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Asthma, often known as bronchial asthma, is a common lung disease that affects both children and adults and hinders their breathing ability. Anyone can get asthma at any age. People with allergies are more likely to develop asthma because of irritants. Statistics show that women are more likely than men to get asthma.

Since it is a chronic condition, it doesn’t go away and needs continuous medical attention to manage its occurrence. However, by learning more about the causes and treatments of asthma, we can take preventative measures beforehand.

The muscles that surround your airways relax during normal breathing, enabling comfortable and unrestricted airflow. The following three events may occur during an asthma attack:

• The muscles around the airways tighten in bronchospasm. Your airways become constricted as they contract. Air cannot circulate easily through constricted airways.
• The lining of your airways swells when you have inflammation. The quantity of air that enters and leaves your lungs is limited by swollen airways.
• When you have an asthma attack, your body generates more mucus. The airways are blocked by the mucus. A wheezing sound is produced during breathing as your airways tighten.

Not every asthma attack will cause you to feel any symptoms. Chest tightness, soreness, or pressure in the chest, coughing, wheezing, and breathlessness are just a few of the symptoms and indicators that chronic asthma can cause.

Types of Asthma

Another name for an asthma attack is a flare-up or exacerbation. It’s what occurs when you don’t manage your asthma. Asthma can be divided into various groups based on the reasons and intensity of the symptoms:

1. Intermittent Asthma: This kind of asthma flares up and goes away, allowing you to feel normal in between episodes.
2. Persistent Asthma: Symptoms of persistent asthma are present constantly. Mild to severe symptoms are possible. The severity of asthma is defined by how frequently you get symptoms.
3. Allergic Asthma: For certain people, allergies can cause an asthma attack. Examples of allergies include molds, pollens, and pet dander.
4. Non-allergic Asthma: There are non-allergic causes of asthma flare-ups. The weather, illness, stress, and exercise can all cause an asthma attack.
5. Adult On-set Asthma: This kind of asthma develops in adults and begins after the age of 18.
6. Pediatric Asthma: Also referred to as childhood asthma, this form of asthma typically appears before the age of five and can afflict infants and young children. Children may eventually outgrow their asthma.
7. Exercise-induced Asthma: Another name for exercise-induced asthma is exercise-induced bronchospasm. It is caused by exertion of some kind.
8. Occupational Asthma: People who spend a lot of time around irritating substances are more likely to acquire occupational asthma.
9. Asthma COPD Overlap Syndrome (ACOS): The co-occurrence of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is known as asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). Breathing becomes difficult in both conditions.

What Causes Asthma?

Why some people get asthma while others do not has not yet been determined by researchers. However, there are certain situations that can raise your risk of getting asthma:

• Allergies: Having allergies increases your risk of developing asthma.
• Environmental factors: Asthma can develop in people who are exposed to things that irritate their airways. Among these irritants include fumes, allergens, toxins, and second- or third-hand smoke.
• Genetics: If there is a history of asthma or allergy disorders in your family, you are more likely to develop them yourself.
• Respiratory Infections: A child’s developing lungs may be harmed by illnesses such as the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Natural & Man-made Triggers Of An Asthmatic Attack

You can get an asthma attack if you come into contact with irritants. It’s simpler to prevent asthma episodes when you know what triggers them. Each person reacts differently to triggers; for some, the attack may start right away, while for others, it may start hours or days later. A few common triggers are as follows:

• Air Pollution: Examples of air pollution include smoke from wildfires, vehicle exhaust, and pollutants from factories.
• Dust Mites: The insects known as dust mites are invisible to the human eye. If you are allergic to dust mites, they may cause an asthma attack.
• Exercise: For some people, exercising can set off an attack.
• Mold: If you have asthma, you may have trouble with mold because it can grow in moist settings. Even if you are not allergic to mold, you could still have an attack.
• Pets: If you have an allergy to dry skin flakes, breathing in pet dander can irritate your airways.
• Tobacco: You have a higher risk of developing asthma if you or someone in your home smokes. Quitting smoking is the best course of action.
• Pungent Odors: Certain asthma attacks may be provoked by noxious substances or odors.

Diagnosis & Treatment Options For Asthma

Asthma attacks must be diagnosed as soon as you identify any asthma symptoms. Treatment includes identifying your triggers, avoiding them, and tracking your breathing to make sure your medications are controlling your symptoms.

The main aspects of an asthma treatment are long-term asthma control drugs, which need to be taken almost every day. These medications lessen the likelihood of an asthma attack and assist in managing asthma symptoms.

For immediate and temporary symptom relief during an asthma attack, there are also drugs that provide fast relief. You can take them prior to working out if your doctor advises it.

A quick-relief inhaler can help you immediately reduce the symptoms of an asthma attack. If your long-term control drugs are functioning effectively, however, you should not need to use your quick-relief inhaler very often.

Conclusion

It is wise to treat asthma as soon as possible to prevent serious health issues. MDChronic is an online physician platform that specializes in diagnosing and treating a variety of respiratory conditions, including asthma and bronchitis.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, schedule a consultation with our online health coach right away. We’ll analyze your health condition, identify your symptoms, and formulate the right treatment plan.