Asthma is a frequent long-term
inflammatory disease of the small airways inside the lungs. It is characterized
by recurring signs, reversible obstruction of airway flow and bronchospasm, causing
the appearance of wheezing, chest tightness, coughing, and breath
shortness.
The frequency of these episodes is variable depending on how much the body
is exposed to trigger factors and the quality of disease control, these
episodes may occur a few times a day or a few times per month.
Here are the top 8 things you must know about this common respiratory
disease that concerns more than 24 million people in the U.S. only and more
than 334 million people in the whole world:
Asthma is a brusque killer
Even if it seems banal to the majority of people, each day 11 people die
from it in the U.S. and hundreds do around the world, thus asthma should not be
underestimated, a medical supervision is necessary to ensure the adequate
therapeutic measures.
Asthma has no age
It can occur at any age and last a lifetime. Asthma can also be occasional
– triggered by cigarette smoke, exercise, allergies, or pregnancy.
Symptoms may become more sever with age due to pulmonary remodeling and
association with other age-related diseases, but always keep in mind that
asthma has no specific age to appear.
Asthma is a CHRONIC disease
It is true that the immune system modifies itself throughout the lifetime,
and the asthma will, too. Signs may mitigate and go into remission, but the
hazard of lung inflammation remains and often reappears in middle age,
especially as a response to hormonal modifications.
The majority of asthma cases are
not as well controlled as they think
If you utilize your quick-relief bronchodilator inhaler more than twice a
week, wake up with asthma signs more than two times a month or replenish your
bronchodilator more than two times a year, your asthma is not under control as
you may think, talk to your doctor about adapting the treatment plan to your
case.
Asthma medications are not
addictive or destructive
The corticosteroids used as background treatment are not the same as
damaging anabolic steroids, moreover, these corticosteroids -used via the inhaling
way- stay in the lungs with an insignificant passage to blood mainstream, thus
the side effects of corticosteroid log-term usage do not take place.
Asthma and exercise are not
enemies as people think!
An asthmatic may need to premedicate before exercising and spend more time
warming up and cooling down, in order to avoid a sudden immune reaction, which
may trigger an asthma crisis. But reinforcing your respiratory and
cardiovascular systems is an advantageous option to supplant asthma and ameliorate
your pulmonary capacity.
Asthma and allergies may be seen
as “two faces of the same coin”
Exposure to allergens (thinks that trigger allergy) – such as pollen, pet
dander, cigarette smoke and dust mites – induces lung inflammation and
generates coughing and wheezing. So the control of allergens through avoidance,
medication or immunotherapy becomes crucial to control asthma.
Asthma is a common disease, but
to each his own
Each person's asthma is specific and will respond to allergens and treatments
specifically. Don’t feel ashamed to discuss with your doctor about your
condition, talk with him about your symptoms and medications, how effective you
feel they are and if he should consider different treatments.
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