Asthma

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic disease with respect to the respiratory system in which the airways occasionally constrict, become inflamed, and are lined with excessive amounts of mucus.These conditions may occur by things such as exposure to an environmental stimulant like an allergen, environmental tobacco smoke, cold or warm air, perfume, moist air, exercise or exertion, or emotional stress.In children, asthma attack is triggered are viral illnesses such as the common cold. The narrowing of airways causes symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. The airway constriction responds to bronchodilators.

The symptoms of asthma, which can occur from mild to life threatening, can be controlled with a combination of drugs and environmental changes.


Signs and symptoms

In some individuals asthma is characterized by chronic respiratory impairment. In others this ilness is marked by symptoms that may result in a number of triggering events, including upper respiratory infection, stress, airborne allergens, air pollutants (such as smoke or traffic fumes), or exercise.

Other symptoms of asthma includes:Dyspnea,wheezing, stridor, coughing, a tightness and itching of the chest an inability for physical exertion.

some patients present primarily with coughing, and in the late stages of an attack, air motion may be so impaired that no wheezing may be heard. When present the cough may sometimes produce clear sputum. The onset may be sudden, with a sense of constriction in the chest, breathing becomes difficult, and wheezing occurs.


Cause

Asthma is caused by a complex interaction of environmental and genetic factors that researchers do not yet fully understand.[6] These factors can also influence how severe a person’s asthma is and how well they respond to medication.[7] As with other complex diseases, many environmental and genetic factors have been suggested as causes of asthma, but not all of them have been replicated. In addition, as researchers detangle the complex causes of asthma, it is becoming more evident that certain environmental and genetic factors may only affect asthma when combined.


Prevention

Current treatment protocols recommend prevention medications such as an inhaled corticosteroid, which helps to suppress inflammation and reduces the swelling of the lining of the airways, in anyone who has frequent need of relievers or who has severe symptoms. If symptoms persist, additional preventive drugs are added until the asthma is controlled. With the proper use of prevention drugs, asthmatics can avoid the complications that result from overuse of relief medications.

Asthmatics sometimes stop taking their preventive medication when they feel fine and have no problems breathing. This often results in further attacks, and no long-term improvement.

Preventive agents include the following:

* Inhaled glucocorticoids are the most widely used prevention medications and normally come as inhaler devices (ciclesonide, beclomethasone, budesonide, flunisolide, fluticasone, mometasone, and triamcinolone).

# Leukotriene modifiers (montelukast, zafirlukast, pranlukast, and zileuton) provide anti-inflammatory effect similar to inhaled corticosteroids.

# Mast cell stabilizers (cromoglicate (cromolyn), and nedocromil).

# Antimuscarinics/anticholinergics (ipratropium, oxitropium, and tiotropium), which have a mixed reliever and preventer effect. These are often used to reduce bronchospasm when inhaled steroids do not produce sufficient relief.

# Antihistamines, often used to treat allergic effects that may underlie the chronic inflammation.


# Antihistamines, often used to treat allergic effects that may underlie the chronic inflammation.

# Hyposensitization, (also known as immunodesensitisation therapy) may be recommended in some cases where allergy is the suspected caus
Methotrexate is occasionally used in some difficult-to-treat patients.