Info about Asthma
Asthma: Definition and its Symptoms
Asthma is a respiratory disorder in which there occurs reversible airway obstruction due to airway hyper-sensitivity and is characterized by cough, breathing difficulty, tightness in chest and presence of a sound like a whistle while breathing. This is triggered by various reasons which will lead to acute obstruction of the airway.
What are the causes of Asthma?
• Well, practically the causes of asthma are not really distinguished yet due to the combination factors which are the environmental and genetic factors. Most theories tell that asthma is:
• Asthma in early childhood is caused by decreased infections in early life which prevent the formation of proper immunity and would lead to developing the airway hyper-sensitivity.
• Warm, humid, centrally heated homes favor multiplication of house dust mites and this may contribute to childhood asthma. Having a pet at home may also lead to development of asthma.
• Deficiency of dietary components like Vitamin A, C, E, milk fat, and selenium may lead to development of asthma. Obesity may also act as a factor in it's development.
What happens in asthma?
When an allergen is inhaled two responses occur in airway track. First one occurs immediately leading to obstruction of the track. This allergen rapidly interacts with mucosal mast cells by an IgE-dependent mechanism, resulting in the release of mediators such as histamine and the cysteinyl leukotrienes with resulting constriction of the track. This is followed by a late response in which inflammation occurs in the track. This late response occurs about 5-6 hours later to the initial attack.
With the progression of the disease, remodeling of the airway occurs, leading to fibrosis of the airway wall, fixed narrowing of the airway and a reduced response to airway dilator medication.
What are the symptoms?
• Difficulty in breathing
• Chest tightness
• Whistling sound on breathing
• Cough
Kind of Asthma
• asthma that is triggered by allergy ---this condition is basically triggered by an allergen. Some of the allergens are usually from a pet or dust, even food and some environmental relations to allergen.
• asthma due to age---adult people are mostly the one who are affected by this condition since when human gets older, his or her immune system will get weak that will result to malfunctioning. There are also many people who are suffering from asthma since childhood until they become adult. While some people suffers asthma when they developed with through the environment.
• asthma since childhood---This condition is actually common for those who have asthma. Asthma started since when they are still a child and only triggered by some causes of asthma.
• asthma which is seasonal--- this type of asthma will happen specifically on a season, which allergens are widespread or dominating. Some asthma conditions are triggered by some flower pollen or due to smoke, asthma can also be triggered during dry season.
• asthma due to what occupation you have---this condition is brought by the environment you are working or by what you are inhaling everyday.
Usually these symptoms are worst in the early morning but sometimes in poorly controlled asthma, the symptoms tend to wake the person up from sleep at night making it all worse. Sometimes cough is the only symptom of asthma. Occupational asthma is now the most common form of occupational respiratory disorder.