Asthma

 

What is Asthma?

Asthma is the name given to the difficulty in breathing due to narrowing of the bronchi. It is a long lasting hereditary disease. In this disease, the airways in the body are sensitive to a variety of objects, such as pollen, mold, and urinary stool.Dust mites, cat or dog fur, infections and other irritants (environmental pollution, various chemicals, exercise, aspirin in medicines, artificial preservatives). The respiratory tract constricts when it comes in contact with these allergens. This results in symptoms such as suffocation, coughing, pressure on the chest, and wheezing in the chest.

Asthma is also a common disease in children. These babies are susceptible to indoor allergens (bed dust, carpets, pollen, pets).As a result, they often suffer from illness and school. Since there is no cure for asthma, the goal of treatment is to provide immediate relief and stop the recurrence of the attack. Asthma treatment is usually prescribed with inhaled steroids, bronchodilators (drugs that relax the muscles of the respiratory tract and allow air to pass through) and anti-inflammatory drugs.

In addition, taking care of oneself, such as knowing and avoiding substances that cause asthma, prescribing medication, and regular breathing exercises, in particular, help fight asthma.

What is the Symptoms of asthma?

Symptoms of asthma are mainly due to the narrowing of the airways in the lungs. These are ==>

• Shortness of breath or shortness of breath Asthma patients usually have difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or shortness of breath. These are especially common when asthma develops.
• Whistling inside the chest A loud and sharp sound is made inside the chest due to obstruction during the movement of air through the narrow respiratory tract. This sound is usually when you have shortness of breath when the asthma is low. This sound is also heard during breathing when asthma is severe. When asthma is very severe, the air is obstructed so much that the sound is completely absent when it travels through the narrow respiratory tract.
• This type of wheezing is also found in other diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, heart failure and vocal disorders. So it is important to be sure about asthma through various tests.
• Shortness of breath Often there is only one symptom of asthma, such as shortness of breath or chest pain. These symptoms are especially seen in nocturnal asthma and asthma after exercise.

Treatment of Asthma

The purpose of treatment is to provide immediate relief from the onset of the disease and to prevent the onset of the disease in the long run.

Rapid Relief (Relief Medicine)

These are called rescue drugs. These are used to get immediate relief from the severe painful attack of asthma. Doctors recommend taking these medications before starting exercise because asthma tensions usually start after exercise (exercise-induced asthma). Examples of exercises are running or winter sports (skiing, ice skating, ice hockey).Quick-release drugs relax smooth muscles and open the constricted airway so that there is no obstruction to air circulation.

 Fast-acting beta-agonists are the first choice of relief drugs to get rid of the acute and painful symptoms of asthma quickly.These are inhaled drugs, which quickly relax the airways as soon as they are applied (bronchodilation). The drugs that doctors prescribe are albuterol, levalbuterol and pirbuterol. While you are taking these relief medications, do not stop taking the asthma medications you have been using for a long time. It is important to let your doctor know if you need to use this relief medicine more than twice a week.

Long-term control (control drugs)

• Inhaled corticosteroids These are the first choice for long-term treatment of asthma. Its use reduces inflammation of the respiratory tract, resulting in swelling of the airways (such as fluticazone, badesonide, mometazone, biclomethazone and prednisolone).
• Inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists Long-acting beta-agonists (L-A-B-A) relax smooth muscles and keep the airways open. These drugs are sometimes used to treat nocturnal asthma and exercise-induced asthma. However, for long-term treatment of asthma, doctors always prescribe inhaled steroids along with L-A-B-A.This combination is also used when fast-acting beta-agonists and inhaled steroids fail to relieve the symptoms of an acute attack. Examples of this combination are fluticazone and salmeterol, fluticazone and vilanterol, and badezonide and formoterol.
• Long-acting anticholinergics These are inhaled drugs. These are used as maintenance drugs to keep the smooth muscles of the respiratory tract relaxed at all times. These include Teotropium and Epratropium. Doctors often use a combination of two anticholinergic drugs to increase the effectiveness of the drug.
• Methylzanthines Methylzanthines, such as theophylline, are used to prevent nocturnal asthma.
•  Leukotrine receptor antagonists or leukotrine modifiers Taking these drugs can relieve bronchospasm, inflammation and swelling in the airways. These include Montelukast and Jafirlucast.
• Mast-cell stabilizer These help reduce inflammation; As a result, severe asthma caused by cold air or exercise can be controlled (example: cromolyn sodium).
• Immunotherapy or immunomodulators These drugs are administered by injection. These drugs are used to prevent asthma from exposure to various allergens, such as pollen, molds, dust mites, and animal dander. Omalizumab contains anti-IgE monoclonal antibodies, which regulate the body's allergic response to allergens. Other examples are Resalijumab and Benralijumab.
• Bronchial thermoplasty This is a recent FDA-approved procedure for adults with severe asthma who do not benefit from treatment. Ventilated smooth muscles are destroyed by generating heat energy by sending controlled radio waves into the respiratory tract. Destroying smooth muscles changes the body's immune system and therefore reduces the contraction of the respiratory tract.

Lifestyle control

 There is no cure for asthma. So it is a major concern for those who have this disease, because asthma suffocation and difficult episodes are very irregular. Therefore, the daily routine of asthma patients may be disrupted. This can lead to reduced performance and financial loss. Therefore, the goal of asthma management is to reduce the severity of asthma and to prevent future adverse reactions, such as liver damage, infection, or death, by reducing the rate of recurrence of severe episodes.

Taking care of yourself is the main component of asthma management. Adequate understanding of the disease and having information about allergens helps prevent acute attacks. Knowledge of controlling an acute attack (such as a flow-chart for drug use) can be used to deal effectively with an emergency. Also, in consultation with the doctor, you should prepare an action plan for your child that can be implemented on an emergency basis during an acute attack.

• Taking care of yourself is the main component of asthma management. Adequate understanding of the disease and having information about allergens helps prevent acute attacks. Knowledge of controlling an acute attack (such as a flow-chart for drug use) can be used to deal effectively with an emergency. Also, in consultation with the doctor, you should prepare an action plan for your child that can be implemented on an emergency basis during an acute attack.
• It has been observed that anxiety is a practical change in all those who have been diagnosed with asthma. It is an important contributor to the onset of asthma. Breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, and other mind-relaxing techniques help in the long-term management of overcoming asthma-related fears and anxieties.Training in breathing-control techniques helps to normalize breathing and helps to relieve stress during episodes of unpredictable acute attacks of asthma.
• Regular light exercise such as walking, quitting smoking and a nutritious diet can add a few lifestyle changes to asthma management.

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