6 Truths About Asthma That Will Help You Understand The Disease Better
6 Truths About Asthma
Asthma is a relatively popular disease, however, very misunderstood. It is a disease that affects the respiratory system and causes many symptoms like cough, difficulty breathing and in extreme cases respiratory failure and death.
The purpose of this article is to help you understand this disease better, so, we will be looking through 6 important truths that will give you a more detailed knowledge about it.
Before we start explaining, let’s define what asthma is.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a long-term or chronic disease affecting the respiratory system that leads to inflammation, excess mucus production and narrowing of the airway.
To explain this in simpler terms, asthma is a disease that makes the airway swell and narrower, hence, less room for air in the respiratory system. As a result, the person has a hard time breathing. It is also called a hypersensitivity reaction because it is basically the immune system overreacting to some agents like dust, pollens and odours.
Here are 6 truths you need to know about this common disease:
1. It can affect both children and adults
If you thought asthma was a disease that affects young children, you’re very wrong. Asthma can affect people of any age, sex or race. Even though it starts in childhood and persists through life, some people get fewer attacks and have fewer symptoms as they grow older.
On the other hand, some adults who never experienced asthma symptoms as children, develop what we call ‘adult-onset asthma’. I have personally seen people who developed this but were in total shock because they believed that once you didn’t have asthma as a child, you can’t develop it in adulthood. That idea is very much a myth and should be discarded.
2. It can be familial
Asthma can be inherited genetically. If your parents or grandparents are or were asthmatic, there’s an increased likelihood that it can affect you too. Many children who have asthma have one or both parents with the disease.
Now, this does not happen in all cases. Sometimes, people who have asthma don’t have any family member with the disease, so, don’t be surprised if you find someone with no family history of asthma developing its signs and symptoms.
I know you’re thinking, is there any way to predict if a child will get asthma from his or her parents? Well, unfortunately, no, science has not yet been able to tell. We can only say that there is an increased risk but can’t say for sure who will get it or who won’t.
3. It is really the immune system overreacting
Have you wondered why people get asthma? If you did, you aren’t alone, even science does not completely understand why exactly or what causes asthma.
What science understands is how it happens. Let me try to explain. When an asthmatic person comes in contact with a trigger (like dust, smoke, irritants and strong smells), their immune system sees these triggers as aggressors and develops a reaction against them. The immune system secretes chemicals that cause inflammation, narrowing of the air pipes and the secretion of mucus, leading to a reduction in the flow of air into and out of the lungs. This overreaction is what causes the symptoms of asthma.
4. It often produces a characteristic sound called a ‘wheeze’
The term ‘wheeze’ is often mentioned whenever asthma is discussed because it is a very common sound made during asthmatic attacks.
When a person who’s having an attack tries to breathe through a narrowed airway, the result is a high pitched sound called a ‘wheeze’. It sounds like a whistle.
Wheezing is not the only sign and symptom of asthma. Others are:
- Breathlessness
- Cough
- Fast breathing
- Chest tightness
With asthma, early treatment can make a difference. This is why people must know the early symptoms and signs and get treated or seek help on time.
5. It can be well managed
Asthma can be well managed nowadays. In fact, it can be so well managed that asthmatics can lead a normal life and not have to avoid exercise.
Every asthmatic patient needs to have a custom asthma action plan developed by a doctor. (You can ask your doctor for one if you are asthmatic and don’t have one). The goal of the plan is to minimize the occurrence of asthma attacks.
Common medications used to treat asthma are bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids-- they are often packaged in metered doses and delivered via an inhaler.
If an asthma episode isn’t relieved by these, a visit to the doctor is compulsory where the doctor can easily diagnose asthma from a relevant history and physical examination.
When a doctor listens to the chest using a stethoscope, a high pitched sound called a ‘rhonchi’ is usually heard. Bronchodilators are then given by means of a nebulizer and the patient should get some relief.
In some very serious cases, asthma attacks require hospital admission, oxygen therapy or even ICU admission (although this is quite rare).
6. There is no cure for asthma
Asthma is very treatable but has no cure. There is no medication currently available that once taken, will stop asthma for the rest of an asthmatic person’s life.
However, it is important to know that some people have less frequent attacks as they grow older, their symptoms sometimes completely disappear. Children with very severe asthma are less likely to outgrow it than those with a milder form.
Author Profile:
Dr. Charles-Davies is a medical doctor who is passionate about sharing relevant and accurate health information.
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