Asthma

Many people in the world are affected by a condition called asthma. With asthma there is a feeling of shortness of breath as well as wheezing and coughing. When severe symptoms suddenly occur, this is referred to as a lung attack. The complaints resulting from asthma can be caused by, for example, pollen, pets and dust mites, but also by smoke and stress as well as cold or fog. Active exercise could also cause you to suffer from asthma. Would you like to discover more about this condition, how you can recognize it and what you can do about it? Then the information on this page can certainly help you a step further.

What is asthma?

Asthma is a disease that affects the tubes in the lungs. In principle, these tubes must be sufficiently wide to allow easy breathing in and out. In patients who suffer from asthma, the lungs are hypersensitive. Certain stimuli cause the muscles around the lung tubes to contract. As a result, they become narrow, allowing less air to pass through. As a result, breathing is made more difficult and you will experience a feeling of stuffiness. The mucous membrane on the inside of the lung tubes becomes inflamed, becomes thicker and there will also be more mucus.

All this means that there will be less space in the tubes for breathing. In the majority of cases, asthma is already noticed in early childhood. Having said this, the condition may only become apparent later in life. For example, it is not entirely unusual for the symptoms of asthma to only appear for the first time after the 50th birthday.

How do I recognize asthma?

If you have asthma, in practice this can cause you to experience one or more symptoms  that are linked to this condition. Initially, people are often overcome by a feeling of shortness of breath. In addition, there is often a wheezing sound when breathing. Frequent coughing fits at night are also a symptom, as are periods in which there is a lot of mucus.

Most people who have asthma also feel tired. This is due to the fact that breathing can take quite a bit of effort. Finally, asthma will certainly make itself felt during exercise and exercise. Such physical activities are traditionally maintained for much less time by people with asthma.

Can I do something about it myself?

There are several things you can do to reduce the impact of asthma on your life. Initially, for people with asthma, smoking or passive smoking is extra harmful. After all, smoke irritates the lungs, which can easily lead to serious asthma complaints. Are you someone who already smokes and who is dealing with asthma? Then you will notice that quitting smoking is really very important. This isn't the only advice given to people with asthma. In addition, it is also true that exercising every day is very important. At least half an hour of exercise every day can do wonders. You can choose to go walking or cycling, but swimming is also recommended.

For people who are overweight, it is wise to lose weight. Being overweight can make the treatment of asthma very difficult. If you wish, it may be interesting to call on the services of a dietician. Finally, it can be important to avoid stimuli. For example, it is known that an allergy to house dust mites can cause asthma symptoms. Reducing the amount of dust mites in your home can already provide relief.

Which medications are used for asthma?

There are two types of asthma medicines on the market. This includes bronchodilators as well as anti-inflammatory drugs. Both medications will not cure your asthma. However, if used correctly, they can ensure that the complaints do not disappear or at least decrease significantly. For example, with bronchodilators, their use means that you will be able to breathe better again within ten to thirty minutes.

Asthma medications:

Airomir
Atrovent
Bricanyl
Symbicort
Ventolin
Seretide
Flixotide
Salbutamol
Pulvinal
Singulair
Salbulin
Qvar
Pulmicort
Salamol
Montelukast
Relvar Ellipta