What Asthma Is

Asthma inhalers are a lifesaver to many or if not all asthma sufferers. Asthma inhalers provides a safety net for people with asthma and is used whenever an asthma attack is about to happen.The most common asthma inhaler is a canister that deliver asthma medication. A metered-dose inhaler (MDI) is a device that delivers a specific amount of medication to the lungs, in the form of a short burst of aerosolized medicine that is inhaled by the patient. It is the most commonly used delivery system for treating asthma,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other respiratory diseases. The medication in a metered dose inhaler is most commonly a bronchodilator, corticosteroid or a combination of both for the treatment of asthma and COPD. A metered-dose inhaler (MDI) Asthma inhaler has been used for nearly a hundred years and has improved a lot in recent years to deliver greater absorption and potency. The basic principle is still the same although the medication has chang...

Chronic disease like asthma is a illness of the respiratory tract and is mainly caused by constriction of the air passages due to many reasons. There are quite a few conditions that manifest with symptoms similar to that of asthma. This makes these diseases as well as asthma both very difficult to diagnose. Some conditions that impersonate the symptoms of asthma relatively closely are described here to facilitate ease of detection and treatment. Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema: Chronic bronchitis,COPD and emphysema are diseases that are very closely related to asthma. It is generally seen that the patients of slightly older ages start with asthma and later on if untreated develop symptoms of chronic bronchitis, which may eventually lead to symptoms of emphysema. The asthma may be due to allergens of any kind, which are difficult to detect as it is, and the system thus provoked may lead to more severe disorders. Sometimes the whole cycle may go in a different direction alto...

Asthma is one of the most common potentially life-threatening condition complicating pregnancy. It is estimated that currently, asthma affects 4% to 8% of pregnant women and is increasing steadily. In general well controlled asthma is not associated with a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and it seldom occur for the first time during pregnancy. The most common cause of asthma in pregnancy is due to non-compliance with medicines. It is seen that during pregnancy, about one third of the asthmatic pregnant women experience their asthma symptoms and condition worsen. However, one third of the asthmatic women feel better during pregnancy. Asthma exacerbation are more frequent at the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy and improves a few weeks before labor. It also shows that during pregnancy 10% of the pregnant women suffering from asthma seek emergency care. Oxygen is important for the well being of the mother and the fetus. Every pregnant woman needs a prope...

A nebulizer is a device that vaporizes the liquid medicine which is easily inhaled into the lungs. It is a relief provider to children and adults indicating asthma symptoms or suffering from other COPD-related and respiratory problems. Similar to an inhaler, the nebulizer also delivers the medicine in vapor form directly into the ailing lungs. The inhaler depends on the patient’s ability to coordinate by taking a deep inhalation with depressing the aerosol tube to deliver a metered-dose of medication whereas the nebulizer does everything for the patient. If asthma sufferers, Thus, the asthma nebulizers are very helpful for children and adults who have problems with asthma inhalers. However, the doctor must prescribe the use of an asthma nebulizer before you can actually start the device. In this article, we will give you some easy tips on how to use an asthma nebulizer. Firstly, you should talk to your doctor the advantages and disadvantages of an asthma nebulizer. It h...

Symptoms are what the patient complains of. Signs are what the doctor detects or measures. Before further reading, it is important to know that none of the following signs and symptoms is specific to bronchial asthma. These signs and symptoms are caused by multiple other lung diseases. Examples of diseases that cause localized airway obstruction: -Lung cancer -Aspiration of a foreign body -Paralysis of a vocal cord Examples of Diseases that cause generalized airway obstruction: -Asthma -Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) -Bronchiectasis -Cystic fibrosis Symptoms of bronchial asthma: -Shortness of breath Patient is unable to breathe normally -Chest tightness Patient feels that he has no room for air in his lungs -Cough Strangely, Dry cough can be the only presenting symptom of an asthma attack, in this case it is called Cough variant asthma -Wheezes it is a whistling-like sound produced by the chest due to partial nar...

Asthma Symptoms And Peak Flow Meter The most common symptoms of asthma are: • Wheezing • Chronic cough. • Tightness in the chest • Shortness of breath These symptoms are also common with some heart ailments, cystic fibrosis, bronchitis, allergies and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Sometimes, a person with severe asthma can have a debilitating illness; they are so impacted by the symptoms that they are not able to function normally on a day to day basis. Fortunately, the vast number of asthma sufferers have symptoms that are much more mild. For these sufferers an asthma attack my occur infrequently and the use of Ventolin HFA is all they need. For some sufferers, their asthma may be too severe to be controlled with the use of an inhaler or nebulizer and their symptoms continue to get worse; the throat muscles can become so inflamed that they have serious difficulty breathing, they wheeze, have a tightness in their chest, and, develop a chroni...

If you are an asthma patient or someone who you know is an asthmatic, it is good to know how to use a nebulizer. Nebulizers can save lives in dire consequences of sudden asthma attacks. This article will explain how to use a nebulizer . Do you know, what are nebulizers, and what are they for? Nebulizers are devices that transform liquid medicine into mist. The mist is inspired to treat respiratory disorders and ailments, like cystic fibrosis, COPD, but usually asthma. nebulizers are also sometimes used for aromatherapy treatments. There are two kinds of nebulizers, one is the ultrasonic nebulizer and the other is the compressor nebulizer. Both are as effective as one another. Compressor nebulizers use air to transform the liquid medication into mist, while the ultrasonic nebulizer use vibration to turn the medication into mist. That pretty much is the difference between them, aside from the fact that ultrasonic nebulizers are usually more portable. Explanation below are t...

Peak Expiratory Flow Rate: Definition – PEFR measures how fast a person can breathe out or exhale air. It is a test that measures how efficient the lungs are working. This test is done by a peak expiratory flow monitor – a small handheld device with a mouthpiece at one end and a scale with a moveable indicator – usually a small plastic arrow to show the reading (see diagram below). How to perform PEFR test:  Breathe in as deeply as possible. Blow into the PEFR mouthpiece as hard and fast as possible. Do this 3 times, and record the highest flow rate. How to Prepare for the PEFR test: Loosen any tight clothing that might restrict your breathing. Sit up straight or stand while performing the tests(results are BEST when standing). How the PEFR test will make you feel: There is generally no discomfort. Rarely, but repeated tests may cause some light headedness. Why the PEFR test is performed: The PEFR test is generally used to diagnose and monitor lung diseases s...

Chest tightness often happens in asthma patients, either alone or with the other classic symptoms of asthma like:- Wheezing Shortness of breath Chronic cough As your airways become very inflamed, filled with mucus(a slimy substance, typically not miscible with water, secreted by mucous membranes and glands for lubrication, protection, etc), and the smooth muscles in your airways constrict, chest tightness may be experienced as the inability or perception of not being able to move air in and out of your lungs.  This feeling may also increase your anxiety and further worsen the sense of not being able to move air through your lungs. The inflammation, mucus, and muscle tightness may happen after exposure to a trigger, a specific irritant in occupational asthma, or even as a result of exercise in the case of exercise induced asthma. Like the other classic symptoms of asthma, chest tightness should not be ignored, especially if you do not have a previous history of asthm...

Asthma and COPD Difference between asthma and COPD normally, not a problem. COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, involving constriction of the airways and difficulty or discomfort in breathing) was primarily a problem of older people who smoked. As more men/women and younger people began smoking, however, the disease of COPD began to change.  As a result, asthma and COPD can now sometimes be confused. Asthma and COPD happen in both young and old, men and women. Let's consider factors that will assist you to differentiate between asthma and COPD. Generally, the symptoms of asthma and COPD may be identical, the pathophysiology of asthma and COPD are very different. Both asthma and COPD may be considered inflammatory diseases, but the inflammation comes from different types of cells. Referring to pathophysiology of asthma, inflammation results acutely from the production of eosinophils [a white blood cell containing granules that are readily stained by eosin(is a ...

Pediatric Asthma Bronchial Asthma belongs to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) which occurs due to the inflammatory mechanism of the airway. If this physiologic change occurs to the airway, there will be an obstruction in the airflow. However, there are means on how to treat this condition. It can be partial or complete interventions that can reversely help people with asthma and pediatric asthma. There are several causes of inflammatory mechanism to the airway. This can be caused by cellular activities influenced by bacterial, viral or irritants. In addition, spasms of the bronchioles can also lead to pediatric asthma. The incidence rate of pediatric asthma is escalating.Yearly, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an estimate of 15 million asthma cases and 250,000 mortality deaths were noted. Furthermore, there are approximately half a million cases of hospital admission (34.6% to individual ages 18 years old and below) yearly are suffering from pediatri...

Not all with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD suffers from asthma, but many individuals who experience emphysema or chronic bronchitis have asthma-like symptoms. Medical experts continue to debate whether chronic asthma should be categorized as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, since asthma can be reversed. Chronic asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways; the term asthma is derived from an ancient Greek word which means panting. With this type of panting, the inflammation leads to the narrowing of the airways, which can cause wheezing, breathlessness, and gasping for air. Studies indicate that this severe form of difficulty with breathing involves two stages: the hyper-reactive response and the inflammatory response. The hyper-reactive response refers to the constriction of the airways in response to inhaled irritants, while the inflammatory stage involves the production of white blood cells in the airways. In the event of a chronic asthma attack, the...

Now you have a general idea of the elements that make up your respiratory system after going through and how they normally work together. You’ve also seen where and how emphysema and chronic bronchitis create problems.    Here we focus on the diseases themselves and tie all the pieces together. What does each disease look like? How and why are emphysema and chronic bronchitis so closely related? How does COPD progress over time? NOTE: As you read through these descriptions, try to keep in mind that these two diseases—each in its own way obstructing the flow of air in and out of the lungs—usually occur together.  We describe their mechanisms separately for ease of presentation and understanding. But in the real world, the two sets of processes usually work hand in hand. Cigarette smoking is the overwhelmingly most important cause of COPD. It causes two major kinds of damage to the lungs—the air sac damage we call emphysema, and the airway/air sac damage we call chron...