Asthma Explained - Causes And Asthma Treatment

Asthma (Az-muh) is a chronic disease that affects your airways. Asthma is achronic illness involving the respiratory system in which the airway occasionally constricts, becomes inflamed, and is lined with excessive amounts of mucus, often in response to one or more triggers. These episodes may be triggered by such things as exposure to an environmental stimulant (or allergen), cold air, warm air, moist air, exercise or exertion, or emotional stress. In children, the most common triggers are viral illnesses such as those that cause the common cold

New research by the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health in Hamilton in Canada has noticed an increase in the number of children having to visit hospital for treatment. One of the biggest triggers is the common cold virus that is easily passed around the pupils as they sit together in their classrooms. The majority of children have no problem shaking it off but for the 20% of children that suffer from asthma in Canada it can lead to an increase in asthma attacks. In some area's they've noticed the number of children admitted t hospital was up to 300% higher that it can be at other times of the year.

What Causes an Asthma Flare-Up?

Different kids have different triggers - things that set off asthma flare-ups. There are a lot of triggers. Some kids are sensitive to allergens (say: ah-lur-jenz), substances that cause allergic reactions in the airways. Common allergens for kids with asthma include dust mites (tiny bugs that live in dust), mold (if you've ever been in a damp basement and smelled something funny, it was probably mold), and pollen (from trees, grass, and weeds).

Asthma Symptoms

When the breathing passages become irritated or infected, an attack is triggered. The attack may come on suddenly or slowly over several days or hours. The main symptoms that signal an attack are as follows:

* Wheezing
* Breathlessness
* Chest tightness
* Coughing
* Difficulty speaking

Treatment

There are several types of medications available for treating asthma. Most people use a combination of long-term control medications and quick relief medications.Your doctor can work with you to decide about your treatment goals and what you need to do to control your asthma to achieve these goals. Asthma treatment includes:

* Working closely with your doctor to decide what your treatment goals are and learning how to meet those goals.
* Avoiding things that bring on your asthma symptoms or make your symptoms worse. Doing so can reduce the amount of medicine you need to control your asthma.

Do not be concerned that the medicines you need to treat your asthma will be removed from the market. CFC-containing MDIs will not be removed by the FDA until sufficient alternative medicines exist to serve the needs of patients.

Risks

Asthma is rarely fatal if you take your medicine and follow your doctor's orders.

Prevention

Asthma symptoms can be substantially reduced by avoiding known allergens and respiratory irritants. If someone with asthma is sensitive to dust mites, exposure can be reduced by encasing mattresses and pillows in allergen-impermeable covers, removing carpets from bedrooms, and by vacuuming regularly. Exposure to dust mites and mold can be reduced by lowering indoor humidity.

If a person is allergic to an animal that cannot be removed from the home, the animal should be kept out of the patient's bedroom. Filtering material can be placed over the heating outlets to trap animal dander. Exposure to cigarette smoke, air pollution, industrial dusts, and irritating fumes should also be avoided.

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