Asthma is a medical condition that causes narrowing of airways in the lungs. The bronchial tubes become thin and the muscles of the walls of the bronchial tube tighten. The airways produce extra mucus which blocks the passage of airways. The symptoms of asthma could a minor wheezing to life-threatening asthma attacks.

Once you have fallen prey for asthma it cannot be cured, but its symptoms can controlled. You may have to take long-term medication and short-term rescue medications for emergency situations. As asthma changes with people over time you may have to work closely with your doctor to track signs and symptoms and adjust the medication accordingly.

Symptoms

An asthma symptom varies from person to person. Some may have minor irregular wheezing in their breath and occasional attack and some may have symptoms like coughing and air wheezing most of the time primarily during exercises and at nights.
The other signs and symptoms of asthma include:

• Shortness of breath
• Pain in the chest and tightness
• Sleeping problems caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing
• Whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling and coughing or wheezing, attacks that are worsened by a respiratory virus such as a cold or the flu.

The signs of getting worse asthma include

• An increase in the severity and frequency of signs and symptoms of asthma.
• A fall in peak flow rates as measured by a peak flow meter. It’s a simple device used to check how well your lungs are working.
• An increased need to use bronchodilators. It’s a type of medication that open up airways by relaxing the surrounding muscles.

Pay constant visits to your doctor and learn when you need to increase the medications or treat the symptoms of worsening the asthma. If the asthma keeps getting worse then the patient might need to get admitted in the emergency room. Your doctor will keep you updated about the emergency signs and symptoms so you will know when to get help.

Causes

It is not known as to why asthma occurs in some people and not in others, may be it’s due to the environmental and genetic conditions.

Asthma triggers different from person to person. It could be possibly because of various allergens and irritants which includes

• Allergies in the air, such as pollen, animal dander, mold, cockroaches and dust mites.
• Respiratory infections, such as the common cold, flu and cold air.
• Physical activity like exercises
• Air pollutants and irritants such as smoke
• Certain medications, including beta blockers, aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Strong emotions and stress
• Sulfites, preservatives added to some perishable foods
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which stomach acids back up into your throat
• Menstrual cycle in some women
• Allergic reactions to foods such as peanuts or shellfish

Risk factor

Asthma is becoming a common disease among adults as well as children. The number of people getting diagnosed with the disease is increasing day by day. The main reason is not yet identified but there are certain factors which contribute to the disease.

• Family history of asthma
• Low birth weight
• Frequent respiratory infections as a child
• Exposure to secondhand smoke
• Living in an urban area, especially if there's a lot of air pollution
• Exposure to occupational triggers, such as chemicals used in farming, hairdressing and manufacturing
• Being overweight

Three main reasons may lead you to consult a doctor. They are:

1. If you have frequent cough which might last for more than few days or any other symptoms of asthma then see a doctor. Treating the disease at an early stage, especially in the case of kids will prevent from causing damage to the lungs.
2. When you have discovered that you have asthma then work with your doctor and keep the asthma under control to prevent any severe or life threatening attacks in future. Monitor your asthma after diagnosis.
3. If you feel that the asthma is getting worse then contact your doctor immediately. It might be a case where asthma changes over time and needs immediate adjustments. Do not try to solve the problem on your own by taking more medication than prescribed without consulting the doctor as it might worsen the situation and cause side effects.

Asthma needs immediate attention when there is rapid worsening of shortness of breath or wheezing, no improvement even after using short-acting bronchodilators and shortness of breath with minimal activity.

Severe asthma attacks can be life threatening and require emergency treatment. If your asthma symptoms worsen then get help right away. Learn from your doctor what to do when the signs of asthma get worse.

Diagnosis

It is difficult to diagnose the person with asthma. Signs and symptoms can range from mild to severe and are often similar to those of other conditions, including emphysema, early congestive heart failure or vocal cord problems. In children, it can be hard to differentiate asthma from wheezy bronchitis, pneumonia or reactive airway disease.

In order not to disregard the other conditions the doctor will do a physical exam and ask you questions about your signs and symptoms and about any other health problems. A test might also be conducted on the lungs to determine how much air moves in and out as you breathe.

The test to measure the lung functioning are spirometry and peak flow.

Spirometry: it’s a test to measure the narrowing of the bronchial tubes by seeing how fast you breathe out and how much air you breathe out after a deep breath.

Peak flow. It’s a device which can be used at home to detect the minute changes before you notice the symptoms. If the reading is lower than usual then it’s an alarm for you. The signs may flare up any time. The doctor will give you specific instructions on how to tackle such situations when the reading goes below normal.

Lung function test is often done before and after the bronchodilator to open the airway. If the functioning of lungs improve after the bronchodilator then you are more likely to have asthma.

Apart from this there are other diagnosis tests like

• Methacholine bronchial challenge. Inhaling a known asthma trigger called methacholine will cause mild constriction of your airways, if you have asthma. A positive test result shows you have asthma. This test may be used if the initial lung function test is normal.
• Nitric oxide test. This test is sometimes used to diagnose and monitor asthma. It measures the amount of a gas called nitric oxide you have in your breath. If your airways are inflamed which is a sign of asthma then you may have higher than normal levels of nitric oxide. This test isn't widely available.

How asthma is classified

The severity of asthma does not remain constant. It keeps changing over time. To classify the severity of asthma the doctor will ask few questions and the diagnostic test which were conductions, all this put together will classify the type of asthma you have. The doctor will keep you updated about the changes.
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

There are several complications which might occur because of asthma.

• The life threatening attacks might become so severe that the person might require emergency treatment.
• There might be a permanent blocking of bronchial tubes.
• Side effects caused due to the long term use of medicines to keep the asthma under control.

Treatment for asthma varies from person to person. Some persons might need to take long term medication along with the quick relief medication. Some might have to carry the hand-held inhaler most of the time.if the person is getting the attacks due to some allergies like airborne allergens, such as pollen or pet dander, then he may have to take anti allergy medication as well. You may have to try different medications to see which suits you the best. As it changes over time you may have to be in touch with your doctor to work on your symptoms.

Medications for asthma treatment depend on long-term control medications, quick-relief (rescue) medications and medications to treat allergies. It depends on the age of the person and which medicine suits him best to keep asthma under control.

Long term medications which include Inhaled corticosteroids, Long-acting beta-2 agonists (LABAs), Leukotriene modifiers, Cromolyn and nedocromil (Tilade), Theophylline which a daily pill which relaxes the muscles.
Quick-relief medication like Short-acting beta-2 agonists, Ipratropium (Atrovent) and Oral and intravenous corticosteroids.

Prevention

You can work with your doctor closely to design a step by step plan to prevent any future attacks of asthma.

• Come up with a written asthma plan
• Identify and try to avoid all the triggers of asthma
• Closely monitor your breathing
• Identify and treat attacks at an early stage
• Do not ignore or stop the medication

Many people rely on medication to fight the asthma symptoms but there are other things also which they can do to prevent the triggers and improve your condition. Few things which you can do is

• Use of air conditioner
• Clean up your interiors
• Maintain level of humidity in the home
• Keep the indoor air clean and fresh
• Reduce pet dander
• Clean your home regularly
• If its cold outside, cover your face
• Maintain your health by doing regular exercises
• Eat healthy diet and maintain your weight
• Control heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Asthma might be a challenging disease as it cuts up on your regular activities. Don’t be depressed and frustrated by your condition. Try to avoid thinking about it by pacing up with your life, talking and meeting friends, make a daily to-do list and speak about your condition openly with others this will make you feel better.