About the disease
Bronchial asthma is an inflammation of the bronchi, which serve as airways of the lungs through which air is transported from the trachea to lungs. Bronchial asthma is considered to be a chronic disease, as it can last for several years with the periods of flare-ups and remissions. During the periods of flare-ups a patient has trouble fully breathing as he/she experiences shortness of breath. This manifestation can also be followed by feeling of tightness in the chest and by coughing. Wheezing can follow coughing as well. According to the CDC, there are approximately 25 millions of Americans who suffer from bronchial asthma nowadays, making this one condition one of the most common pulmonary diseases. Out of this 25 millions approximately 6.8 million are children, as this disease can very often start to manifest itself in the childhood. Bronchial asthma can be caused by various infections, allergies or some respiratory diseases, such as sinusitis. In most cases middle ear infections are the ones that can contribute to development of bronchial asthma, if not fully treated.
Bronchial asthma develops when bronchi become hyperresponsive when fighting with other inflammation or allergy. As a result, limitation of free airflow develops and a person feel tightness in chest. Most commonly, such tightness and shortness of breath is felt at night that`s why people with bronchial asthma can awaken several times during the night. Bronchial asthma which manifests itself only at night has specific name nocturnal asthma. In some cases, bronchial asthma can manifest itself only during physical exertion, when pulse of a person quickens and he/she needs to breathe faster in order to get sufficient amount of air into the lungs. In other cases a person can feel flare-ups of bronchial asthma only due to weather changes, smoking and exposure to certain allergens which irritate bronchi. Such allergens can be dust, pollen or other elements. Sometimes, certain stressful situations or anger can provoke new flare-up of bronchial asthma as well.
Symptoms
- Tightness in chest
- Shortness of breath
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Frequent awakening in the night
Diagnosis
- During physical examination a doctor will listen to the lungs of a patient to determine if there is wheezing or any other unusual sounds. Also, a doctor will enquire about the symptoms of a patient and previous infections, which could have induced development of bronchial asthma . Knowing to what person is allergic is also vital in this case.
- Spirometry is a common pulmonary function test, which determines capacity of a person to breathe fully without any restrictions. It is performed with a special device, which a person inhales in and exhales out. This test is usually enough to determine if a person has bronchial asthma and stage of this condition.
- A chest X-ray is primarily used to determine if a person has any other pulmonary infections, which could have affected lungs in any way.
Treatment
- Conservative treatment is usually enough to treat attacks of asthma and prevent their recurrence in future. A person is usually prescribed special asthma inhalers, which deliver steroids to the lungs, thus opening the airways and normalizing the breathing function. Special drugs are also prescribed to reduce the risk of recurrence as much as possible. A person also needs to lead healthy lifestyle, quit smoking if he/she used to smoke and avoid certain allergens which can provoke new attack of bronchial asthma . All in all, this disease is treated very well and a person can lead normal lifestyle after the course of treatment.
Authors: Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova, Dr. Sergey Pashchenko
