Asthma is a multifactorial disease, that is to say, normally there is not a single cause that provokes it, but rather, it is the sum of different factors that end up provoking bronchospasm. These factors can be immunological (allergic), irritative (tobacco) or infectious (recurrent bronchitis). If any of them affects a genetically predisposed terrain, it will cause inflammation of the bronchial mucosa that will end up causing contraction of the bronchial smooth muscles (bronchospasm). This is what is commonly known as ASTHMA.
The genetic component does not influence patients. In other words, the predisposition to suffer from the disease is genetically inherited, but not the disease itself. Whether the disease appears or not will depend on the rest of the factors and not on genetic reasons.
Recommended treatment
The treatment recommended for people suffering from asthma has three different facets. Firstly, patients should avoid the causal allergen (pollen, dust, etc.) as much as possible in order to minimize the allergen load to which the patient is subjected. Secondly, it is important to increase tolerance to the allergen by means of specific immunotherapy in all those patients in whom it is indicated. Finally, pharmacological treatment may be administered by means of inhaled anti-inflammatory drugs and/or bronchodilators. In the most severe cases it may be necessary to resort to the use of corticosteroids. This type of drug treatment can be continuous or only on demand depending on the intensity and frequency of the bronchospasm crisis.
To speak of a definitive cure is complicated, since it depends on what is understood by cure. An asthmatic will be asthmatic all his life, but with proper treatment he can lead a normal life, even practice sports. In other words, you are born asthmatic, you die asthmatic, but you can live without asthma. When you have no symptoms, it cannot be said that you are “cured” but it is true that you can lead a normal life, without asthma being a restriction. Even so, there may be one or two times a year when you will need rescue medication, especially in risk situations.
Importance of prevention
As always in medicine, prevention is essential to avoid disease. In the case of asthma it is especially relevant, especially to prevent it from progressing to obstructive bronchitis, with the consequent complications. Hence the importance of specific immunotherapy (vaccines) in the treatment and prevention of allergies.