What is Asthma?
Asthma is a lung health condition that affects the airways – the tubes that carry air to and from the lungs. People who have asthma have sensitive airways which swell up in response to a trigger causing the muscles in the airways to contract. This can make it very difficult for a person with asthma to breathe properly.
Common Symptoms:
- shortness of breath, especially after exercise
- wheezing
- dry, irritating cough (especially at night/early morning or with exercise or activity)
In severe asthma attacks, a sufferer finds it very difficult to breathe and may require hospital treatment. How severe the symptoms are depends on what type of asthma you have (from mild to chronic) and how well you control it.
What causes it?
It is still not known what causes asthma but there a number of things that may contribute to it. These include;
- Having a family member with asthma
- Obesity
- The modern diet is thought to be a factor
- Smoking during pregnancy can damage the babies lungs leading to asthma
- Exposure to some substances in workplaces
The number of people with asthma is continually increasing. People can be born with it, develop it in childhood, or at any age. Additionally, all attacks usually have a trigger. If the trigger can be identified and avoided, the likelihood of an attack decreases.
Triggers can include:
- pollution
- smoking
- dust
- animal hair
- stress
- pollen
- exercise, and
- cold air
People who suffer from asthma should make sure they know what causes their asthma attacks so that they can avoid the triggers.
Medicine and preventative measures
Mild or moderate asthma can be controlled through medication and lifestyle changes.
There are presently two main types of medications used to treat asthma: preventers and relievers.
A preventer is used every day and reduces the swelling of the airways.
A reliever, such as Ventolin, is taken when breathing is becoming difficult to relax the muscles of the airways and improve the airflow. The medicine is usually taken using an inhaler.
Prevention can include:
- keeping healthy
- exercise regularly
- avoid colds and flu – which can be dangerous for asthma sufferers.
- eat a healthy diet, as certain foods or food additives can be asthma triggers.