Asthma Information , Asthma Resources and Asthma Medication
from Canada Rhinitis & Sinusitis Information
Primary Disease Name: Asthma
What is Asthma?
Asthma is one of the most common serious chronic diseases in the
United States. If you suffer from asthma, the more you know, the
more control you'll feel you have.
The medical definition of asthma is simple, but the condition itself
is quite complex.
Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways of your lungs. These
airways are also known as bronchial tubes. In the case of asthma,
chronic means that it never goes away.
Asthma is one disease that has two main components occurring deep
within the airways of your lungs:
Inflammation and constriction together cause narrowing of the airways,
which can result in wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath.
In people with asthma, the airways are inflamed even when you're
not having symptoms.
- Inflammation. The airways of the lungs are always inflamed
if you have asthma, and become more swollen and irritated when an
attack begins. Your healthcare professional may refer to this swelling
and irritation as "inflammation." Inflammation can reduce
the amount of air that you can take in or breathe out of your lungs.
In some cases, the mucus glands in the airways produce excessive,
thick mucus, further obstructing the airways.
- Constriction. The muscles around the airways in the lungs
squeeze together or tighten. This tightening is often called "bronchoconstriction,"
and it can make it hard for you to breathe the air in or out of
Asthma has no set pattern. Its symptoms:
. Can be mild, moderate or severe
. Can vary from person to person
. Can flare up from time to time and then not appear for long
. Can vary from one episode to the next
Asthma can be very serious. In the United States alone, it leads
to about 5,000 deaths, 2 million emergency department visits, and
500,000 hospitalizations each year. Furthermore, there is increasing
evidence that, if left untreated or improperly treated, asthma may
cause a long-term decline in lung function and lung scarring over
time. These factors can make it more difficult to breathe and cause
your symptoms to become more persistent and severe.
The cause of asthma is not known, and currently there is no cure.
However, there are many things you can do to control it.
Breathing: Normal Airway Versus Asthma Airway
In someone with normal lung function, air is inhaled through the
nose and mouth. It passes through the trachea (also called the windpipe)
before moving into the bronchi (large airways), which are branching
tubes leading away from the trachea. The bronchi branch into smaller
and smaller tubes, ending in many small sacs called alveoli. It's
in the alveoli that oxygen, which the body needs, is passed to the
blood, while carbon dioxide, which the body doesn't, is removed
People with asthma often have trouble breathing when they're in
the presence of what are called "triggers." When someone
with asthma has an asthma attack, it means that the flow of air
is obstructed as it passes in and out of the lungs. This happens
because of one or both of the following:
. The lining of the airways becomes inflamed (irritated, reddened
and swollen), and may produce more mucous.
. The muscles that surround the airways become sensitive and
start to twitch and tighten, causing the airways to narrow.
Both of these factors cause the airways to narrow, making it difficult
for air to pass in and out of them.
The airways of someone with asthma are inflamed, to some degree,
the more inflammed the more sensitive the airway becomes. This leads
to an increase in breathing difficulty.
- Asthma Can Affect Anyone
- Asthma is a chronic condition, meaning it can last a lifetime.
- Anyone can get asthma, although it's usually first diagnosed in
young people. - Currently, about three million Canadians have asthma.
Living with Asthma
Most people with asthma live full, active lives. The trick is learning
to keep asthma under control. If you have asthma, you can control
. By avoiding your asthma triggers
. By taking your medication
. Through education from your healthcare team
. By following an asthma action plan
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provided in and through this Web site is intended solely for general
information and should NOT be relied upon for any particular diagnosis,
treatment, or care. This website strongly encourages patients and
their families to consult with qualified medical professionals for
treatment advice on individual cases.