Asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways that makes breathing difficult. With asthma, there is inflammation of the air passages that results in a temporary narrowing of the airways that carry oxygen to the lungs. This results in asthma symptoms, including coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. There are three major features of asthma:

Airway obstruction. During normal breathing, the bands of muscle that surround the airways are relaxed, and air moves freely. But in people with asthma, allergy-causing substances and environmental triggers make the bands of muscle surrounding the airways tighten, and air cannot move freely. Less air causes a person to feel short of breath, and the air moving through the tightened airways causes a whistling sound known as wheezing. This airway narrowing is reversible, a feature that distinguishes asthma from other lung diseases such as bronchitis or emphysema.

Inflammation. People with asthma have red and swollen bronchial tubes. This inflammation is thought to contribute greatly to the long-term damage that asthma can cause to the lungs. And, therefore, treating this inflammation is key to managing asthma in the long run.

Airway irritability. The airways of people with asthma are extremely sensitive. The airways tend to overreact and narrow due to even the slightest triggers such as pollen, animal dander, dust or fumes.

Asthma affects 22 million Americans. Asthma may occur at any age, although it’s more common in younger individuals (under age 40).

People who have a family history of asthma have an increased risk of developing the disease. Allergies and asthma often occur together. Smoking with asthma, a dangerous combination, is still seen commonly.

However, anyone can develop asthma at any time, and adult-onset asthma happens frequently.

People with asthma have very sensitive airways that react to many different things in the environment called “asthma triggers”. Contact with these triggers cause asthma symptoms to start or worsen.

The following are common triggers for asthma:

• Infections such as sinusitis, colds, and flu
• Allergens such as pollens, mold spores, pet dander, and dust mites
• Irritants such as strong odors from perfumes or cleaning solutions, and air pollution
• Tobacco smoke
• Exercise, called exercise-induced asthma
• Weather; changes in temperature and/or humidity, cold air
• Strong emotions such as anxiety, laughter or crying, stress
• Medications, such as aspirin-sensitive asthma.

An asthma attack is a sudden worsening of symptoms. With an asthma attack, your airways tighten, swell up, or fill with mucus. Common symptoms include coughing, especially at night, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, pain, or pressure.

Not every person with asthma has the same symptoms of an asthma attack. You may not have all of these symptoms, or you may have different symptoms at different times. Your symptoms may also vary from one asthma attack to the next, being mild during one attack and severe during another.

Prolonged asthma attacks that do not respond to treatment with bronchodilators are a medical emergency and they require immediate emergency care.