The incidence of asthma in the United States is increasing at alarming rates. Asthma is an inflammation of the respiratory tract leading to shortness of breath resulting from the narrowing of the lung passages. There are two general types of asthma: extrinsic asthma; caused by external or environmental factors, and intrinsic asthma; not caused by external factors. Extrinsic asthma is also known as allergic asthma. It can be triggered by dust, mites, animal fur, fungi, molds, yeast, cleaning sprays, and perfumes or colognes. Extrinsic asthma is often transmitted from parents to children. It is more common in children and young adults and often disappears following the hormonal changes caused by puberty. Occupational asthma is a subcategory of extrinsic asthma. This subcategory is caused by exposure to chemical agents encountered in the work environment. As a result, occupational asthma is more common in adults.Intrinsic asthma is also known as nonallergic asthma. Factors known to cause intrinsic asthma include obesity, a person’s sex, infections, exercise, air pollution, drugs, food additives and preservatives, acid reflux, and sleep. Asthma is more prominent in males than females ages zero to fourteen years of age. The incidence of intrinsic asthma increases in females from the time they begin to menstruate, with symptom worsening two to three days prior to the onset of menstruation. Infection induced asthma is often the result of viral infections of the upper respiratory tract and it occurs more often in children. Extreneous exercise can also lead to asthma attacks that occur three to ten minutes after the person has stopped exercising. Pollution induced asthma is often caused by fumes, smokes and other agents. The incidence of pollution induced asthma often increases following forests fires. For example, in the aftermath of hurricane Andrew many fallen trees were burned near the everglades and the fumes blown by the wind into the city causing asthma attacks in many children and adults alike. Acid reflux and or the vomiting like effects of the condition tend to irritate the respiratory tract increasing the incidence of bronchial inflammation and asthma. Sleep related asthma is associated with several factors. The position we adopt during sleep; flat in bed or with the support of a pillow facilitates the accumulation of mucous and or stomach acid contents in the upper part of the digestive track, both of which can cause bronchial inflammation leading to asthma attacks. People that require respiratory treatments for asthma do not wakeup in the middle of the night to take their timed treatments and often wakeup with an asthma attack. Finally emotional stressful conditions cause a chain reaction in the body that triggers the secretions of substances that can cause a sudden asthma episode.
Cigarette smoking is also linked to asthma. There are two types of cigarette smoking that can lead to asthma: the first scenario involves smoking during pregnancy and leads to asthma of the newborns and children. The second type is related to active smokers since smoke is a respiratory tract irritant that can cause inflammation of the airways.
A sudden asthma episode can be a onetime occurrence. Chronic asthma on the other hand requires preventive and or maintenance treatments to avoid a worsening of the condition. The best test to prevent worsening of asthma in a chronic sufferer is the Peak Expiratory Flow. This test can be easily performed by the patient at home and requires teaching from a licensed professional like a respiratory therapist, nurse, or medical doctor. Asthma is treated with bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory drugs and a procedure known as Bronchial Thermoplasty. However prevention remains the most important aspect in the treatment of the disease.
The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program together with the Global Initiative for Asthma have guidelines in place to help patients suffering from asthma and their caretakers. These guidelines include: developing patient-doctor partnerships, identifying and reducing the exposure to risk factors, assessment, treatment, and monitoring of asthma, management of worsening asthma attacks, observance of special considerations and or conditions that can lead to an asthma attack, such as pregnancies and surgeries, and the implementation of respiratory care treatment protocols to treat and or prevent asthma attacks.
When a person suspects that she or he is suffering from asthma they should see a physician as soon as possible. Untreated asthma can lead to a worsening of the condition resulting at times in closure of the respiratory tract and leading to death. Another danger to asthmatics is overuse of their asthma medications to the point of building such a tolerance to the drug that it becomes ineffective in the treatment of the disease.
