Asthma, Its Types, Symptoms and Treatment

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the airways of a person. This is caused by their narrowing which makes breathing hard. It can also make some physical activities quite challenging and in some cases, impossible. For some, asthma may just be a minor nuisance, while for some others it may interfere in their day to day life. Though asthma is treatable but not curable, the symptoms can be controlled with the help of right medication and doctor advice.

What are different types of asthma and their triggers?

Asthma can exacerbate through a lot of different triggers, particularly to each individual patient. Some common types of asthma are:

Childhood asthma

Asthma is quite a common condition among children. Some of the common triggers of asthma in children include:

• Particle and ozone air pollution
• Allergens
• Being second hand cigarette smoker
• Respiratory colds and infections
• Sudden exposure to cold temperature
• Exercise and stress

In many cases, asthma gets improved by the time the child reaches adulthood. However, proper medical attention should be sought in order to find the right ways to manage the condition.

Adult onset asthma

Asthma which emerges in adulthood of, patient. Some common factors that may trigger adult onset of this condition are:

• Obesity
• Smoking (Environmental/Cigarette}
• Stress
• Hormonal factors
• Respiratory illnesses
• Exposure to allergens

Occupational Asthma

This asthma is caused due to the allergens or irritants present in the workplace. It is common among people with an allergy or sensitivity in workplaces like bakeries, hospitals, flour mills, zoo, farms, kitchens engineering and metal work industries, hairdressing salons, woodwork, carpentry and other similar places.

Seasonal Asthma

This asthma happens when a person is sensitive to allergens that are present only during certain times of the year. For example, seasonal asthma is often triggered due to cold air in winters or pollen in spring. These people do not experience any symptoms during other times of the year except in some cases.

What are the common symptoms of asthma?

One of the most common asthma symptoms is wheezing. This refers to a whistling or wheezing sound that is heard while breathing. Other symptoms of this condition are:

• Tightness in the chest
• Coughing when exercising or laughing
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty in talking
• Panic or anxiety
• Fatigue or tiredness
• Frequent lung infections
• Trouble in sleeping

Depending upon the type of asthma a person suffers from, the symptoms may increase or decrease. It is best to remember that even well-managed asthma can have an occasional flare-up that can be improved through the fast-acting inhalers. Always seek medical help if the symptoms worsen or do not subside even after taking an inhaler.

How is Asthma diagnosed and treated?

There is no one diagnostic test to determine whether a person has asthma or not. The diagnosis is done after complete health history and physical exam of the person is done along with required breathing tests. There is treatment for asthma but depending upon the severity and triggers, doctors may prescribe medications and quick relief medicines to control the exacerbations and to maintain.

In order to get a customized treatment plan that will help you in monitoring your symptoms and take steps to avoid any flare-ups, Accord Superspeciality Hospital has the best pulmonology doctors of Faridabad, Delhi NCR, to treat asthma.