Asthma is a chronic lung
disease that lasts a long time. It
cannot be cured - only controlled.
- Airways are inflamed.
That is, airway linings are swollen.
- Airways narrow and breathing becomes hard to do. This narrowing gets better (but not all the
way in some patients), sometimes by itself, sometimes with treatment.
- Airways are super sensitive.
They react to many things, such as cigarette smoke, pollen, or cold
air. Coughing, wheezing, tight chest,
difficult breathing, or an asthma episode may result. A more complete list of things that can cause
some people's airways to react is given later (see, "What Causes Asthma
Episodes").
WHAT ARE THE
SYMPTOMS OF ASTHMA
The main symptoms of asthma
are:
-Shortness of breath,
-Wheezing,
-Tightness in the chest, and
-Cough lasting more than a
week.
Not all people with asthma
wheeze. For some, coughing may be the
only symptom of asthma. Coughing often
occurs during the night or after exercise.
It's important to know that
treatment can reverse asthma symptoms.
And it's important to treat even mild symptoms of asthma so that you can
keep the symptoms from getting worse.
Normal Breathing
When you breathe in, air is
taken in through the nose and mouth. It
goes down your windpipe, through your airways, and into the air sacs. When you breathe out, stale air leaves the
lungs in the reverse order.
What
Happens During an Episode of Asthma?
Asthma affects the airways
in your lungs. During an episode of
asthma:
- The lining of the airways becomes swollen (inflamed).
- The airways produce a thick mucus.
The muscles around the
airways tighten and make the airways narrower.
These
changes in the airways block the flow of air, making it hard to breathe.
You
need to know the ways that asthma affects the airways so you can understand why
it often takes more than one medicine to treat the disease. Very simply, some medicines relax the airways
and others reduce (and even prevent) the swelling and MUCUS.
What Causes Asthma?
The
basic cause of asthma is not yet known. What
we do know is that asthma is not caused by emotional factors such as a troubled
parent-child relationship. In short,
asthma is not all in one's
head". It is instead, a chronic lung disease.
What Medicines Are Used to Treat Asthma?
There
are two kinds of medicines:
-Bronchodilators are
medicines that relax muscles that have tightened around the airways. They will relieve your asthma symptoms. Beta2-agonists, theophylline, and ipratropium
are bronchodilators.
-Anti-inflamatory medicines
are medicines that reduce or reverse the swelling in the airways that caused
your asthma symptoms. These medicines
also prevent the swelling from starting - which keeps asthma episodes from
starting. Cromolyn sodium, inhaled
corticosteroids, and oral corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory medicines,
singulair.
How Are Asthma
Medicines Prescribed?
Each patient's asthma is
different. Each patient's airways react
to different triggers at different times and with different symptoms. As a result, asthma medicines must be
prescribed for each person's special needs.
This involves close work with your doctor and may take some time to find
out which medicines work best for you.
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