Basic Facts About Asthma
The disease of the lungs that affects its airways and causes them to become inflamed and slender is known as Asthma. The routes through which transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place through the lungs are called airways. As per statistics, over 300 million people all over the world are asthma patients; over 22 million people of USA alone are suffering from this disease. The number of persons affected by this disease has increased radically over the past 10 years.
Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by reiterative coughing experiences accompanied by shortness of breath or the feeling of inability to transfer air through the lungs, tightness of the chest, wheezing and other problems. Some of the other symptoms of this disease include allergies to certain specific substances and rapid responses to climatic alterations. The coughing is generally observed during night and early daytime. It should be kept in mind that the symptoms and their severity vary from one person to another. The occurrence of these symptoms does not necessarily indicate the presence of asthma. To ascertain it, appropriate lung tests should be taken. In some cases, the symptoms are moderate and tend to disappear with medical treatment. This disease generally shows itself during the childhood and may remain with the person for his entire lifetime. A person suffering from asthma experiences it in the form of asthmatic attacks. These attacks may be fatal if proper treatment is not received immediately. However this disease is not encountered until it is triggered by some external agent. The exact cause of asthma is yet to be uncovered, still one may account genetic and environmental conditions responsible for this condition. As of now, asthma is incurable however symptomatic treatment is available and can be controlled to some extent using drugs and by restraining from triggers.
Asthma can be classified into two types; extrinsic asthma and intrinsic asthma. The cause of extrinsic asthma is allergens such as dust, fur of animals and others. The sensitivity of people to these particles varies considerably; some are more allergic and may experience asthmatic attacks. By inhaling certain steroids, one can manage this type of asthma. Intrinsic asthma is not caused by allergic reactions, but the real cause is yet to be found out. If the person suffering from this type of asthma comes into contact with certain chemicals or substances like smoke from motor vehicles or cigarettes, some sweets, preservatives he may experience asthmatic attacks. Moreover stress or excessive laughter may also trigger this attack. The best way keep away from this type of asthmatic attacks is to refrain from the causative agents.
Asthma should never be neglected as it may give rise to several health complications if it is not monitored properly. Knowledge of the substances or conditions that trigger asthma is essential for the prevention of asthmatic attacks. With adequate medical treatment and self management by avoiding the triggers as much as possible even people suffering from this chronic condition may experience a happy and normal life!
