More than 20 million Americans suffer from asthma. Today, 60,000 Americans will miss school or work because of asthma symptoms. Many think that asthma is just a disease for kids, but it is actually a disease affecting both adults and children. Sandeep Gupta, M.D., allergist on the Baylor Plano medical staff discusses the basics of asthma and how you can prevent symptoms of asthma from disrupting your life.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs that involves restriction and inflammation of the airways, the tubes that transport air throughout the lungs. Restriction causes the muscles around your airways to tighten, while inflammation causes the airways to swell, thereby leading to airflow obstruction or air trapping. When your airways become restricted and/or inflamed, they narrow, making it harder to breathe.
What exacerbates asthma?
When your airways become inflamed, they develop a greater sensitivity to certain triggers and respond to these triggers by constricting. Anything that makes your asthma worse is considered a trigger, and everyone’s triggers are different. Some common triggers include:
- Tobacco smoke
- Dust mites
- Animals
- Pollen
- Strong aromas
- Smog/Pollution
- Exercise & cold air
What are the symptoms of asthma?
- Wheezing - a whistling sound primarily heard when you exhale, but if severe enough can also occur when you inhale
- Coughing – a nagging cough that you can’t seem to get rid of, especially at night
- Chest tightness - feels like your chest muscles are being tightened
- Shortness of breath - feels like you're out of breath
- Decreased exercise tolerance – you don’t have the same endurance or energy level your normally do while exercising, or children can’t keep up with friends while playing
How do I prevent asthma symptoms?
- Avoid your triggers: Try to stay away from the things that set off your asthma.
- Keep an eye on your medicines: Some medications such as Aspirin, cold medicines and ibuprofen can cause asthma symptoms.
- Talk to your doctor: Your doctor may be able to suggest medications that can help prevent the onset of symptoms.
How can I treat asthma symptoms?
Asthma is a chronic disease and treatment is primarily focused on controlling the disease. Only allergy injections have been shown to prevent the development of asthma. Asthma is treated with two types of medicines: long-term control and quick-relief medicines. Long-term control medicines help reduce airway inflammation and prevent asthma symptoms. Quick-relief, or "rescue," medicines relieve asthma symptoms that may flare up.
To find out if you may be experiencing asthma symptoms, come to a free asthma screening at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano on Friday, April 17 from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. To register call 1.800.4BAYLOR or click here.