Archive for the 'ASTHMA' Category

The asthma pathophysiology is complex and not completely understood. Asthma is described as inflammatory response disease.

The main cause of breathlessness is due to airway wall constriction and airway wall inflammation.

There are three main asthma pathophysiology responses that characterize the disease.

• Airway inflammation
• Hyper-responsiveness and
• Obstruction of the airway due to the constriction of bronchiole

Hyper-responsiveness and airway obstruction are the causes known to have asthmatic episode but recently inflammation of the airways has been recognized as the third cause.

But, some of them consider inflammation plays an important role in asthma pathophysiology and much of the research carried out concentrates on this point.

Asthma pathophysiology:

To understand asthma pathophysiology, airway anatomy is required. Complex interactions among inflammatory cells, tissues and mediators in the airways cause inflammation.

The release of inflammatory mediators from mast cells, eosinophils, macrophages and other cells in the airways are activated by the stimuli. The other inflammatory cells are signaled by the mediators to migrate to the airways where they are activated.

This causes secretion of mucus, prolonged contraction of smooth muscle, injury of the epithelium, as well as swelling and changes in the involuntary control of the airway. Therefore inflamed airways become more narrow and obstructed.

There are many factors that cause asthma. Airway hyper responsiveness and small lightweight particles transported through air and inhaled into the lungs are the causes of asthma.

These are environmental triggers which cause inflammatory reaction in the airway walls which results in asthma attack.

You should know what causes asthma to prevent asthma attack.

Causes of asthma:

Chemical irritants: A chemical irritant is the cause of asthma which triggers an inflammatory response.

People are sensitive to irritants like hairspray, perfume, make up products and household cleaners.

There are other chemicals, from which the person can be triggered like plastics, exposure to high levels of ozone, car exhaust, wood smoke and sulphur dioxide.

Allergens: Allergen is the cause of asthma and some people environmental triggers are allergens. Environmental triggers are natural substances like plant pollen, mould spores, animal dander and faecal matter from dust mites and cockroaches.

The allergens which are involved in asthma are similar to those of rhinitis. If the particle size is greater than 20 microns, it can cause conjunctivitis, rhinitis and pharyngitis as well as asthma. [Allergens that causes Asthma]

The most extrinsic causes of asthma world wide are allergens from fecal particles of the house dust mites.

Are you suffering with chronic asthma? Doctors look for characteristic symptoms which can include wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.

When symptoms fail to establish the diagnosis of chronic asthma, doctors use spirometry testing.

Identifying the trigger is often most difficult than initial diagnosis.

The person can develop asthma attack when using household cleaning product, cosmetics or perfumes.

When it is difficult to identify, allergy skin tests are useful to determine the triggers. The diagnosis should be correctly made to treat the chronic asthma symptoms properly.

Chronic asthma diagnosis:

Diagnosis includes family history of asthma, hay fever, eczema and allergies. Children have greater chances of developing the above symptoms if there is a family history of allergies and asthma.

Physical examination includes listening to the lungs with stethoscope and examination of nasal passages.

Allergy prick skin testing can confirm a presence or absence of allergies. But, they must be correlated o the history of symptoms shown.

Chest x-ray is taken to exclude the chances of breathing problems being caused by something other than chronic asthma.

Exercise challenge tests and methacholine inhalation tests are performed most often in clinical laboratories to assess airway responsiveness.

The main culprits of seasonal asthma are pollen, mould spores and dust mites. In summer, the air you breathe consists of pollens.

These microscopic particles stick to the moist lining of nose, eye and bronchial tubes.

They do not harm normal people, but they cause hay fever and asthma in people who have allergies.

In winter, trees begin to bud and people spend more time outdoors gardening, playing sports and enjoying the weather.

Spring can cause seasonal asthma in asthma sufferers.

Seasonal asthma from pollen:

Pollen from trees, grass and weeds cause allergic rhinitis and asthma. Pollination takes place in spring and result in high pollen counts.

In dry windy weather, lots of pollen is blown off the grass so that the pollen count can vary from time to time usually maximum on sunny breezy evenings. If there is a heavy rain, it washes pollen out of the air, so must asthma sufferers feel better after rainfall.

Seasonal asthma from mould spores:

The mould spores causes hay fever and seasonal asthma. Mould spores get airborne during the day and because spores are much smaller than pollen grains, they are more easily inhaled into the depths of the lungs.

People experiencing symptoms of asthma are similar to those suffering from airflow limitation which is caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Symptoms of asthma are worse during night. Symptoms of asthma can be mild or severe.

Severe asthma causes difficulty in breathing and in extreme cases can result in death.

Symptoms of asthma are not easier to diagnose. If symptoms of asthma are worsened, it is called asthma attack.

During asthma attack, smooth muscles around the bronchial tubes contract, making the airway openings narrower. Inflammation increases and the airways become more swollen and narrow.

More mucus is made by cells in the airways, which narrows the airways further. The changes to the airways cause the symptoms of asthma. In severe asthma attacks, the airways close so much so that enough oxygen is not provided for vital organs. People can die from severe asthma attacks.

Learning the symptoms of asthma can often alert the patient in time to take preventive action such as asthma medications and natural remedies. Some people are lucky to notice the early symptoms of asthma before it becomes critical, while some don’t even know it until it suddenly hits them.

The air you breathe contains lots of different particles that can trigger asthma symptoms [Asthma Triggers].

Asthma and air pollution are related to each other.

Air pollution triggers asthma and bring on breathing problems.

There are different types of air pollution that triggers your asthma.

Asthma and air pollution causes:

Ozone levels: Ozone triggers a toxic component of smog that makes existing asthma worse. Ozone is produced at ground level when pollution from cars and trucks reacts with oxygen and sunlight.

The protective ozone in the upper atmosphere is different from harmful ozone in the lower atmosphere. Ground level ozone tends to be higher in sunnier climates or during hot, still weather.

Nitrogen oxide: Gas emitted from exhaust pipes and power plants, nitrogen oxide contributes to the formation of ground level ozone and smog. It also reacts with other air pollutants to form small particles that can cause breathing difficulties, especially in asthma patients.

Sulphur dioxide: Sulphur dioxide is a respiratory irritant associated with onset of asthma attacks and it is produced when coal and crude oil are burned. Oil refineries and diesel engines that burn high sulphur fuel release large amount of sulphur dioxide into the air.

Asthma is an inflammatory condition of the airways in which passage of the air to the lungs decreases.

Asthma is caused by various factors that include environmental factors, biological factors, genes, dietary changes, and allergens [Asthma Causes].

Adult asthma is allergy related condition which in most cases is developed in childhood.

It can cause wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath which can worsen at night.

Adult asthma causes inflammation of the airway and produces the characteristic asthmatic wheezing sound.

Asthma attack occurs to an allergic reaction or as a part of a complex disease cycle which includes reactions to stress or exercise. In chronic adult asthma, inflammation can be accompanied by irreparable airflow limitation.

Chronic adult asthma is characterized as an alteration of the construction and functions of elements of the airways. The changes interact with inflammatory cells and mediators to cause the characteristic features of the disease.

Adult asthma occurs in both men and women of all ages and racial groups. Asthma is common in cold climates, developed countries and poor built-up neighborhoods. It is also caused due to the poor living condition of the sufferers.

Do you have asthma or vocal cord dysfunction? Differentiate and identify what you are suffering with, to take the correct treatment.

Asthma is a chronic disease which makes the airway passages sensitive and irritant.

Asthma cannot be cured but the symptoms of asthma attack can be managed and controlled to lead a normal life.

There are number of diseases which imitate asthma symptoms and that results in misdiagnosis.

One such illness is the vocal cord dysfunction and the symptoms of the disease can imitate asthma attack

Vocal cord dysfunction is a condition of throat closure and choking sensation that can strike at any age and can cause severe attacks. Vocal cord dysfunction is caused by reflux disease or post nasal drainage. The symptoms can seem same as that of asthma symptoms and may occur alone or along with asthma attack.

Normally, the vocal cord opens to let the air pass through and reach lungs when people breathe or inhale. When the disease occurs, the vocal cord locks together and tightens the airways producing the difficulty in breathing.

Asthma Symptoms:

• Whistling sound when you breathe
• Coughing
• Tightness in the chest
• Shortness of breathe

It is a known fact that people who suffers from asthma experience frequent heartburn.

When you swallow the food, the sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus relaxes, allowing food and liquid to pass down into the stomach.

Sometimes, the sphincter relaxes at wrong time and the result is that a little food mixed with stomach acid travels back up the food tube.

This can produce a burning sensation. This burning sensation is called heartburn. Asthma and heartburn are related to each other.

If you have asthma and heartburn, when you lie down after a large meal, stomach contents roll up the esophagus and into back of your throat. Stomach acid in the esophagus irritates the nerves in the airway and triggers an asthma attack.

Some experts say that coughing and breathing problems of asthma causes pressure changes that relax the sphincter, resulting in stomach acid regurgitation.

Acid flow causes injury to the lining of the throat, airway and lungs making inhalation difficult and often causing continuous cough. Heartburn is increased in patients with asthma medications known as beta-adrenergic bronchodilators.

It is a fact that people with asthma tend to be overweight.

Doctors believe that obesity occurs because people suffering with asthma avoid exercise as physical activity can trigger asthma symptoms.

You have to maintain ideal weight and good fitness to avoid asthma obesity.

But nowadays, doctors are recommending people with asthma to exercise to improve their health and to provide relief from asthma. Exercise is not only good for health but it also reduces asthma obesity.

If you have asthma obesity, your breathing becomes more difficult and some people even find that their ability to breathe is worsened. Being overweight causes gastro esophageal reflux disease, which can trigger asthma in some people.

Overweight increases the risk of asthma in women and children. Obese people are two to three times more likely to have asthma than normal people.

Regular exercise keeps you strong and energetic. If you are healthy, you have few attacks and need less medication.

Foods that cause asthma obesity:

There are some foods that can lead to obesity. Saturated foods, dairy products and processed foods can cause obesity. Obesity can worsen asthma. Staying fit and healthy is important for controlling your asthma.