Facts About Asthma
From information provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institues, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, and National Institutes of Health. NIH Publication # 90-2339 October 1990.
Asthma, is a lung disease that runs in my family. My father had it as a child, my grandmother now has it, etc., and now my own son has it. Some days are better then others. We have been dealing with his asthma for over two years since it was diagnosed. It seemed that it was something he has had since being an infant. He wouldn't sleep through the night as an infant due to mild flare-ups. Once his diagnoses was made and we started treating the Asthma, he has slept through the night. Yes, there are still some attacks at night but they are very few...since we have learned what to look for and what to do for it.
The following information was given to us from our doctor and insurance company to help us understand asthma more clearly. We hope this information you will find useful, remember to consult your doctor if you have any questions on this material or what more information. This information is provided to them from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, U.S. Public Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service , and National Institutes of Health.Asthma
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory lung disease characterized by recurrent breathing problems. People with asthma have acute episodes (some people say "attack" or "flare") when the air passages in their lungs get narrower, and breathing becomes more difficult. These problems are caused by an oversensitivity of the lungs' airways, which overreact to certain "triggers" and become inflamed and clogged.
Asthma varies a great deal from one person to another. Symptoms can range from mild to moderate to severe and can be life threatening. The episodes can come only occasionally or often. The symptoms of asthma are a major cause of time lost from school and work and sleep disturbances. Nocturnal Asthma is asthma that occurs during the night or in early morning hours. However, with proper treatment these symptoms can almost always be controlled.
Asthma cannot be cured, but it can be controlled with proper treatment. People with asthma can use medicine prescribed by their doctor to prevent or relieve their symptoms, and they can learn ways to manage episodes. They also can learn to identify and avoid the things that trigger an episode. By educating themselves about medications and other asthma management strategies, most people with asthma can gain control of the disease and live an active life.
What causes it?
The basic cause of the lung abnormality in asthma is not yet known. Through research, scientists have established that this lung abnormality is a special type of inflammation of the airway that leads to contraction of airway muscle, mucus production, and swelling in the airways. The airways become "twitchy," overly responsive to environmental changes. This results in wheezing and coughing. Some researchers think that the wheezing and coughing may be set off by an abnormal reaction of sensory nerves-part of the overall inflammatory reaction.
A variety of known triggers can set off an asthma episode. They include:
~allergens (substances to which some people are allergic) such as pollens, foods, dust, mold, feathers, or animal dander (small scales from animal hair or feathers)
Click here to clean more about allergies.
~irritants in the air such as dirt, cigarette smoke, gases, and orders
~respiratory infections such as colds, flu, sore throats, and bronchitis
~too much exertion such as running upstairs too fast or carrying heavy loads*
~emotional stress such as excessive fear or excitement
~weather such as very cold air, windy weather, or sudden changes in weather
~medication such as aspirin or related drugs and some drugs used to treat glaucoma and high blood pressure.
*However, a moderate amount of exercise has been shown to benefit many asthma patients; exercise should not be avoided just because one has asthma
Each person with asthma reacts to a different set of triggers. Identifying one's triggers is a major step towards learning to control asthma attacks.
Although episodes can sometimes be brought on by strong emotions, it is important to know that asthma is not caused by emotional factors such as a troubled parent-child relationship. Some people believe that asthma is "all in one's head" and therefore not a "real" illness. This is wrong. Asthma is a disease, not a psychosomatic illness or a sign of emotional disturbance.
Beginning Facts about Asthma
Facts about Asthma page 2
Facts about Asthma page 3
Facts about Asthma page 4
Nocturnal Asthma
Managing your child's Asthma
Peak flow meters
allergies.
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