body and sends a message of danger throughout the immune system.  This is the body’s natural protective mechanism and how our bodies fight off other diseases quite effectively. In asthma, the response triggered is overblown and that is what causes the problem.  Histamines, leukotrienes, prostaglandins and thromboxanes are released causing the inflammatory response that leads to the increased blood flow, edema, and constriction of the airway.

Q:  What Causes Asthma?

 A:  No one is willing to admit why the number of people with asthma increases dramatically each year.  Science doesn’t even know how asthma takes hold in your body and why it progresses the way it does.  However, there are some theories.  For one, there is a strong association with chemical sensitivities, our food and the environment.

 Chemical Sensitivities – Increasing number of Americans are experiencing a bewildering range of chronic complaints, many of which are due to sensitivity to toxins in the environment. Most chemically sensitive patients have accumulated toxins in their bodies.  Toxins tend to build up in cell membranes.

 Food – Food can have a dramatic impact on asthma in several different ways.  First, you may be suffering from food allergies and sensitivities that keep inflammatory chemicals circulating in your body, thereby making the likelihood of an asthma attack greater.  Second, certain foods have been demonstrated in studies to increase levels of inflammation in the body.  Junk and fried foods and fatty meats can produce inflammation.

 Environment – In most people with asthma, their attack is usually brought on by an allergic reaction to substances commonly inhaled, such as animal dander and pollens.  These are called allergens; asthma also may be triggered by certain other things in the air commonly known as irritants.  Allergens and irritants that may trigger an allergy or asthma attack include:

·         Aerosol sprays

·         Air pollution

·         Animal dander

·         Certain medications (such as aspirin or ibuprofen)

·         Cockroaches

·         Cold outdoor temperatures

·         Dust mites

·         Molds ( indoor and outdoor)

·         Smoke

 

Q:  Is Asthma Serious?

 A:  All asthma is serious. There is no way of telling whether an asthma flare will last seconds, minutes or hours – or will turn life-threatening. One-third of all people who die of asthma had been diagnosed with “mild” asthma. No matter what your past diagnosis, how infrequent your symptoms are or how good you’re feeling right now, your asthma can change without warning. That’s why it’s important to know what causes your symptoms, what your medications do and how to respond to early warning signals as well as breathing emergencies.

 

I hope this quick blog post helps you understand the basics of asthma.

Feel free to share away if this information has helped you. Don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on this.    

To Your Health,

Cheryl Webb