What is Asthma

    Asthma is quite a common problem affecting a large number of people in our country – age being no bar.

    Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory disorder of the respiratory air-passage. Although symptoms do not exist all the time; but during an asthma attack, normal air passage through the blocked and narrow airways becomes difficult, resulting in breathing problems, panting, coughing, or other associated symptoms.

    What happens during an asthma

    The inside wall of the airways become narrow and inflamed. They bloat up and get filled with fluid and mucus cells. Obstruction is further caused by tightening of muscles that surround the airways. This situation is called bronchospasm. In some people with asthma, the mucus glands in the airways produce thick mucus in large quantities, further obstructing the airways.

    Chronic inflammation is considered to be the major cause of an asthma attack. The inflammation may last for weeks following an attack. Most people with asthma have some degree of inflammation all the time.

    When inflammation occurs in the airways, they become sensitive. When the airways are more sensitive, a person is more probable get an asthma attack when exposed to things that trigger asthma.

    What are the warning signs and symptoms of asthma?

    Early warning signs are usually experienced before the outbreak of an asthma attack, and by recognizing these signs, early treatment can be started. These signs are unique to each person. Some early warning signs may be noticed only by the individual, while some may be noticed by other persons.

    Some common warning signs include:

    Coughing - this often becomes worse at night or early in the morning.

    Wheezing - breathing with a squeaky sound and with great difficulty.

    Shortness of breath - due to insufficient supply of air

    Fast and/or noisy breathing along with panting.

    Common symptoms of asthma include:

    Sneezing

    Mood swings

    Headache

    Stuffy and blocked nose

    Coughing

    Chin/ throat sensitivity and itching

    Feeling of tiredness

    Trouble in sleeping

    Symptoms vary from one person to another, and they also differ in severity from person to person. Sometimes symptoms can be so serious that they become life threatening.

    What are the causes of asthma?

    Although the actual cause of asthma is not known, studies have shown that several factors can lead to the outbreak of asthma. These factors include hereditary, development and growth of a person's lungs and immune system, infections, allergies and his response to the environment.

    It is difficult to conclude as to what causes asthma. We can generally say that a person is prone to asthma if-

    there is a family history of asthma, eczema or any type of allergy.

    many aspects of modern lifestyles – such as changes diet, surrounding environment, pets staying in the same house.

    smoking during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of the child developing asthma

    children whose parents smoke are more likely to develop asthma in the long run

    environmental pollution can make asthma symptoms worse

    asthma may also develop after a viral infection or any other type of infection.

    irritants or triggers found at home or workplace may lead to a person developing asthma .

    Is asthma a genetic disease?

    Although not necessarily genetic, but in most cases it is widely accepted that asthma is a disease that can be inherited if there is a family history.

    What activates an asthma attack?

    Asthma can be triggered by anything and everything. It is usually flared by allergens such as cold air, exercise, and other factors.

    Possible asthma triggers include:

    Pollen, dust, smoke, and other allergens

    Strenuous exercise or any other physical activity.

    Smoke from burning wood or tobacco

    Viral infections, cold, flu, bronchitis, pneumonia

    Strong odours, perfumes, deodorants, cleaning sprays, and chemical fumes

    If you are suffering from sinusitis, hay fever

    Laughing or crying loudly causing strain

    Sudden changes in weather, especially cold air, moisture and rain

    Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

    哮喘是種常見疾病，在我國，大量人群（無論任何年齡段）,患有哮喘。

    哮喘是呼吸道炎癥的慢性疾病。盡管癥狀并不是長期表現出來。但哮喘發作時，氣道變狹窄，正常量的空氣很難通過有阻礙的呼吸道，就產生了呼吸困難的狀況：氣喘、咳嗽或其他相關的癥狀。

    哮喘發作的狀況

    呼吸道內壁受到感染，變窄；呼吸道膨脹，充滿液體與粘液細胞；呼吸道肌肉收縮，使呼吸進一步受阻，這叫支氣管痙攣。有些患者發作時，粘液腺分泌出大量稠粘液，進一步堵塞呼吸道。

    慢性炎癥一直被視為哮喘發作的主要病因。疾病發作后，炎癥會持續數個星期。大部分哮喘患者長期患有某種程度的炎癥。

    呼吸道受感染后，變得很敏感。此時，一旦接觸某些會引發疾病的物質，就很容易發作。

    哮喘發作的信號與癥狀是怎樣的？

    哮喘發病前通常會有早期的信號，如果意識到這些信號，就可以進行預防治療。每個患者的信號都不一樣。有些發病信號，只有患者自己能察覺，而有些要靠其他人來察覺。

    常見的發病信號包括：

    咳嗽--通常在早晨或夜間加重。

    喘息--呼吸時帶有蕭鳴音且呼吸困難。

    呼吸急促--這是由于空氣供應不足引起的。

    急促而帶有蕭鳴音的呼吸，氣喘。

    哮喘的普通癥狀包括：

    打噴嚏

    情緒急躁

    頭痛

    鼻塞

    咳嗽

    下巴/喉嚨敏感，發癢

    疲勞感

    難以入眠

    每個患者的癥狀各異，病情的輕重程度也不同，有時癥狀嚴重到危及生命。

    哮喘的病因

    盡管哮喘發病的準確原因尚不得知，研究顯示哮喘的發作確與這些因素有關：遺傳、患者肺部和免疫系統的發展狀況、炎癥、過敏以及他對周圍環境的反應。

    要總結出哮喘的病因很困難。我們通常說如果一個人存有以下狀況，容易患哮喘。

    患有家族性的哮喘，濕疹及任何類型的過敏史。

    各種現代生活方式：如多變的飲食、包圍式的環境、養寵物。

    懷孕期間抽煙會增加孩子患哮喘的危險性。

    從長遠來看，如果父母吸煙，孩子易患哮喘。

    環境污染會使哮喘癥狀更嚴重。

    病毒感染或其他類型的感染均有可能發展為哮喘。

    在家或工作場所中，刺激性的物質或病源都導致人們發展為哮喘。

    哮喘是遺傳疾病嗎？

    雖然哮喘不一定會遺傳，但通常，人們普遍認為如果有哮喘的家族史，那么它是可遺傳的。

    什么會誘發哮喘？

    許多事物甚至任何事物都有可能引發哮喘。通常由一些過敏源引起，如：冷空氣，運動及其他因素。

    以下物質皆有可能引發哮喘：

    花粉、灰塵、煙及其他過敏源。

    過度激烈的運動或其他體育活動。

    抽煙

    病毒感染、冷空氣、流感、支氣管炎、肺炎

    刺激性的氣味、香水、除臭劑、清潔劑及化學氣體。

    患過鼻竇炎、花粉熱。

    大聲地笑或哭，使肌肉緊張。

    天氣突變，尤其冷空氣來襲、潮濕和下雨。

    非固醇類抗炎藥。