Asthma

Asthma Treatment in Ludhiana, Punjab, Asthma is an inflammatory health issue that affects the airways to the lungs. Asthmatic patients have problems breathing and it even makes it difficult to do the daily activities or it can be extremely challenging. One of the stats has shown that around 25 million people have asthma. It is important to understand the condition and how it impacts your breathing.

The most common symptoms of asthma are whistling, squealing, and wheezing sound when you breathe. Additional symptoms are:

• Coughing (during the night) when laughing, or while doing a workout
• Difficulty talking
• Chest tightness
• Anxiousness or panic
• Breath Shortness
• Fatigue

Every patient has a different type of asthma and is determined by the symptoms they experience. If you notice the above-mentioned symptoms, then without any delay you need to consult the doctor. The first symptom is not an asthma attack.

One of the most prevalent types is bronchial asthma which affects the bronchi present in the lungs. Apart from that, there is adult-onset asthma and childhood asthma. In the case of adults, the symptoms are noticed when they turn 20. Some of the additional types are mentioned below:

• Nonallergic asthma (intrinsic asthma): It is triggered when irritants in the air are not linked to allergies. The irritants can be in the form of:
  

  Cold Air

  Cigarette Smoke

  Burning wood

  Air Pollution

  Air freshners

  Perfumes

  Household cleaning products

• Allergic asthma (extrinsic asthma): Allergies are the most common reason behind this type of asthma. In most cases, it is seasonal. It is mostly triggered due to:
  

  Food

  Mold

  Pollen

  Dust

  Pet dander from animals like dogs and cats

• Occupational asthma:Occupational asthma is triggered in the workplace like woodworking, manufacturing, textiles, and farming. It occurs due to:
  

  Dust

  Dyes

  Gases and Fumes

  Rubber Latex

  Animal proteins

  Industrial Chemicals

• Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB): EIB shows its effects within a few minutes after a person has started a physical regimen. It can last for 15 to 20 minutes. Around 90% of people with asthma experience EIB.
• Aspirin-induced asthma: AIA is a severe type of asthma when a person takes ibuprofen, aspirin, or NSAIDs. It takes some minutes or hours to notice the symptoms. It usually occurs between the ages of 20 to 50.
• Nocturnal asthma: In this condition, the symptoms will get worse at night. The symptoms are triggered due to pet dander dust mites, and heartburn.

If you think, one test can determine whether you have asthma or not, then it is not possible. The given below information will help to diagnose asthma:

• The doctor will discuss your family health history to check whether some has faced it in the past.
• The doctor will check your breathing through the stethoscope to look for an allergic reaction like eczema or hives.
• The doctor will perform the breathing test which is a pulmonary function test to measure the airflow going into and out of the lungs.

The breathing test is performed on children who are under the age of 5 because it won’t be easy to get an accurate amount of reading. The doctor suggests the medications to children with asthma and sees whether the symptoms improve or not.
Be it, adult or a child, if the symptoms improve with medications then the doctor will continue to give those.

Intermittent	Most common type of asthma and symptoms are mild. Symptoms last for fewer than 2 day per week or 2 nights per month. Do not affect the daily regime
Mild Persistent	Symptoms occur more than 2 times per week. It can occur 4 nights per month.
Moderate Persistent	Symptoms occur daily (1 night every week), but do not occur at night. You need to limit some daily activities.
Severe Persistent	Symptoms occur several times in one day and mostly at night. Daily activities are limited

Still, no proper cause has been identified for asthma and it is believed that breathing conditions can trigger due to different factors. Some of them which it can include are:

• Genetics
• History of viral infections
• Hygiene hypothesis

• Breathing exercises
• Quick-acting treatments
• Long-term asthma control medications

Depending on your condition, the doctor will determine the right treatment plan for you. The treatment is based on:

• Type of asthma you have
• Your Triggers
• Your Age

When the asthma symptoms start getting worse it is referred to as exacerbation of asthma attack. Medications can help to manage the symptoms. It can be noted down through the given symptoms:

• Hyperventilation
• Cough
• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath
• Increased heart rate
• Agitation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are often thought of as similar conditions. Symptoms might be similar, but both of them are extremely different.

• COPD is an umbrella term that identifies progressive respiratory issues and it further has 2 more diseases: bronchitis and emphysema. Due to these diseases, the airflow gets reduced in the airways due to inflammation.
• Asthma can trigger at any age and most commonly at the age of 45. In some cases, people with COPD have asthma.

There are certain conditions which trigger asthma and it includes:

• Illness
• Allergens
• Extreme weather condition
• Emotions
• Irritants in the air
• Exercise

As we have already mentioned, the exact reason is still not known as to what causes asthma. Although, there is information on preventing asthma and it includes:

• Avoid the conditions which trigger it
• Reduce getting exposed to allergens
• Get the allergy shots (type of immunotherapy)
• Take the necessary medications as prescribed by the doctor

• You should eat a healthy diet
• Keep your weight managed
• Do not smoke
• Make sure to exercise regularly
• Manage the stress level

• The symptoms trigger every day, mostly at night, and make it difficult to do daily activity.
• You had a severe asthma attack
• The symptoms are not easy to diagnose or unusual.
• Additional tests are required to understand the exact reason or symptoms.
• Allergy shots can improve your condition.
• You need a doctor’s expertise to manage the condition.
• You have been hospitalized due to asthma
• Your treatment plan needs to be changed as the current one is not helping you.