What Asthma Is

Causes Of Asthma The main component of bronchial asthma is Airflow obstruction This airflow obstruction is due to 3 factors: A-Contraction of the airway smooth muscle(Bronchoconstriction) Smooth muscle tissue is a type of muscle tissue found in blood vessels, digestive tract, some sphincters and bronchioles. This type of muscle tissue is innervated by the autonomic nervous system thus it is involuntary acting. In a normal individual, bronchial smooth muscle tissues relax causing dilatation of the airways when more oxygen supply is needed as in fight or flight, they contract causing bronchoconstriction when there is no demand for more oxygen as during rest and sleep. In an asthmatic, there is an exaggerated bronchoconstriction and airway narrowing on exposure to allergens. This is due to hyperresponsiveness of their airways ( This was discussed in the previous article). B-Increased secretion of the epithelial glands Airways are lin

It is chronic inflammation of the respiratory airways characterized by: – Air flow obstruction that is reversible either spontaneously or with treatment. – Airway hyperresponsiveness to many stimuli. – Genetic predisposition (it tends to run in families). It is the most common chronic respiratory disorder among all age groups. Chronic is a medical term which means that this disease tends to persist more than 3 months. Another example of chronic illnesses are hypertension (persistent high blood pressure above 120/80 ) and diabetes mellitus (persistent high plasma glucose level above 110 mg/dl after fasting for 8 hours). Inflammation means redness, hotness, swelling, pain and loss of function of the affected organ. It is an immune system response to any harmful stimuli such as injury, infection and irritation.  Inflammation is a beneficial response as the inflamed organ gets increased blood supply through the dilatation of its supplying blood vessels. Th

Spirometer The most common widely used laboratory investigation done in all patients suspected to have bronchial asthma is Spirometry. Spirometry specifically measures the volume and speed of air that the patient can inhale (breathe in) and exhale (breathe out). It is done using a device called the spirometer. To understand how spirometry works, we need to know some definitions first. Forced vital capacity (FVC): It is the volume of air that can be forcibly blown out After full inspiration. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1): It is the volume of air that can be forcibly blow out in 1 second After full inspiration . Normal values of FEV1 differ according to age, sex, height, weight and smoking. FEV1 is the best measure for assessing severity of obstruction. FEV1 /FVC ratio (FEV1%): This is the ratio of FEV1 to FVC . In healthy adults, this should be 0.75 – 0.8 In asthmatics, there is an increased airways

It is very important to know that there is no diagnostic blood test, radiographic or histopathological investigation done to confirm the diagnosis of asthma. The diagnosis of bronchial asthma is based upon clinical diagnosis. It is important during the diagnosis of asthma to keep its definition in mind It is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in susceptible individuals, the inflammatory symptoms are usually associated with widespread but variable airflow obstruction and an increase in airway response to a variety of stimuli. The obstruction is often reversible either with or without treatment. Remember Symptoms produced by asthma such as cough, wheeze and shortness of breath can be caused by other respiratory diseases as well, this also applies to signs produced by bronchial asthma such as rhonchi. How is a clinical diagnosis of asthma made ? A Detailed history taking is the most important step for the diagnosis of bronchial asthma What should the doctor ask

A substance that has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body, in particular a medicine with intended results (like for asthma treatment), may cause a number of unwanted side effects. These effects can occur when you start a new asthma medication, decrease or increase the dose of a asthma medication, or when you stop using a asthma medication. A side effect that happens in 1% or more of people taking a specific medication is considered by medical researchers to be caused by that particular medication. Examples of common medicine side effects include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, dry mouth, headache, itching, and muscle aches and pains. Some side effects may be severe and require medical attention, while others may be mild and of little concern. Severe or annoying side effects are one of the main reasons why people stop taking their medications. If you are having worrisome side effects, your doctor may want to change your dose, try a di

Asthma Nebulizers or breathing machines as they are normally referred to by asthmatic patients, are devices that allow you to aerosolized liquid asthma medication and inhale it directly into your lungs as a mist. Types of Asthma Nebulizers include:-  Jet Nebulizers Ultrasonic Nebulizers Mesh Nebulizers Several factors including cost, your preferences, and your doctor’s preferences will determine which nebulizer is best mutually for you. Together with the factors, the kind of asthma medication prescribed also determines which nebulizer can be used. Nebulizer Advantages The need for less patient cooperation is one of the biggest benefits of using a asthma nebulizer. As a result, nebulizers are often used for infants and young children in the hospital or emergency department.  Not only are nebulizers significantly easier to use than MDIs, they’re also advantageous if your coordination is not sufficient to appropriately use an MDI. MDIs require a level of skill to cor

Allergic Asthma This article is a continuation from each description of the Types Of Asthma Allergic asthma or extrinsic asthma (not part of the essential nature of someone or something; coming or operating from outside) is the most common form of asthma among all the asthma types. Allergic asthma from it’s self explanatory word, results from an allergic reaction. Our immune system normally exists to fight off infection. In allergic asthma, however, your body senses allergens(a substance that causes an allergic reaction), which would normally be harmless, as a foreign body and mounts an attack against them. This immune attack can lead to asthma symptoms. Allergic Asthma Symptoms Many of the symptoms of allergic asthma and non-allergic asthma are similar and include:-  Wheezing Chest tightness Shortness of breath Chronic cough Allergic asthma symptoms can be triggered by:-  Most smokes i.e tobacco smoke Animal dander(Skin flakes in an animal’s fur or hair) Du

This article is a continuation from each description of the Types Of Asthma: Occupational asthma Dental hygienists – latex Bakers – flour Roofers, insulators and painters – isocyanates (a salt or ester of isocyanic acid) – toluene (a colorless liquid hydrocarbon present in coal tar and petroleum and used as a solvent and in organic synthesis) Welders and metal workers – metals (nickel, platinum and chromic acid) Plastic manufacturers – glues and resins Farmers and veterinarians – animal proteins Carpenters – wood dust  Workplace exposure to substances that may directly irritate your lungs or lead to an immune response    Develop sensitization* to the exposure Resulting inflammation of upper and lower airways Development of symptoms Exposure continues nor stopped Persistence of symptoms or clinical improvement  Peak Expiratory Flow Rate : Repeated PEFR are the most common method to determine if a particular antigen is the cause of occupational asthma. You w

This article is a continuation from each description of the Types Of Asthma: When you have Nocturnal Asthma (occurring, or active at night), your FEV1 (Forced Expiratory Volume in one second; the volume that a subject can exhale in the first second during a forced expiration test – esp.done by a spirometry – decreases by at least 15% from bedtime to getting up in the morning in patients with asthma. For some people, the decline in lung function can be significantly more and this is all associated with increased symptoms, such as cough, wheezing and shortness of breath that disrupt sleep. Patients with large nighttime changes in their FEV1 may also have more daytime symptoms. Diagnosis Of Nocturnal Asthma Diagnosing nocturnal asthma is by taking a bedtime peak flow and a peak flow when you wake up.If there is more than a 15% difference in your peak flow, you have significant variability that may be the cause of your symptoms. But, peak flow meters are not very sensitive to

Cough Variant Asthma This article is a continuation from each description of the Types Of Asthma. Symptoms Of Cough Variant Asthma While normal cough may follow the usual symptoms associated with asthma in Cough Variant Asthma but cough alone may be a precursor(a thing that comes before another of the same kind; a forerunner) to or the sole symptom in an asthmatic. So when cough is the only asthma symptom, this is known as Cough Variant (a form or version of something that differs in some respect from other forms of the same thing or from a standard) Asthma or CVA. Basically,the main symptom of CVA is a chronic, non-productive cough. CV Asthma patients have cough as the main or the only symptom of their asthma. CVA type of asthmatic patients are a small percentage of total asthma patients. CVA patients are, however, a distinct group rather than only being thought of as coughing asthmatics. However,CVA patients have some differences from patients with typical asthma.

Medication Induced Asthma This article is the final continuation from each description of the Types Of Asthma:- Medication Induced Asthma or Aspirin Induced Asthma: – Aspirin, most people don’t think twice about taking an aspirin under the prescription accordingly and it’s correct usage esp. when they have a headache,but for some people with inclusive of asthma, this unknown action can be fatal. Aspirin and other Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory DrugS* or NSAIDS – such as ibuprofen ,naproxen and diclofenac – have been found to trigger asthma attacks in people who have asthma. The asthma attacks induced by aspirin and NSAIDS are mostly severe and can even be life threatening. The aspirin sensitivity generally increase as people age, and it is worse in people with more severe asthma. This symptoms has been recognized for many years, but it was unclear how many people with asthma faced a risk when taking these commonly used medications until further research were done on i

Asthma is in fact one of the common disorders that can develop in the period of pregnancy. It is also one of the most serious disorders that can develop during pregnancy. Since it is state where the hampering of the most vital process of respiration is concerned it should never be neglected and adequate measures should be taken to relieve the situation. There is no evidence that suggests any increase in incidents of spontaneous abortions or development of congenital deformities in pregnant ladies with asthmatic condition. Generally the available statistics show that the asthmatic ladies who get pregnant have worsening of their disease in about one-third of the cases.  Anther one-third patients show no changes in their conditions and the last one-third show signs of getting better. It is a very rare incident that an asthma patient has complications due to her condition while child birth. In most situations women return to their normal condition of the disease in between thre