THE TRUTH ABOUT ASTHMA

Asthma is a respiratory condition marked by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing. It usually results from an allergic reaction or other forms of hypersensitivity. Symptoms of Asthma include wheezing (a hissing sound while breathing), tightness of the chest, hard to breathe, and coughing. People with asthma can relate with these symptoms most of the time, during the night and the early morning. An Asthma attack is when these symptoms are worse than usual. An asthma attack allows enough air to get into your lungs, but it does not let the carbon dioxide leave the lungs fast enough. During a prolonged Asthma attack, Carbon Dioxide is harmful, dangerous  and can build up in the lungs, decreasing the oxygen getting into your bloodstream.  It can be deadly.

Asthma affects 300 million people in the world and more than 22 million in the United States. Although people of all ages suffer from the asthma, it usually starts at a young age, currently affecting 6 million children in the US. So what causes it? Here are a few factors that trigger Asthma:

• For children at risk – Children with asthma may have started if they were born with low birth weight and/or exposed to cigarette smoke. Most children first present symptoms around 5 years of age, generally beginning with  wheezing and  respiratory infections.
• Allergies – Common sources of allergens include dog/cat hair, dust mites, cockroaches and fungi. Some people who have allergic rhinitis may also develop asthma.
• Cigarette Smoking – Smoking has been connected to a higher risk of asthma as well as a higher risk of death due to asthma, wheezing, and respiratory infections.
• Environmental Factors – Weather changes have been known to stimulate Asthma. Cold air can lead to airway congestion and humidity causes breathing difficulties as well.
• Stress - Part of this may be explained by increases in asthma-related behaviors such as smoking that are encouraged by stress. However, recent research has suggested that the immune system is modified by stress as well.

This is not a complete list however, we recommend that you pay your doctor a visit to find out what causes your asthma attacks and how you can manage it.   

Asthma cannot be cured but with good treatment and management, there is no reason why a person that has asthma cannot live a normal and active life. If you would like to learn more about Asthma and would want a breath of fresh air, click on this link.

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