What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic breathing condition that affects nearly 5 percent of the American population. Although it is incurable, symptoms can be controlled effectively with the use of medication and asthma diagnosed in childhood generally improves over time. People with asthma have hyper-reactive bronchial tubes that constrict very tightly when irritated by environmental asthma triggers. It is unknown why some people develop asthma and others do not.

1. Effects

   • Symptoms of asthma vary considerably in their severity and when they are present. Some people with asthma wheeze and cough most of the time, while others have no problems except during an acute asthma attack. The most common symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing while lying down and a sensation of tightness in the chest. Symptoms are typically more frequent during the day than at night, but in rare cases this tendency is reversed.

   Identification

   • Asthma is typically diagnosed using tests that measure lung function. These tests are also performed regularly on people who have already been diagnosed with asthma, because they are useful for monitoring the condition and judging the effectiveness of treatments. The most commonly used lung function tests are spirometry and peak flow tests. Both tests involve exhaling into a special device that measures lung capacity and the force with which air is expelled from the lungs.

   Types

   • Asthma is grouped into classifications based on the pattern of symptoms and severity of the condition. Four categories are typically used to grade the degree a personal is affected. Mild intermittent asthma involves relatively minor symptoms that occur no more than twice a week. Mild persistent asthma includes symptoms that occur at least twice a week but no more than once in any given day. Moderate persistent asthma is diagnosed when symptoms occur about once a day, and at least once a week during the night. Severe persistent asthma presents with breathing difficulties throughout most days and often at night.

   Prevention/Solution

   • Treatment for asthma usually includes avoidance of environmental triggers, maintenance medication and a rescue inhaler. Environmental triggers usually include inhaled irritants such as cigarette smoke, dust and allergens. Maintenance medications are usually inhaled and are taken every day, regardless of symptoms. They are not effective against an asthma attack already in progress, but can reduce the frequency with which asthma attacks occur. Rescue inhalers work by opening the airways within a few minutes, sometimes more quickly. They are used as needed to treat symptoms and can stop some asthma attacks.

   Warning

   • Severe asthma attacks can be life-threatening. If you experience difficulty breathing and the symptoms are not relieved by using a rescue inhaler, call 911. Do not attempt to drive yourself to the hospital while you are experiencing an asthma attack. Certain maintenance drugs used to treat asthma may increase the risk of death, despite reducing the frequency of asthma attacks. As a result, certain asthma medications carry a "black box warning" to inform patients risks associated with the drug.

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