Asthma is a type of long-term or chronic disease in the respiratory
tract that is characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the airways which
causes tightness or difficulty breathing. In addition to breathing
difficulties, people with asthma can also experience other symptoms such as
chest pain, coughing, and wheezing. Asthma can be suffered by all ages, whether
young or old.
Although the exact cause of asthma is not yet known clearly, there are
a number of things that often trigger it, such as cigarette smoke, dust, animal
hair, physical activity, cold air, viral infections, or even exposure to
chemicals.
For someone who has asthma, the respiratory tract is more sensitive
than other people who do not live with this condition. When the trigger lungs
are irritated above, the muscles of the respiratory tract of asthmatics will
stiffen and make the channel narrow. In addition, there will be an increase in
phlegm production which makes breathing more difficult.
To find out if a patient has asthma, the doctor needs to do a number
of tests. But before the test is done, the doctor will usually ask questions to
the patient about what symptoms are felt, the time of occurrence of these
symptoms, and the medical history of the patient and his family.
If someone is diagnosed with asthma as a child, the symptoms may
disappear when he is a teenager and reappear when he is older. But the symptoms
of asthma which are classified as medium or severe in childhood, will tend to
remain there even though they can also reappear. Even so, asthma can appear at
any age and does not always start from childhood.
It is important for patients to recognize things that can trigger
their asthma so they can avoid it. If asthma symptoms appear, the commonly
recommended drug is a reliever inhaler.
When an asthma attack occurs with symptoms that continue to worsen
(slowly or quickly) even though it has been treated with an inhaler or other
drugs, the patient must immediately get treatment at the hospital. Although
rare, an asthma attack can endanger life. For people with chronic asthma,
inflammation of the airways that has been going on for a long time and can
cause permanent constriction.
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Read Too Article : Beauty | Health
The following are the effects of asthma that can occur:
Psychological problems (anxiety, stress, or depression).
Decreasing performance at school or at work.
The body often feels tired.
Impaired growth and puberty in children.
Status asthmaticus (severe asthma condition that does not respond to
normal therapy).
Pneumonia.
Respiratory failure.
Damage to part or all of the lungs.
Dead.
Control asthma
If you happen to have asthma or live with asthma for a long time,
don't worry about this condition because asthma is a disease that can still be
controlled provided you:
If the use of asthma reliever reliever inhalers increases rapidly,
immediately consult your doctor so that your asthma treatment plan is adjusted again.
In addition, it is recommended to vaccinate influenza and pneumonia regularly
to prevent the worsening of asthma caused by the two diseases.
The main symptoms of asthma include difficulty breathing (sometimes it
can make people gasp), coughing, tightness in the chest, and wheezing (a sound
produced when air flows through a narrowed airway). If these symptoms recur,
often people with asthma become difficult to sleep.
The severity of asthma symptoms varies, from mild to severe. The
worsening of symptoms usually occurs at night or early morning. Often this
makes asthma sufferers have difficulty sleeping and the need for inhalers is
increasingly frequent. In addition, worsening of symptoms can also be triggered
by allergic reactions or physical activity.
Asthma symptoms that deteriorate significantly are called asthma
attacks. Asthma attacks usually occur within a period of 6-24 hours, or even
several days. Even so, there are some patients whose asthma symptoms get worse
very quickly less than that time.
In addition to breathing difficulties, chest tightness, and
significantly worse wheezing, other signs of severe asthma attacks can include:
Reliever inhalers that are no longer effective in dealing with
symptoms.
Symptoms of coughing, wheezing and tightness in the chest are getting
worse and more frequent.
Difficulty speaking, eating, or sleeping due to difficulty breathing.
Lips and fingers that look blue.
Increased heart rate.
Feeling dizzy, tired, or drowsy.
A decrease in peak expiratory flow.
Don't ignore it if you or your family experience signs of an asthma
attack above. See a doctor immediately to get further treatment.
Respiratory training is a complementary method of treating the most
recommended asthma. And there is evidence that this method can reduce asthma
symptoms and relieve medication needs in some people. Breathing exercises can
include yoga, Buteyko breathing techniques, and breathing techniques taught by
physiotherapists.
In addition to breathing exercises, other complementary treatment
methods are:
Acupuncture
Traditional Chinese herbal medicine
Homeopathy
Oral supplement therapy
Hypnosis
Ionization Therapy
Chiropractic
However, among all the complementary treatments already mentioned,
only breathing exercises that are proven to be effective reduce the symptoms
and needs of patients with asthma medication. For other complementary
therapies, further research is needed on the effects on asthma.
