Treatment FAQ

what is asthma what are the causes symptoms and treatment

by Torrey Hansen Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Asthma is a lung disease caused by inflammation (swelling) that leads to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. Who has asthma? Many people with asthma also have a family history of allergies, such as hay fever or pet allergies. It's a common ailment and a reason for a doctor visit.Nov 3, 2021

What is asthma its causes symptoms and treatment?

Chest tightness or pain. Wheezing when exhaling, which is a common sign of asthma in children. Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing. Coughing or wheezing attacks that are worsened by a respiratory virus, such as a cold or the flu.Mar 5, 2022

What is the best treatment for asthma?

There are two main types of medications used to treat asthma:Long-term control medications such as inhaled corticosteroids are the most important medications used to keep asthma under control. ... Quick-relief inhalers contain a fast-acting medication such as albuterol.

What are the main causes of asthma?

Common Triggers Outdoor allergens, such as pollens from grass, trees and weeds. Indoor allergens, such as pet dander, dust mites, cockroaches and mold. Irritants in the air, such as smoke, chemical fumes and strong odors. Exercise (although people with well-controlled asthma can exercise)

What are 5 causes of asthma?

Sinus infections, allergies, pollen, breathing in some chemicals, and acid reflux can also trigger attacks. Physical exercise; some medicines; bad weather, such as thunderstorms or high humidity; breathing in cold, dry air; and some foods, food additives, and fragrances can also trigger an asthma attack.Aug 21, 2020

What are 5 treatments for asthma?

Types of long-term control medications include:Inhaled corticosteroids. These are the most common long-term control medications for asthma. ... Leukotriene modifiers. These include montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate) and zileuton (Zyflo). ... Combination inhalers. ... Theophylline. ... Biologics.

What are 4 treatments for asthma?

Types of asthma medicationsInhaled corticosteroids.Leukotriene modifiers.Long-acting beta agonists (LABAs)Theophylline.Combination inhalers that contain both a corticosteroid and a LABA.

Can asthma be cured?

Asthma cannot be cured completely, no, but it can be controlled to the point that the symptoms become negligible. As a chronic and lasting condition, asthma is not curable. It is highly treatable, though, so long as a patient has professional support.

Is asthma a virus?

Summary. Asthma is a chronic lung disease that can get worse when you're sick with a virus. This is known as viral-induced asthma. Viruses that might exacerbate asthma symptoms include the common cold, the flu, and COVID-19.Nov 11, 2021

What are the 3 types of asthma?

Common asthma types include: Allergic asthma. Non-allergic asthma. Cough-variant asthma.Apr 7, 2022

How is asthma treated in adults?

Treatment of asthma in adultsAnti-inflammatories – inhaled corticosteroids are taken daily to prevent asthma symptoms by reducing airway sensitivity and inflammation. ... Bronchodilators – inhaled short-acting and long-acting bronchodilators are taken occasionally to relieve symptoms.More items...•Mar 24, 2021

What foods can trigger asthma?

Foods Can Affect AsthmaDried fruits and vegetables.Packaged potatoes.Wine and beer.Bottled lime and lemon juice.Shrimp.Pickled foods.

What can make asthma worse?

Your asthma can flare up for different reasons. If you're allergic to dust mites, pollens or molds, they can make your asthma symptoms get worse. Cold air, exercise, fumes from chemicals or perfume, tobacco or wood smoke, and weather changes can also make asthma symptoms worse. So can common colds and sinus infections.Jul 1, 1998

What is asthma attack?

Image Credit: A.D.A.M. An asthma attack is exactly that - the muscles around the airways and the lining of the air passages quickly tighten and restrict breathing. Swelling reduces the amount of air that can pass through the airways and leads to a high-pitched, wheezing sound.

What are the triggers of asthma?

Triggers might include: pet dander. dust mites. cockroach allergens. molds, or pollens.

Why do people use asthma inhalers?

Daily asthma treatment helps to prevent symptoms, and asthma inhalers are the preferred method because the drug can be delivered directly into the lungs in smaller doses with less side effects.

How old do you have to be to use a spacer?

Children, especially those under 5 years of age, may need to use a spacer device or nebulizer to help with the process of breathing in their asthma medication. The technique of using a metered-dose inhaler can be hard for small children to master.

How does peak flow help asthma?

Your peak flow number can help you predict times when your asthma may worsen; the numbers may decrease a few hours or days before an asthma attack. Your healthcare provider can show you how to use a peak flow meter and you can read about it here.

What is the best medicine for asthma?

When needed, acute asthma symptoms are often treated with a fast-acting bronchodilator inhaler such as albuterol.

What is the best bronchodilator for asthma?

A long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) bronchodilator and corticosteroid combination, such as Advair ( fluticasone and salmeterol ), may be needed in more severe asthma. Bronchodilators help your breathing by relaxing the smooth muscle around the lung airways.

What are the symptoms of asthma?

All of these things -- bronchospasm, inflammation, and mucus production -- cause symptoms such as trouble breathing, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and trouble with normal daily activities. Other symptoms of an asthma attack include: Severe wheezing when breathing both in and out. Coughing that won't stop.

What are the triggers of asthma?

They might cause symptoms or make them worse. Common asthma triggers include: Infections like sinusitis, colds, and the flu. Allergens such as pollens, mold, pet dander, and dust mites.

Why is it so hard to breathe?

It causes your airways to get inflamed and narrow, and it makes it hard to breathe. Severe asthma can cause trouble talking or being active. You might hear your doctor call it a chronic respiratory disease. Some people refer to asthma as " bronchial asthma .".

How many people in the US have asthma?

Asthma is a serious disease that affects about 25 million Americans and causes nearly 1.6 million emergency room visits every year. With treatment, you can live well. Without it, you might have to go to the ER often or stay at the hospital, which can affect your daily life.

How do you know if you have asthma?

People with asthma have symptoms when the airways tighten, inflame, or fill with mucus. There are three major signs of asthma: Airway blockage. When you breathe as usual, the bands of muscle around your airways are relaxed, and air moves freely. But when you have asthma, the muscles tighten.

Does asthma get worse at night?

Your asthma symptoms get worse at night. Aspirin -induced asthma. You have asthma symptoms when you take aspirin, along with a runny nose, sneezing, sinus pressure, and a cough. Cough-variant asthma. Unlike with other types, the only symptom of this kind of asthma is a long-term cough. Asthma Causes and Triggers.

What are the preservatives in food?

Food preservatives called sulfites, found in things like shrimp, pickles, beer and wine, dried fruits, and bottled lemon and lime juices. Asthma Risk Factors. Things that might make you more likely to have asthma include: Things in the world around you before you’re born or while you’re growing up.

What are the causes of asthma?

Common asthma triggers include: tobacco smoke, dust mites, air pollution, pollen, mold, respiratory infections, physical activity, cold air and allergic reactions to some foods.

What are the symptoms of asthma?

Symptoms of an asthma attack include: coughing, chest tightness, wheezing and trouble breathing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some people have mild asthma symptoms, ...

Why do people get asthma?

This may happen because as people grow up, their lungs become larger and more open, he said, and people experience hormone changes that may also affect asthma risk. On the other hand, people who develop asthma as an adult tend to have the condition for life, he said.

What is asthma in the lungs?

(Image credit: Vupulepe/Shutterstock.com) Asthma is a chronic condition in which the airways that carry air to the lungs are inflamed and narrowed. Inflamed airways are very sensitive, and they tend to react to things in the environment called triggers, such as substances that are inhaled.

How to manage asthma?

Managing asthma usually involves avoiding asthma triggers, and taking medications to prevent or treat symptoms. The goal of asthma therapy is for the patient to be symptom-free, Beuther said.

When does asthma start in children?

Most children with asthma develop it before age 5, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). In children, asthma can appear as wheezing or whistling sound when breathing, coughing, rapid or labored breathing, complaints of chest pain and feeling weak or tired, the academy says.

How to prevent asthma symptoms?

Long-term medications are typically taken daily to help prevent asthma symptoms from starting in the first place. A common medication is inhaled corticosteroids, which reduce airway inflammation and make airways less sensitive. Other long-term medications include omalizumab, a shot given one or two times a month to prevent ...

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