Asthma Management and it's types causes symptoms

Asthma Management and it's types causes and treatment?

 The four essential components of asthma management are patient education, control of asthma triggers, monitoring for changes in symptoms or lung function, and pharmacologic therapy. This overview topic presents the goals and components of asthma management. It is applicable to both children and adults.

How asthma is classified. 

To classify your asthma severity, your doctor will consider how often you have signs and symptoms and how severe they are. Your doctor will also consider the results of your physical exam and diagnostic tests.

Determining your asthma severity helps your doctor choose the best treatment. Asthma severity often changes over time, requiring treatment adjustments.

Asthma is classified into four general categories:

Asthma classification Signs and symptoms

Mild intermittent Mild symptoms up to two days a week and up to two nights a month

Mild persistent Symptoms more than twice a week, but no more than once in a single day

Moderate persistent Symptoms once a day and more than one night a week

Severe persistent Symptoms throughout the day on most days and frequently at night time. 

Signs of an asthma attack

An asthma attack may be minor, but it can become dangerous very quickly.

During an attack, the airways narrow due to swelling and inflammation, and the muscles around them tighten.

The body also produces extra mucus, restricting the air passing through the bronchial tubes, which makes it very difficult to breathe properly.

Signs of an asthma attack include:

coughing that won’t stop

wheezing when breathing out

shortness of breath

very rapid breathing

pale, sweaty face

Treating symptoms quickly may help prevent an asthma attack from getting worse. If symptoms don’t improve, seek emergency medical help.

Causes. 

Asthma often develops from the immune system responding to an allergen in the environment. Reactions may vary between different people, possibly due to genetics.

Symptoms can flare up in an asthma attack. Common asthma triggers include:

animal fur

dust

mold

pollen

smoke, including tobacco smoke

air pollution

cold air

emotions, like stress, that can cause hyperventilation

having the flu or a cold

physical exercise

If you don’t regularly manage your asthma, such as with preventive medications, you may also be more likely to have an asthma attack.

Treatment .

There's currently no cure for asthma, but treatment can help control the symptoms so you're able to live a normal, active life.

Inhalers, which are devices that let you breathe in medicine, are the main treatment. Tablets and other treatments may also be needed if your asthma is severe.

You'll usually create a personal action plan with a doctor or asthma nurse.

This includes information about your medicines, how to monitor your condition and what to do if you have an asthma attack.

Inhalers

Inhalers can help:There are different kinds of inhaler.

Reliever inhalers

Most people with asthma will be given a reliever inhaler. These are usually blue.

You use a reliever inhaler to treat your symptoms when they occur. They should relieve your symptoms within a few minutes.

Tell a GP or asthma nurse if you have to use your reliever inhaler 3 or more times a week. They may suggest additional treatment, such as a preventer inhaler.

Reliever inhalers have few side effects, but they can sometimes cause shaking or a fast heartbeat for a few minutes after they're used.

Preventer inhalers. 

If you need to use a reliever inhaler often, you may also need a preventer inhaler.

You use a preventer inhaler every day to reduce the inflammation and sensitivity of your airways, which stops your symptoms occurring. It's important to use it even when you do not have symptoms.

Speak to a GP or asthma nurse if you continue to have symptoms while using a preventer inhaler.

Preventer inhalers contain steroid medicine.

They do not usually have side effects, but can sometimes cause:

a fungal infection of the mouth or throat (oral thrush)

a hoarse voice

a sore throat

You can help prevent these side effects by using a spacer, which is a hollow plastic tube you attach to your inhaler, as well as by rinsing your mouth after using your inhaler.

Combination inhalers. 

If using reliever and preventer inhalers does not control your asthma, you may need an inhaler that combines both.

Combination inhalers are used every day to help stop symptoms occurring and provide long-lasting relief if they do occur.

It's important to use it regularly, even if you do not have symptoms.

Side effects of combination inhalers are similar to those of reliever and preventer inhalers.

Signs of an asthma attack. 

An asthma attack may be minor, but it can become dangerous very quickly.

During an attack, the airways narrow due to swelling and inflammation, and the muscles around them tighten.

The body also produces extra mucus, restricting the air passing through the bronchial tubes, which makes it very difficult to breathe properly.

Signs of an asthma attack include:

coughing that won’t stop

wheezing when breathing out

shortness of breath

very rapid breathing

pale, sweaty face

Treating symptoms quickly may help prevent an asthma attack from getting worse. If symptoms don’t improve, seek emergency medical help.

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TAKING THE NEXT STEP WITH SEVERE ASTHMA

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Asthma: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

Medically reviewed by Meredith Goodwin, MD, FAAFP — By Kimberly Holland and Laura Goldman — Updated on October 27, 2021

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis and types

Treatment

Exacerbations

Prevention

When to see a doctor

Takeaway

What is asthma?

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways to the lungs. It makes breathing difficult and can make some physical activities challenging or even impossible.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 25 million AmericansTrusted Source have asthma. It’s the most common chronic condition among American children: 1 child out of every 12Trusted Source has asthma.

To understand asthma, it’s necessary to understand a little about what happens when you breathe. Normally, with every breath you take, air goes through your nose or mouth, down into your throat, and into your airways, eventually making it to your lungs.

There are lots of small air passages in your lungs that help deliver oxygen from the air into your bloodstream.

Asthma symptoms occur when the lining of your airways swells and the muscles around them tighten. Mucus then fills the airways, further reducing the amount of air that can pass through.

These conditions can then bring on an asthma “attack,” which is the coughing and tightness in the chest that’s typical of asthma.

Symptoms

The most common symptom of asthma is wheezing. This is a squealing or whistling sound that occurs when you breathe.

Other asthma symptoms may include:

coughing, especially at night, when laughing, or during exercise

tightness in the chest

shortness of breath

difficulty talking

anxiousness or panic

fatigue

chest pain

rapid breathing

frequent infections

trouble sleeping

The type of asthma that you have can determine which symptoms you experience.

Some people experience symptoms consistently throughout the day. Others may find that certain activities can make symptoms worse.

Not everyone with asthma will experience these particular symptoms. If you think the symptoms you’re experiencing could be a sign of a condition such as asthma, make an appointment to see your doctor.

Also, keep in mind that even if your asthma is well-managed, you may still occasionally experience a flare-up of symptoms. Flare-ups often improve with the use of quick-acting treatments, like an inhaler, but may require medical attention in severe cases.

Signs of an asthma flare-up may include:

coughing

wheezing

throat clearing

difficulty sleeping

chest pain or tightness

fatigue

If your symptoms worsen or don’t improve with the use of an inhaler, you should seek immediate medical treatment.

You should also seek treatment if you experience symptoms of an asthma emergency, including:

severe breathing difficulty

gasping for air

confusion

pale lips or fingernails

dizziness

difficulty walking or talking

blue lips or fingernails

Call 911

If you or someone around you experiences symptoms of an asthma emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number, or go to the nearest emergency department.

Causes and triggers

Although asthma is especially common in children, many people don’t develop asthma until they are adults.

No single cause has been identifiedTrusted Source for asthma. Instead, researchers believe it’s caused by a variety of factors. These factors include:

Genetics. If a parent or sibling has asthma, you’re more likely to develop it.

History of viral infections. People with a history of severe viral infections during childhood, such as respiratory syncytial virus infection (RSV), may be more likely to develop the condition.

Hygiene hypothesis. This theory explains that when babies aren’t exposed to enough bacteria in their early months and years, their immune systems don’t become strong enough to fight off asthma and other allergic conditions.

Many factors can also trigger asthma and cause symptoms to worsen. Triggers for asthma can vary and some people may be more sensitive to certain triggers than others.

The most common triggers include:

health conditions, such as respiratory infections

exercise

environmental irritants

allergens

intense emotions

extreme weather conditions

pests

certain medications, including aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

Diagnosis and types

There’s no single test or exam that will determine if you or your child has asthma. Instead, your doctor will use a variety of criteria to determine if the symptoms are the result of asthma.

The following can help diagnoseTrusted Source asthma:

Health history. If you have family members with the breathing disorder, your risk is higher. Alert your doctor to this genetic connection.

Physical exam. Your doctor will listen to your breathing with a stethoscope. You may also be given a skin test to look for signs of an allergic reaction, such as hives or eczema. Allergies increase your risk for asthma.

Breathing tests. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) measure airflow into and out of your lungs. For the most common test, spirometry, you blow into a device that measures the speed of the air.

Doctors don’t typically perform breathing tests in children under 5 years of age because it’s difficult to get an accurate reading.

Instead, they may prescribe asthma medications to your child and wait to see if symptoms improve. If they do, your child likely has asthma.

For adults, your doctor may prescribe a bronchodilator or other asthma medication if test results indicate asthma. If symptoms improve with the use of this medication, your doctor will continue to treat your condition as asthma.

Your doctor will also need to determine the type of asthma you have. The most common type is allergic asthma, representing 60 percentTrusted Source of all cases of asthma.

Additional types of asthma are related to a person’s stage in life. Though asthma can appear at any age, pediatric asthma specifically affects children and adult-onset asthma doesn’t appear until adulthood.

Other specific types of asthma are described below.

Allergic asthma

Allergens trigger this common type of asthma. These might include:

pet dander from animals like cats and dogs

food

mold

pollen

dust

Allergic asthma is often seasonal because it goes hand-in-hand with seasonal allergies.

Non-allergic asthma

Irritants in the air not related to allergies trigger this type of asthma. These irritants might include:

burning wood

cigarette smoke

cold air

air pollution

viral illnesses

air fresheners

household cleaning products

perfumes

Occupational asthma

Occupational asthma is a type of asthma induced by triggers in the workplace. These include:

dust

dyes

gases and fumes

industrial chemicals

animal proteins

rubber latex

These irritants can exist in a wide range of industries, including:

farming

textiles

woodworking

manufacturing

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB)

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) usually affects people within a few minutes of starting exercise and up to 10 to 15 minutes after physical activity.

This condition was previously known as exercise-induced asthma (EIA).

Up to 90 percent of people with asthma also experience EIB, but not everyone with EIB will have other types of asthma.

Aspirin-induced asthma

Aspirin-induced asthma (AIA), also called aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), is usually severe.

It’s triggered by taking aspirin or another NSAID, such as naproxen (Aleve) or ibuprofen (Advil).

The symptoms may begin within minutes or hours. People with AIA also typically have nasal polyps.

About 9 percent of people with asthma have AIA. It usually develops suddenly in adults between the ages of 20 and 50.

Nocturnal asthma

In this type of asthma, symptoms worsen at night.

Triggers that are thought to bring on symptoms at night include:

heartburn

pet dander

dust mites

The body’s natural sleep cycle may also trigger nocturnal asthma.

Cough-variant asthma (CVA)

Cough-variant asthma (CVA) doesn’t have classic asthma symptoms of wheezing and shortness of breath. It’s characterized by a persistent, dry cough.

If it’s not treated, CVA can lead to full-blown asthma flares that include the other more common symptoms.

Additional types of asthma are related to a person’s stage in life. Though asthma can appear at any age, pediatric asthma specifically affects children and adult-onset asthma doesn’t appear until adulthood.

Keywords

Asthma cause

Asthma treatment

Asthma symptoms

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