Home health care is available to all who are afflicted with these types of lung issues. We can help with initial training and we can provide help understanding the medications that are prescribed.
ASTHMA TRIGGERS AND SYMPTOMS
What are the causes of asthma?No one is sure what causes asthma, and, so far, there is no cure for it. However, we know that asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disorder that can be controlled. With asthma, substances or conditions called triggers cause air passages in the lungs to become inflamed and swollen. Things that trigger an asthma attack in one person may not be a problem for another.
ASTHMA SYMPTOMS
The most common symptoms of asthma:
Shortness of breath
Wheezing
Sometimes coughing is the only symptom. Asthma symptoms often occur at night or during exercise, but they can occur at any time.
What happens during an asthma attack?Exposure to a trigger causes the body to produce increased amounts of a number of substances that occur naturally in everyone’s lungs. Increased amounts of these substances contribute to the swelling and the narrowing of the air passages. One type of these substances is called leukotrienes (loo-ko-TRY-eens). Leukotrienes have been associated with symptoms of asthma.
The Anatomy of an Asthma Attack
Learn how to recognize when an asthma attack is coming on, what you can do to prevent it, and how to get the right medical care.
Wheezing? Short of breath? These common asthma symptoms can develop into a full-blown asthma attack if you don’t take the right steps early on. Knowing the early signs of an asthma attack will help you make the right decisions about your care.
Am I Having an Asthma Attack?
An asthma attack usually begins when common asthma symptoms suddenly take a turn for the worse. These symptoms can include:
· WheezingAn asthma attack usually begins when common asthma symptoms suddenly take a turn for the worse. These symptoms can include:
· Shortness of breath
· A feeling of tightness in your chest
· Fatigue
· Coughing at night or early morning
If these symptoms then become severe or more frequent, you may be having an asthma attack. Asthma attacks can be dangerous. If an attack reaches the point where you are unable to breathe while walking or talking, you should go to an emergency room for treatment.
“An asthma attack feels like you’re trying to breathe underwater,” explains Houston resident Melissa McDonald, who has been living with allergic asthma since age 4. If you have never been diagnosed with asthma, but think you may have this condition or think you have experienced an asthma attack in the past, you should talk to your doctor. You will need to get an accurate diagnosis and then develop an asthma action plan so that you know what to do in the future.
“If people have asthma symptoms more than two days a week, or [are] awakening from asthma more than two nights a month and are not on any medication, they should be,” says Robert F. Lemanske Jr., MD, head of the Division of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology and professor of pediatrics medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wis.
What Causes Asthma Attacks?
Asthma attacks occur when your airways become swollen and irritated, making it hard for enough air to get in and out of your lungs. Doctors may use the term “asthma exacerbation” to describe this situation. In the lungs of people with asthma, the inside of the small airways tend to be very reactive — meaning the airways may constrict tightly during an asthma attack. But constriction isn’t the only problem. These airways also become inflamed and swollen. The exact cause of asthma is not known, but it is probably a combination of genetic risk and environmental factors.
Asthma attacks often occur in response to “triggers,” or elements in your environment that increase the irritation in your airways. Triggers are different for different people. You may be able to tell immediately if something causes asthma symptoms, or you might need to be tested for allergies to find out what is causing your symptoms.
Some of the most common asthma triggers are:
· Smoke (from tobacco, wood, incense)
· Ozone
· Nitrogen dioxide (from gas heaters, stoves)
· Dust mites or cockroaches
· Mold or mildew
· Pet dander
· Hearty exercise
· Strong emotions
· Stress
What Can I Do About Asthma Attacks?
The best way to manage asthma attacks starts with trying to prevent them:
· Eliminate triggers. Once you know what triggers your asthma, do your best to avoid those things. You might have to be more rigorous about keeping a clean house or avoiding smokers, for instance. Your strategies will depend on your specific triggers.
· Take your asthma meds. These drugs may prevent an asthma attack, even if you can’t avoid triggers.
· Treat asthma symptoms early. If you do start to feel symptoms increasing, you may be able to prevent or lessen an asthma attack by getting away from any triggers in your environment and using your prescribed rescue medications, such as an albuterol inhaler.
· Get additional help. If your asthma symptoms get worse or increase in number and you have been unable to prevent a full asthma attack, call your doctor’s office or go to the nearest emergency room for medical help. “You should not take extra puffs of a rescue inhaler,” says Richard Castriotta, MD, professor of medicine and associate director of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at the University of Texas Houston Medical School. “If that isn’t working, go to the ER.”
Asthma attacks can’t always be prevented, but with guidance from your doctor, you can learn to respond quickly to manage them. When talking to your health care provider, be sure you understand the limitations of home treatment and at what point you must get emergency medical attention.
The following links will provide some additional information that may be of interest to you.
http://www.asthma.com/manage/asthma-management.html?google=p_&rotation=1478&banner=7922&kw=1216
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