What is asthma?
Asthma is a disease relating to your lungs. It is normally a result of inflammation in the airways.
What happens when a person normally breathes is that air enters their body through the nose and then reaches lungs after going through mouth, throat and several airways. A person suffering from asthma has swelling and tightening in the airways and muscles around them, which makes passage of air difficult and eventually causes trouble in breathing.
Even though asthma is a very serious disease, with constant treatment people suffering from it do live well.
What are the types of asthma?
Following are some common types of asthma:
- Childhood asthma
- Adult onset asthma
- Exercise induced asthma
- Allergic asthma
- Non-allergic asthma
- Occupational asthma
- Nocturnal asthma
- Eosinophilic asthma
- Aspirin-induced asthma
What are the symptoms of asthma?
Some common symptoms of asthma are:
- Wheezing (a whistling or squealing sound when you breathe
- A feeling of pressure and tightness in the chest
- Shortness of breath
- Troubled sleep due to breathing problems
- Coughing especially at night or morning or while doing exercising
- Difficulty in talking
- Fatigue and anxiousness
People suffering from asthma may not have all of the above mentioned symptoms. It is because symptoms vary from the type of asthma the person is suffering from. But if you yourself or someone you know is suffering from even a few of the above mentioned symptoms then schedule an appointment with the Best Pulmonologist in Karachi to get yourself checked.
And if you are an asthma patient and you notice symptoms like blue lips and nails, pale face or fast paced breathing, trouble in talking and any other unusual symptoms that don’t normalise even after you take medication then seek immediate medical help.
What are some common triggers for asthma?
Following are some causes or triggers for asthma:
- Allergens like pollen, pet dander and mold
- Common infections like flu or sinusitis
- Polluted air
- Strong odors or smells
- Vigorous exercise
- Smoking or passive smoking
- Changes in weather conditions
- Stress or anxiety
- Reflux disease
- Preservatives in the food
How can asthma be diagnosed?
If you think that you may have asthma see a pulmonologist. They will start the diagnosis by asking you about your symptoms, medical history and then they will examine you.
Some diagnostic procedures or tests that they may recommend to diagnose asthma are:
- Chest X-ray
- Allergy tests
- CT scans
- Sputum eosinophils
- Spirometry
- Methacholine challenge
- Peak flow
- Exhaled nitric oxide test
How can asthma be treated?
The treatment that your doctor will determine for you depends on the type of asthma you are suffering from and its causes or triggering factors.
However common treatment options for Asthma are:
- Breathing exercises:
Your pulmonologist will recommend you to get assisted by a physical trainer. Your trainer will help you in practising exercises to get more and more air in and out of your lungs. In the long run these breathing exercises will stretch your lung’s capacity and reduce severe symptoms of asthma.
- Quick-acting treatments:
Quick acting treatments (bronchodilators) provide an instant relief to asthma patients by relaxing their tightened muscles around the airways.
Bronchodilators are available in the form of inhalers as well as nebulisers and patients are supposed to use them as soon as they start having an asthma attack.
- Long-term countering medications:
Pulmonologists also prescribe long acting asthma countering medications to reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. These medications are available as: anticholinergics, antiinflammatories, and biologics.
Bottom Line:
If you suspect that you may have asthma and are clueless about the availability of doctors who may help you in this regard. Log on to oladoc.com and schedule an appointment with the best pulmonologist in your town now.