What Asthma Is

Asthma? Have you attempted to explain to your family and friends how intense your asthma attacks can be? Many people believe that asthma attacks fall into one category as far as intensity and discomfort. They do not understand that you could still have asthma even if you don’t experience extreme gasping or need to reach for an inhaler each day.  Asthma falls into four main categories of intensity for all different asthma types. These asthma types apply to allergic, non-allergic, exercise induced, occupational, and aspirin induced asthma. What are the four main categories of intensity with regards to asthma? The four categories include mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent, and severe persistent. These categories were defined by the National Institutes of Health in their guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. Let’s take a look at each intensity level in more detail. Intensity Level #1: Mild Intermittent. This intensity level is catego...

Asthmatics generally exhibit a lot of different signs before having an attack. The other symptoms are also there to see like weight loss in children and elderly patients, loss of appetite, general feeling of exhaustion and lethargy, wheezing, frequent coughs and colds and many more such external symptoms. Normally asthma is not considered to be very serious by some doctors perhaps because of the frequency with which the human population suffers with it. But the possibility that it can turn fatal also leaves us with no option but to identify the early warning signs so that they can be detected early and dealt with efficacy. Like all other diseases an asthmatic attack also shows several signs before attacking a person in its full fury. The problem lies with the fact that these signs are so often confused with so many other diseases. It is important to understand them to reduce the impact of a full blown attack.  Also if the attack has to be avoided altogether these early war...

Asthma is a illness also considered to be controlled by the malfunctioning of the nervous system. Cause of this reason in sometimes this disease was mentioned as Asthma nervosa. When this practice was found not altogether true, the practice was discontinued. However it is still considered to be a disease that has some connection with the emotional state of the patient. Many patients do show marked changes in their psychological behavior once they are diagnosed with asthma. Also some studies have established that people with certain temperaments and personality traits are more likely to catch asthma. Some research highlighted the personality traits of the people who are most likely to develop asthma.  These traits are classified as: Excessive egocentric behavior. Marked tendency for dominating behavior. Marked tendency for impatient and impulsive behavior. Reduced capacity for adapting and adjusting to unfavorable circumstances in life. High emotio...

Asthma is an ailment that can be dangerous if not properly addressed. It is especially difficult for the parent of a child with asthma. Asthma symptoms can take a child’s many things that are part of being a child. Having to constantly be on guard for an asthma attack is a never ending problem for the parent of child with asthma. The problem is no less worse for an adult with asthma. An asthma attack can be fatal in the severely afflicted. Every asthma attack is cause for alarm and has to be immediately addressed and treated. Asthma attacks have early warning signs. It is important to recognize these signs so that you can begin treatment of an attack as early as possible. The sooner you begin treatment the better the results you can expect from the treatment given. Some typical warning signs of an oncoming asthma attack are coughing with a runny nose and headache.Other signs that can appear are moodiness and sneezing and also breathing changes can be the sign of an oncoming at...

Mostly asthma treatments comes with the use of short and long-term medications as well as some environmental monitoring and observations. As with all types of medical treatments, not all patients will respond in the same way to each type of environment or possible problem. Asthma treatments focus on eliminating or avoiding asthma triggers. These triggers are the environmental or other conditions that cause an asthma attack to occur. Many patients have very similar triggers, so keeping good records of where you were and what was happening when the asthma attack happened can help identify each person’s individual triggers.  Some general triggers that are problematic for many people with asthma include: * Allergies and colds * Grass or certain trees, flowers or plants * Stuffed toys, carpets or some fabrics * Dust and dust mites * Cockroaches or waste material from where they have been * Pets such as cats, dogs, hamsters, birds – dander * Perfumes, hair products...

If you an asthmatic patients and you enjoy outdoor activities that take you to higher heights or much, much higher, the possible danger might certainly cross your mind. Well, the news isn’t all bad, though it is cautionary. Asthma is a chronic lung condition, characterized by a difficulty with breathing. People with asthma have extra sensitive or hyper-responsive airways. During an asthma attack, their airways become irritated and react by narrowing and constructing, causing increased resistance to airflow, and obstructing the flow of the air passages to and from the lungs. There’s no question, as an asthma sufferer you’re more likely to be affected by altitude sickness than if you didn’t have the disease. However, if you’re fit and healthy, with asthma that’s well controlled, you should have no problems coping. This is, of course, provided you ascend slowly and recognize and accept your limitations. Altitude  will  generally  have  little  effect ...

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...