Asthma

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic (or lifelong) disease affecting both children and adults. It can be mild to serious—even life-threatening. There is no cure for asthma, but we can live a normal, healthy life by proper management of this disease. Asthma may show symptoms like other respiratory diseases, such as emphysema, bronchitis, and lower respiratory infections.

How does it occur?

Inflammation and tightening of the muscles around the small airways make the air passages in the lungs narrow causing asthma symptoms, such as cough, wheeze, shortness of breath and chest tightness.

Symptoms of asthma

Asthma symptoms are intermittent. The symptoms often become worse at night or during exercise. Different common triggers can cause asthma symptoms and these triggers vary from person to person. Some common triggers are viral infections (colds), dust, smoke, fumes, changes in the weather, grass and tree pollen, animal fur and feathers, strong soaps and perfume. Different people show different symptoms. Some common symptoms of asthma are as follows:

  • Chronic cough, especially at night,
  • Noisy breathing or shortness of breath,
  • Chest tightness,
  • Wheezing.

Adverse effects

People who are not treating asthma properly and timely can suffer from the following long-term adverse effects:

  • sleep disturbance,
  • tiredness during the day,
  • poor concentration,
  • may miss school and work, with financial impact on the family and wider community,
  • may need to receive emergency health care and admission into hospital for treatment and monitoring if symptoms are severe,
  • asthma can lead to death in the most severe cases.

Risk factors for an asthma

There are many factors responsible for the increased risk of developing asthma. However, it is often difficult to find a single, direct cause.

  • Family history of asthma
  • Personal medical history of allergies, such as eczema and rhinitis (hay fever).
  • Children and adolescents between age 5 and 17
  • Females
  • People living in urban communities, probably due to multiple lifestyle factors.
  • Exposure to tobacco smoke
  • Viral respiratory infections
  • Events in early life affect the developing lungs and can increase the risk of asthma, such as low birth weight and prematurity
  • Exposure to environmental allergens and irritants, such as indoor and outdoor air pollution, house dust mites, moulds, and occupational exposure to chemicals, fumes or dust.
  • Overweight or obesity of children and adults.

Treatment

There is no cure for asthma, but asthma can be controlled and patients can live a normal, healthy life by good management with inhaled medications. There are two main types of inhalers: (1) bronchodilators (such as salbutamol), that open the air passages and relieve symptoms; and (2) steroids (such as beclometasone), that reduce inflammation in the air passages. This improves asthma symptoms and reduces the risk of severe asthma attacks and death.

  • Everyone with asthma does not take the same medicine.
  • Patients should take medication according to the advice of doctor.
  • Asthma medications are available in two forms, such as breathe in medicines and pill.
  • Two types of asthma medications—quick-relief and long-term control.
  • Quick-relief medications control the symptoms of an asthma attack.
  • Long-term control medicines reduce your asthma attacks, but they don’t help when you are under an asthma attack.

Doctor will prescribe specific treatment for your asthma based on your:

  • Age, overall health, and medical history
  • Symptoms
  • Extent of the disease
  • Tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
  • Expectations for the course of the disease
  • Preference

Asthma management options

  • People with asthma may need to use their inhaler every day.
  • Their treatment will depend on the frequency of symptoms and the different types of inhalers available.
  • Using a spacer device makes it easier to use an aerosol inhaler and helps the medicine to reach the lungs more effectively.
  • Avoid the triggers to prevent the attack and control your asthma.
  • People with asthma and their families need education to understand more about their asthma, their treatment, triggers to avoid, and how to manage their symptoms at home.
  • It is also important to raise community awareness to reduce the myths and stigma associated with asthma in some settings.

Side effects

Asthma medicines can have side effects, but most side effects are mild and soon go away. Ask your doctor about the side effects of your medicines.

References

WHO, 2022. Asthma, 11 May 2022. Accessed on 9/11/2022. URL: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma