Asthma: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Asthma is a disease of the lungs that triggers respiration. Asthma affects regular breathing; for an asthma patient, everyday physical tasks become difficult or impossible. When proper care is delayed, asthma can be life threatening.

Respiratory disorders such as asthma are becoming alarmingly widespread due to factors like rising pollution. India is estimated by the World Health Organization to have nearly 20 million asthma patients. Asthma also affects children, typically between the ages of 5 and 11.

The air we breathe in passes through the nose, throat and into the lungs while breathing. Asthma develops when the airways in the lungs widen and tighten the muscles around them. This allows mucus to block the respiratory tract, further blocking the oxygen supply to the lungs. The consequence is an asthma attack from coughing, etc.

Symptoms of Asthma:-

Some of the asthma symptoms are:
- Coughing, particularly in the night, when laughing or exercising.
- Wheezing a sound of whistling while breathing.
- Breathlessness and a sense of chest tightness.
- Fatigue a sense of weakness.

There are distinct symptoms of various kinds of asthma. Constant signs of the above symptoms mean that, earlier the better, a visit to the doctor is necessary. You can visit KRIMS Hospital in Nagpur if you are suffering from asthma as it is the best multispeciality hospital in Nagpur.


Asthma Types:-
A more common form of asthma is bronchial asthma. The bronchi (major air passages) in the lungs are affected. Childhood asthma, adult-onset asthma, allergic asthma, nocturnal asthma are other forms of asthma, etc.

Causes of Asthma:-
No single cause for asthma has been specified down by medical research yet. Some leading suspects are suggested by studies:

Genetics:- 

A parent with asthma also raises the child's risk of having it.

Viral infections:- 

There is a greater chance of having asthma for those who are susceptible to viral infections in childhood.


Hygiene hypothesis:-

Babies who are not properly exposed to healthy bacteria have poorer immune systems and become more susceptible in later years to asthma.

Exposure to allergens:- 

Regular interaction with allergens and irritants increases the threat of asthma.

Treatment
Asthma care can include long-term treatment with breathing exercises, emergency or first aid procedures, and asthma management medicines. After taking into account the type of asthma, the patient's age, medical history, etc., the doctor advises on the best treatment.

Some of the treatment strategies for asthma are:-

Breathing exercises improve the circulation in and out of the lungs, neutralising asthma issues.

The immediate relief-providing medicines used during an asthma attack are emergency or first aid treatments. Options include rescue inhalers and nebulizers, bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory drugs (to relieve tightened lung muscles).

Long-term asthma control medicines are regular doses that need to be taken to keep asthma in control for years.

For extreme asthma, bronchial thermoplasty is used where medications do n't work. The doctor will heat up the inside of the lungs with electrodes in the form of bronchial asthma treatment that will smooth the muscle inside the airways and decrease their ability to tighten, making it much easier to breathe and reducing the symptoms of asthma.

If asthmatic signs remain for more than 20 minutes after receiving the above medication, seek medical attention instantly.

How to avoid asthma:-
- Stay away from chemical products that have caused issues with breathing before.
- Stay away from allergens like mould or dust.
- Take allergy shots against asthmatic causes to defend the body.
- As the doctor prescribes, take preventive medicine.

There isn't a treatment for asthma at the moment. There are, however, many efficient treatments that can reduce the effects of asthma. Medicines and lifestyle improvements will also help enhance the quality of life. You should let your doctor know if you have not been diagnosed with asthma but are having symptoms like wheezing, coughing or shortness of breath. In Nagpur, you can visit KRIMS Hospital, which have the best lung specialist in Nagpur.