What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic lung disease in which the mucosa lining the bronchial tree becomes inflamed and thickened, decreasing the caliber of the airway and making it difficult for air to pass into the lungs. It is a very frequent disease. In Spain it affects 3-4% of the adult population and 8% of children. For reasons not yet well known, its frequency has increased in the last 20-30 years. It is possible that genetic and environmental factors are involved, mainly allergy, pollution, smoking, obesity and type of diet.
What are the symptoms of asthma?
The main symptoms of asthma are:
- Coughing, which worsens with exertion or at night.
- Wheezing (“whistling” or whistling when breathing).
- Difficulty breathing.
- Tightness in the chest.
How is asthma diagnosed?
In addition to the symptoms that make suspect the presence of the disease, it is necessary to demonstrate the alteration of the pulmonary function, with the realization of a spirometry with bronchodilator test or the examination of the variability of the maximum expiratory flow. In case of suspicion, it is advisable to study the possibility of allergic sensitization by means of skin tests or blood tests.
What are the triggers of asthma?
The possible triggers are multiple and diverse:
- Respiratory infections: mainly those caused by viruses. Asthmatics should avoid those conditions that can lead to colds, not exposing themselves to sudden changes in temperature or staying close to people with catarrhal symptoms.
- Allergens: dust mites, pollens, dander or animal hair, skin or feathers.
- Physical exercise: Especially sports that are performed in very cold and dry environments or that require a very high intensity of effort. In general, the practice of any physical exercise should not be forbidden, but the appropriate preventive measures and treatment should be advised, when necessary.
- Smoking : It is necessary to avoid not only that the patient smokes, but also that he/she remains in an environment contaminated by tobacco smoke from other smokers. Prenatal or early life exposure to tobacco smoke is a risk factor for the development of asthma.
- Medications: Beta-blockers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Atmospheric pollutants.
- Psychological factors: asthma is not a psychological disease, but anxiety or depression can determine a greater presence of symptoms and a worse evolution of the disease.
What is the treatment of asthma?
The goal of asthma treatment is to achieve control of the disease by avoiding symptoms and attacks in the shortest possible time, with the fewest side effects and with the lowest dose of medication. Not all patients need the same medications. The treatment of each patient is individualized depending on the characteristics and severity of the asthma. There are two main groups of asthma medications:
- Anti-inflammatories: these are the most important. Their function is to eliminate or reduce inflammation of the bronchi. The most important are corticosteroids, mainly by inhalation. Other drugs are anti-leukotrienes (montelukast) and chromones.
- Bronchodilators: they act by dilating and opening the bronchi. Short-acting drugs (salbutamol, terbutaline) are used as relief medication and long-acting drugs (formoterol, salmeterol, indacaterol) are used on a scheduled basis and always in combination with inhaled corticosteroids.
What care should the patient follow on a daily basis?
- Do not smoke and do not allow smoking in their presence. Avoid contaminated environments.
- Know the allergens and irritants that can trigger their symptoms and learn how to avoid them.
- Learn to identify the warning signs of an asthmatic attack.
- Learn what medicines to take, how to take them and when to take them.
- Be consistent and maintain your treatment, strictly following your doctor’s recommendations.
- Have regular check-ups with your doctor to monitor the disease and maintain or adjust the treatment.
Can asthma be cured?
Asthma is a chronic disease that cannot be cured, but there are treatments that allow patients to recover their quality of life and to be symptom-free and controlled. That is the objective and we call it controlled asthma. One of the secrets of asthma treatment lies in the patient’s perseverance in properly following the prescribed treatment.
Are allergy and asthma the same thing?
Allergy is probably the environmental factor with the highest risk of triggering asthma. However, allergy should not be confused with asthma, because although they may be closely related, they are not exactly the same. For every two people with asthma, only one is also allergic.