Asthma
Asthma is a condition that can cause occasional breathing difficulties. It can occur to people of all ages but often starts in childhood. There is currently zero cure for asthma, but there are treatments that help to keep the symptoms under control and do not have a big impact on daily life.
Asthma symptoms
The primary symptoms of asthma are:
- Whistle sound while breathing
- Breathlessness
- Tight chest
- Coughing
The symptoms can sometimes get temporarily severe, an asthma attack.
Asthma causes
Swelling (inflammation) around the breathing tubes that help carry air in and out of the lungs can cause asthma, making the air tubes highly sensitive and temporarily narrow. Other triggers include:
- Allergies
- Smoking
- Exercising
- Cold or flu (infections)
Avoiding asthma triggers can help you keep symptoms under control.
Asthma complications.
There are possibilities to keep asthma under control, but still, it is a severe condition that can cause numerous problems. So it’s crucial to follow the prescribed treatment plans and monitor the symptoms if they worsen.
Worsen asthma can cause problems like:
- Tiredness
- Underperformance
- Stress, anxiety, or depression
- Lung infections
- Delayed growth or puberty in children
There are also risks of severe asthma attacks that can be life-threatening.
Asthma treatments
Asthma is usually treatable using an inhaler, a device that produces and lets you breathe in the medicines.
The primary types are,
- Reliever inhalers: Quickly relieve asthma symptoms for a short period.
- Preventer inhalers: Prevents asthma symptoms from happening if used every day.
Some people might also need to take prescribed tablets to lower their symptoms.
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 16 JULY 2022