Bronchial asthma

General information

Bronchial asthma is a serious condition that interferes with normal breathing. The airways leading to the lungs are narrowed due to inflammation, edema, and mucus formation. The disease usually begins at an early age. About 50% of children, with the right treatment, get rid of asthma by adulthood.

Causes of asthma

Asthma occurs due to hypersensitivity to irritants. Asthma can be associated with both hereditary predisposition and environmental factors (including allergic factors or frequent respiratory tract infections).

An asthma attack can be caused by:

allergens: animal hair, dust, food, mites, pollen, spores;
viral and bacterial infections: bronchitis, colds, flu, sinusitis;
environmental irritants: exhaust fumes, sprays, perfumes, tobacco smoke;
drugs such as acetylsalicylic acid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. If you have “aspirin asthma”, you should avoid taking acetylsalicylic acid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, especially since this type of asthma can be very severe and attacks occur very quickly;
stress: excitement, fear;
intense physical activity, especially in cold rooms.

Asthma symptoms

Although asthma is a fairly common condition, symptoms may differ from person to person. Most patients experience their first symptoms at an early age: about half of patients before the age of 10 and about a third before the age of 40. However, asthma can occur in anyone at any age.

Asthma can have varying degrees of severity and frequency of exacerbations. Symptoms of asthma can range from mild breathing difficulties, wheezing, and coughing to shortness of breath, chest tightness, and asthma attacks.

If you have a cough that is accompanied by wheezing or shortness of breath, see your doctor. If the diagnosis has already been made, but the patient needs to use the inhaler more often than prescribed, you should contact your doctor.

If symptoms worsen or persist within 24 to 48 hours, emergency medical attention and hospitalization may be required. If the patient begins an attack of suffocation, speech is difficult, then an ambulance should be called immediately.

 

Complications of asthma

pneumothorax (air entering the pleural cavity)
acute respiratory failure
emphysematous lung disorders

What can you do?

First of all, you should consult a doctor, undergo an examination, and receive the necessary therapy and recommendations.

It is imperative that the person with asthma and his family have the maximum amount of information about asthma from accredited and recognized sources.

You should have a treatment plan. You need to know exactly the symptoms of an asthma attack, it is advisable to have written instructions on what to do in an emergency with you. Write down all medications, seizures, indications, and reactions to medications.

You must know exactly what medications, when and how much to take. You also need to know what side effects may be and how to reduce their manifestations. Follow all instructions carefully. Learn to use the inhaler correctly. Make sure you have all the medications you need on hand at all times. If you are prescribed new asthma drugs, ask your doctor or pharmacist to check drug interactions with drugs you are already taking.

Write down your symptoms and indications each day to help reduce the frequency and relief of asthma attacks.

Identify all possible factors affecting your condition and triggering seizures. Your records will help you to determine the factors. If animal dander and dust are among the factors, take steps to remove them from your home. Avoid cigarette smoke and exhaust fumes.

During an asthma attack, follow a pre-planned action plan. Remain calm, inhale slowly several times and use the inhaler. When the first symptoms of an attack appear, take action immediately. In the early phase, it will take less medication and time to stop the attack.

Stay fit. You need to control your asthma so that you can exercise.

Make sure there is someone else in your family besides you who knows where the necessary medications are, how, how much, and in what sequence to take them, and what to do in an emergency.

See your doctor regularly for tests and assessments of your condition

 

Treatment

What a doctor can do?

Conduct examination and select therapy: bronchodilators in the form of aerosols or inhalers, if necessary, prescribe steroids in the form of inhalers and/or inside.

Prescribe antibiotic treatment for the accompanying infection.

Teach you how to use devices (different types of inhalers and nebulizers) to get the most out of them.

Prevention of bronchial asthma

Know exactly what factors can trigger an asthma attack. Avoid these factors whenever possible. Keep your home clean and remove any allergens: dust, animal hair, mites, etc. Avoid cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes, etc. Stop smoking if you smoke. Take all your prescribed medications to reduce the frequency of your attacks.

Exercise to improve heart and lung health.

 

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