Asthma – Causes, Symptoms and Cures
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of airways which is qualified by recurring and variable systems and obstruction of breathing passage.It is very common in children so Nelson Pediatrics is a must read if your child is suffering from it. There are different clinical variations of asthma based on symptoms, peak expiratory flow rate and FEV1. It might be classified as intrinsic (non-atopic) or extrinsic (atopic).
Causes
The causes for the disease include various genetic and environmental factors. Such factors will impact the severity of asthma and reaction to medical treatment. The environmental risk factors for asthma include air pollutants. When exposed to endotoxin for long duration, it can result in asthma. The viral respiratory infections are not just the causes of exacerbation, but could enhance the risks of asthma development among youngsters. Psychological stress is also considered as one of the causal factors of asthma. Tobacco smoking is also one of the one of the triggers of asthma. Also use of antibiotics in early childhood has known to cause asthma in some cases.
Asthma Symptoms
When a person is infected with asthma, the breathing system is impacted and it triggers an attack. The major symptoms include,
- Breathlessness
- Wheezing
- Coughing
- Chest Tightness
- Difficulty in speaking
Asthma attacks might occur during day or night and it can impact your sleep. Wheezing might cause hissing sound while breathing. The asthma attacks can be either mild persistent, mild intermittent, severe persistent or moderate persistent and these classifications are based on duration of attacks and severity of symptoms.
Cures
The treatment for this disease includes identifying root cause like aspirin, pets, cigarette smoke etc and avoiding exposure to them. Detailed info can be referred to in the Harriet Lane Handbook. Medical treatments can vary depending on symptom frequency and severity of the attacks. Bronchodilators are used for short-term relief from wheezing and cough. For people suffering with mild persistent disease, it is suggested to use an oral leukotrient antagonist, low-dose inhaled glucocorticoids or mast cell stabilizer. People who experience attacks on daily basis might use high dose inhaled glucocorticoids. Salbutamol metered dose inhaler is generally used when experiencing asthma attacks for temporary relief. For long term relief and treatment, Fluticasone propionate metered dose inhaler is generally used. Anticholinergic medications, like ipratropium bromide can improve the effectiveness of oral inhalers for people experiencing severe symptoms. People who are not capable of tolerating SABA can make use of Anticholinergic bronchodilators.
Additional pediatric resources: http://www.fda.gov/
