Asthma Symptoms, Causes and Treatment By Dr. Pankaj Gulati

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a condition where there is difficulty in breathing due to inflammation in bronchitis. Inflammation makes it difficult for air to pass through the muscles and causes wheezing sounds. Along with this there is also difficulty in breathing, chest tightness and cough. There is no cure for this disease, but it can be controlled by making some lifestyle changes.

Before knowing about asthma, it is important to know about the elements related to your breath. Normally when we breathe, air passes through our nose or mouth into the throat and airways. After that it finally gets absorbed in the lungs.

There are many small passages in our lungs, which help oxygen to meet the blood stream. When the airways become inflamed or the muscles around them harden, it is a sign of asthma. Subsequently, mucus fills the airways, reducing the access of air to the lungs.

This condition can cause an asthma attack. Cough and chest tightness are generally considered to be symptoms of asthma.

How common is Asthma?

It is a very fast spreading disease. Around 300 million people around the world suffer from asthma. It affects people of all ages, but the chances of infection are high in childhood.

What is an Asthma attack?

An asthma attack occurs when your symptoms suddenly worsen. In this condition, your airway becomes filled with swelling, mucus, and stiffness.

However, not everyone with asthma has the same general symptoms of an asthma attack. You may feel different symptoms at different times. Along with this, the symptoms may be more or less severe in the second attack than in the first attack.

Symptoms of Asthma

The symptoms of asthma are found to be different from person to person. You can have an asthma attack several times, but its symptoms appear only at certain times. Like when exercising or all the time.

Asthma Common symptoms of asthma include:

• Cough especially at night and in the morning.
• Sound while breathing.
• Difficulty in breathing
• Chest tightness.
• Sleeplessness due to cough and tightness.

Types of Asthma

The symptoms of asthma generally depend on the type of asthma. Asthma There are many different types of asthma. The most common of these is bronchial asthma which affects the bronchi of the lungs.

Other main types of asthma include asthma in children and asthma in adults. Asthma symptoms in adults begin to appear after the age of 20.

So let us now know about other types of asthmatic asthma, on the basis of which the symptoms of the person can be identified –

Allergic Asthma – Allergies to animals, food, mold, pollen, and dust
Nonallergic Asthma – Fire, smoke, air pollution, perfumes, air fresheners and cold air
Occupational Asthma – exposure to dust, rubber latex, animal protein, gas, and industrial chemicals
Exercise-induced broncho constriction – asthma that occurs during or shortly after exercise
Aspirin-induced asthma – caused by aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Nocturnal asthma – caused by dust mites, pets, or heartburn
Dry cough asthma – this condition also includes shortness of breath or chills.

When should I see a doctor?

In an emergency situation, you may see the following signs and symptoms –

• increasing difficulty in breathing
• No improvement in condition even after using an inhaler
• Shortness of breath during normal or moderately tiring physical activities
• Severe asthma attacks can be fatal. If you see any of the above-mentioned symptoms, then immediately consult a doctor because the older the disease, the more the pain will increase.

Cause of Asthma

To date, the exact cause of asthma is not known. Scientists also fail to confirm why some people develop asthma and others do not.

There is no one exact reason for this. However, there are some triggers that can cause asthma. It is usually genetic and depend on the environment around the person –

• Dust, animal fur, cockroaches, mold and pollen from trees, grass and flowers
• Cigarette smoke, dust, mud, spray (such as hairspray)
• Medicines such as aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and nonselective beta-blockers
• cold breeze
• Sulfates in foods and drinks
• stress
• Viral infection like cold
• Exercise

Asthma attacks can be triggered by exposure to allergens, such as trees, grass or weeds, dust mites, cockroaches or animal dander. Other common triggers are those found in the air, such as smoke and chemical fumes. Strong odors such as perfumes.

Certain illnesses – particularly the flu, sinusitis or even a respiratory infection – can also trigger an asthma attack, as can intense exercise, extreme weather, and emotions that alter normal breathing patterns.

Things that can increase the chances of Asthma?

Asthma Asthma affects people of all ages, but the risk of asthma increases in childhood.

Asthma These are some common causes of asthma;

Family history: If someone in your family has asthma, you are 6 times more likely to have it than other people.
Viral respiratory infections: Respiratory problems during infancy and childhood can cause wheezing. Some children who experience a viral respiratory infection may fall prey to it later.
Allergies: Having allergies such as eczema or allergic rhinitis.
Smoking: It is more likely to happen in smokers. The possibility of developing asthma in a baby whose parents smoked during pregnancy cannot be avoided.
Obesity: Obese people are more likely to develop asthma. However, the reason why this happens is still not clear.

Triggers in children

Certain triggers particularly affect children with asthma and can make lung inflammation worse. The common cold is one of the most common triggers for asthma attacks in very young children. Others include:

• smoke
• Exposure to allergens (such as animal scents and dander, dust mites)
• Strong fragrance (perfume or other scent)
• change in weather; cold breeze
• run or play more
• cry or laugh

If your child has asthma, an allergist will help you discover triggers that bring on symptoms or make them worse. The first step to control symptoms is to wean your child away from things that cause cough and phlegm.

How can Asthma be diagnosed?

It is detected by looking at the patient’s medical history or by breathing test. This shows how well the lungs are functioning. Your doctor can find out whether you have asthma or not by listening to your heartbeat and looking at some other symptoms.

The doctor may do some tests some of which are as follows;

Spirometry: This test is used to find out how fast and how you breathe.
Bronchoprovocation test: This test is used to find out how sensitive the airway is.
A test is done to know if you have any other disease like asthma.
A chest X-ray or an EKG (electrocardiogram): This test is done to see if a foreign factor is causing your asthma.

Asthma Doctor in Jaipur

If you are looking for the best treatment and best doctor near you, come to Jaipur and make an appointment with Dr. Pankaj Gulati.

He is one of the best Pulmonologist in Jaipur. You can go to them and get treatment. The best part is that he has been in this field for a very long time and has been treating patients suffering from such respiratory problems.

You can simply discuss everything with him so that you can get an idea of ​​how to start the treatment to get rid of the condition you are going through.