Asthma information for you
Knowing about asthma is the first step to taming your breathing problems. However, after searching the internet and reading every bit of asthma information I could find, I felt overwhelmed and more confused than I had been to begin with. That’s why I thought I’d put together this quick guide to the basics of asthma.
To begin with, asthma is a disease that makes it difficult for a person to breathe. It affects millions of people and the number is increasing every day. It can affect anyone from young children to the elderly. It is fast becoming an epidemic problem, affecting one in four children in urban areas.
Asthma is caused by a person’s genes, environmental factors, or both.
An asthma attack is when a person starts having trouble breathing. They will begin to wheeze, cough and feel a tightness in their chest. The fastest way to control an asthma attack is with a quick-relief inhaler.
The actual attack is when the windpipe to the lungs is blocked. This makes it difficult for air to pass through and enter the lungs, making it difficult for a person to breathe. Airway blockage is because the muscles around the airway tighten and fill with excess mucus.
An attack is an overreaction of the body to an irritant or trigger. If you’re a severe asthmatic like me, anything seems to be a trigger for an attack. However, there are a few major triggers for people.
For most asthmatics, allergies are a trigger. It could be an allergy to dust or pollen in the air. It could be an allergy to the milk in your cereal. It might even be your friendly, family cat.
Most asthmatics also have exercise-induced asthma. It can hit while you’re out jogging or running up and down the soccer field. The attack is the result of irritation of the airways from the intensity of the air entering and leaving the lungs.
Even what is in the air can trigger an attack. Polluted air, chalk dust and even strong-smelling cleaning solutions can irritate sensitive airways and trigger an asthma attack.
Going outside in cold weather can trigger an attack. Cold, dry air can irritate the pipe, even if you’re just walking to your parked in the driveway.
This is only the beginning. The best idea is to work with your doctor to not only get the best medication for you, but also to get help in finding your asthma triggers so that you can avoid the causes of your asthma attack.
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