Asthma: it can not be cured, but it can be treated

What is asthma?

Asthma can be a milder condition without hardly needing treatment or a moderate to severe condition, but anyhow, it is considered a chronic respiratory illness in which there is a narrowing or swelling of the airways. Therefore, less air goes in and out of the lungs, producing breathing difficulties. Asthma has no cure but there are treatments to soothe the attacks.

Seasonal, allergic, severe, occupational or exercise-induced asthma are the most common types of asthma. Each receives a different treatment depending on its severity and how it affects each patient.

Who is affected by asthma?

Around 330 million people in the world have bronchial asthma, making it one of the most common conditions affecting both children and adults. In most cases, it appears at a young age.

In recent years, risk factors such as air pollution, smoke from tobacco and the outset of childhood obesity have increased the number of asthma cases in children, raising asthma to a public health problem.

Asthma symptoms

The most frequent asthma symptoms are dyspnea or shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, coughing, chest tightness, wheezing... These signals can appear in varying degrees of severity depending on the patient.

However, these symptoms are similar to other respiratory illnesses, so specific diagnostic tests such as spirometry or an exhaled nitric oxide test help determine if the patient has asthma and its severity.

Asthma treatment

Although asthma can not be cured, there are several treatments available to alleviate and control the symptoms.

Most treatments consist of inhaled medicines:

• Quick-relief or reliever treatments that open the airway, for instance, bronchodilators.
• The basic treatment for most types of asthma is long-term asthma control medications, which means taking anti-inflammatories to reduce swelling of the bronchial mucus. Inhaled corticosteroids are the most efficient.
• Other treatments include immune system modulators such as antihistaminics or pre-emptive shots for allergy-induced asthma or biological treatments for more severe cases.

Avoid common asthma triggers to prevent asthma attacks. Prevention actions include giving up smoking or moving away from tobacco smoke, controlled breathing, avoiding exposure to dust mites or pollen that can trigger an attack, and taking prescribed medicines.

This illness tends to change over one’s lifetime, so it is crucial to seek periodical medical assistance to adjust the treatment.

OXIGEN salud offers treatment through aerosol therapy to those people who have asthma.