What Asthma Is

When you at times keep on coughing to the extent that you are wheezing for air. You might be having asthma. How, asthma is a disorder that affects the airways or the bronchial tubes in your lungs. The name itself hails from the Greek “to breathe hard”. And indeed, for people who have asthma, they know how difficult they have to breathe just to get enough air into them. To pinpoint asthma causes, one has to look at the different types of asthma: allergic asthma, intrinsic asthma, asthma caused by exercise, nocturnal asthma, work-induced/occupational asthma and steroid-resistant asthma. Let’s focus at the more common asthma causes: allergies, exercise and stress It’s Not Just Itch! Common asthma causes is triggered by allergies from allergens. Allergies frequently affect children and it causes asthma that causes parents to worry (and send their young children immediately to the doctor’s or the pediatrician). Allergens are the frequent asthma causes for childhood asthma....

Essential for asthma patients to keep a record on their asthma by managing and controlling the symptoms. Taking medication as instructed by the physician and keeping away from things that affect the airways are the easiest ways of keeping control over asthma. It is very important to learn what natural remedies are available at hand, how diet can affect the asthma symptoms and most importantly how to take care of yourself when you are suffering from asthma The key is to identify the factors affecting your airways and then devising methods of avoiding them. Any number of factors may trigger asthma. One should stop smoking and not permit others to smoke in one's home. One should stay indoors if high pollen content is found in air. In order to check the dust mites’ one should get special dust-proof coverings of the mattresses and make sure the blankets, pillows, sheets, stuffed toys and curtains are washed at least once a week preferably in hot water. People with asthma shoul...

Asthma means breathing difficulty to get air in and out of your lungs.In an asthmatic patient, the breathing tubes are sensitive. They may react to smoke, pollen, dust, air pollution, allergies, or other triggers. In a person with asthma, the breathing tubes may tighten, becoming inflamed and swollen. It may get serious and fatal at times. When the breathing tubes react or when they get inflamed, they become narrow. That makes it harder for you to breathe fresh air in and stale air out. Your difficulty in breathing may change, sometimes you will feel fine and sometimes you may have breathing problems. In older people, it is sometimes difficult to decide whether the problem is asthma or another lung disease or heart disease. Other lung diseases that cause similar problems are bronchitis and emphysema, particularly common in people who smoke. There are many symptoms for asthma; a wheezing sound can be heard while breathing when you have a cold or a feeling that you can’t take...

Diagnosed with asthma you may be thinking what comes next, and how people who have been diagnosed with asthma manage to get on with activities such as exercise, going for brisk walks, enjoying the sharp chill of cold winter air or going on vacation to muggy, humid climates. However, the fact is that asthma is a condition, not a disability, and it is important to learn to deal with it, and cope in a positive way. As far as coping strategies are concerned there are several different strategies available, and they can be used in different ways to tackle the asthma and help you to manage it without jeopardizing a normal, healthy life. In this article we will discuss asthma in 5 stages and provide a strategy for each different stage. These stages can be said to be diagnosis, pre-attack, initial attack, attack and post attack. 1. Diagnosis If you have been diagnosed as having asthma you will immediately prescribed treatment. This is likely to be in the form of an inhaler, and ...

Asthma is a condition that affects about 10% of the total population of children in some developed countries, but its onset can occur at any age under 40. It is a chronic illness that affects the airways that carry air in and out of the lungs. What happens during an episode is that the muscles of these airways tighten, allowing only a small amount of air into the lungs; and the cells in the lungs overproduce mucus which makes it that much harder to breathe. A common manifestation of an asthma attack can range from mild wheezing to severe breathing problems. There are plenty of stimulants that can trigger asthma and attacks. Most of these are environmental, and can be found in the workplace, school or neighborhood. Constant exposure to irritants like dust and smoke can lead to a development of asthma among adults. It can also be caused by a disorder in the GIT system called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD, where the upper sphincter of the stomach doesn’t close proper...

Children with asthma will experience a different childhood compared to many normal kids. Often they may need to stay indoors to avoid contact with potential outdoor allergens. They are also unable to participate in strenuous sports activities like playing football in the fields with other kids. Some of these changes may lead your child to frustration and suffer from self esteem issues. Here are some ways to help your children cope with asthma. Knowledge is power for starters. Have an adequate knowledge of your children’s asthma condition. The more you know the child’s condition, the better. First and the most, find out what type of allergens trigger your child’s asthma and make the necessary changes to your home environment. Today, there are also many asthma support groups dedicated for parents with children suffering from asthma. Enrolling yourself to such a support group can enable you to exchange tips and strategies and also learn new and better methods with other parent...

Asthma is a disease related to the widespread inflammation of the lungs and narrowing of the bronchial tubes. According to the National Institute of Health, currently asthma can be divided into 4 types that are mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent and severe persistent. Asthma sufferers that fall into the severe persistent is characterized as chronic asthma. Talking about the peak flow rate, firstly the mild intermittent and mild persistent asthma, their peak flow rate is more than 80 percent of normal. Moderate persistent is between 60 to 80 percent. Chronic asthma, a severe form of asthma has a peak flow rate of below 60 percent. The symptoms for chronic asthma also differ from the other three categories. Unlike people who fall into the first three categories, people that suffer from this type of asthma have recurrent symptoms of asthma daily which is associated with breathlessness, sudden tightness of the chest and wheezing sounds. At times the wheez...