What is asthma?
Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. Its airways are abnormally hyper-reactive to a variety of specific or non-specific stimuli. Clinical symptoms of typical asthma – cough, dyspnea and wheezing – may occur, or cough may be the only symptom.
Who is at risk of developing asthma?
Asthma can occur in people of any age. But most start in childhood. People of all races can develop asthma. About 1 percent of adults have asthma, and it is more common in children.
Is asthma hereditary?
Bronchial asthma has a genetic predisposition and it is not unusual for several people in a family to have asthma, but it is not common. If you have asthma as a parent, are your children bound to have asthma? That’s not necessarily true. However, if one parent has asthma, the chances of the child having asthma are higher. If both parents have asthma, the chances of your child having asthma are higher. Children with severe asthma do not necessarily have the same or worse asthma than their parents, depending on how soon they are treated.
Can pediatric asthma be cured without a cure?
Do you often hear people say that “pediatric asthma will be fine when they reach adulthood and it doesn’t matter if they are treated or not”? This is a misconception that many children miss out on a favorable time for treatment. Although it is true that some children can be cured without treatment, in recent years most doctors still believe that children with asthma should be treated aggressively and reasonably, mainly because the immune system of children is not fully developed and is plastic. As they get older and their immune system becomes more developed, this plasticity becomes less and less likely to be cured. Therefore, if your child has asthma, do not hesitate to treat it as early as possible and try to cure it before adolescence. Even if the disease is not cured by adolescence, it will be greatly improved by active treatment in childhood. Many parents believe that children with asthma should wear more clothes to avoid getting cold. When they see their child sneezing or having a runny nose, they think it’s because of the cold and keep adding clothes to their child, but this is only a passive protective measure. Many experts believe that children with asthma should start a systematic cold exercise program in the summer to increase the body’s ability to adapt to the cold. The specific measures include planned less clothing, appropriate exposure to cold water, and daily morning runs. The process should be gradual, so as not to cause excessive cold. Children with asthma who have undergone cold tolerance exercises are not only less afraid of the cold in winter, but also have fewer asthma attacks. In fact, for most children with asthma, their bodies are not afraid of the cold. The key is to inhale air that is too cold, too dry or too wet, which can easily irritate the airways and trigger asthma, so it is effective to wear a mask to warm up the inhaled air during the season when there is a large temperature change. Taking your child swimming at the height of summer is a good way to exercise.
Can people with asthma smoke?
If you are an asthmatic, smoking can be very damaging to your lungs. The airways of people with asthma are particularly sensitive to abnormal stimuli and are prone to airway constriction. When smoke from cigarettes is inhaled into the airways for a long time, it not only produces constriction of the airways, making them narrow, but it can also affect the function of sputum removal. You will feel tightness in your chest, difficulty breathing, coughing and wheezing. If your child is an asthmatic and you smoke in front of him/her or in a room with closed doors and windows, your child’s lungs will be damaged even more than if you smoke yourself. Therefore, asthmatics should not ignore smoking. It is not easy to quit smoking, but it is important for your health or your child’s health that you make up your mind to quit immediately.
Is asthma dangerous?
Asthma is usually not dangerous. If asthma symptoms are mild and require only simple treatment, it should not be life-threatening. If the asthma is severe, with many difficult symptoms and several attacks a year, the risk is higher. Very few people die from asthma attacks that are too late to treat. The main cause of death from asthma is delay. Delays in getting help and in giving aggressive treatment are quite dangerous and usually occur because the patient knows the attack is too late or ignores its severity. Asthma attacks, whether they come quickly or slowly, must not be ignored. When the condition worsens, additional treatment is needed. Asthma medications are safe, and early additional treatment can stop asthma before it becomes severe, and the sooner it is treated, the easier it is to control.
What is “cough variant asthma”?
If the cough persists for more than a month, often with a dry cough at night or in the early hours of the morning, without wheezing or sputum, and with normal daytime activity. The cough can be triggered by exercise or cold air stimulation. In this case, we need to be alert to “asthma”, which often has cough as the only symptom and all tests are normal. If bronchodilators are given, cough symptoms may disappear. This type of asthma is now called “cough variant asthma” and should be treated and prevented as asthma. In some cases, the airways may overreact to mild irritation, and anti-allergy medication may be helpful.
Can active treatment of allergic rhinitis prevent asthma from occurring?
Allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma are allergic inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract and are very similar in every way except for their location. According to statistics, the risk of bronchial asthma is at least 8-20 times higher in patients with allergic rhinitis than in normal people. If you have frequent itching, continuous sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion, you should see a doctor. This is because active treatment of allergic rhinitis can prevent the development of bronchial asthma. Anti-allergic drugs are the common medications used to treat allergic rhinitis, and inhaled glucocorticoids are currently the best treatment for allergic rhinitis.
Is asthma related to allergies?
Although many people will suffer from both asthma and allergies, the two conditions are not necessarily linked together. Some people have asthma without allergies, and many people who have allergies do not have asthma. If a person has both asthma and allergies, it is likely that those allergic reactions (to house dust mites, for example) will exacerbate their asthma symptoms. What exactly are the allergens we are talking about? The allergens associated with asthma are those that cause cushings (making the nose itchy and stuffy), skin eczema (usually on the knees, elbows, neck, etc.), and paresthesia. Other allergens, such as penicillin, are not associated with asthma. Aspirin, on the other hand, can cause asthma.
What can trigger an asthma attack?
Animals with fur, incense smoke, fumes, dust from bedding and pillows, dust from sweeping, strong odors and aerosols, pollen from trees and flowers, weather changes, colds, running, exercise and exertion are sometimes called asthma triggers.
Do I need treatment for asthma when I don’t have an attack?
Asthma is a chronic and recurrent disease that requires long-term treatment. In the past, most patients took an emergency approach, remembering to treat asthma only during an attack and not using any medication during remission, which repeatedly caused serious complications such as emphysema and pulmonary heart disease over time. Modern treatment of asthma should focus on the remission period, i.e., pursuing anti-inflammatory as the primary principle of treating asthma as determined by the “Global Initiative for Asthma Control”. The treatment during the remission period can enhance physical fitness, improve the body’s immunity and long-term resistance to disease, and completely eliminate the inflammation in the airways, thus achieving the goal of preventing asthma attacks. Drugs used for remission treatment are sodium colored glycolate, respiratory topical hormone inhalers, anti-allergic drugs (such as ketaminergic, ketoprofen, etc.), leukotriene receptor antagonists, etc. Although preventive medications are slow to work, they are very effective in preventing asthma attacks and must be used regularly to prolong the remission period.
What are the goals of asthma treatment?
The goal of treating asthma is twofold: 1) to keep lung function as normal as possible, and 2) to treat asthma as soon as possible before it becomes severe. Many people, including children, can achieve this treatment goal. A significant number of people (probably including you) will need to be on time with their medication. If you need to get your treatment on time, accept the fact that this is the price you pay to achieve a healthy and happy life. Although asthma cannot be completely cured, it can be brought under complete control. Sometimes after a few months of regular treatment, lung function remains good and symptoms improve. Conversely, if you ignore your asthma, it will not calm down. Because of this, you must not ignore the symptoms that make you uncomfortable. If your asthma is not well controlled, you should consult a medical professional immediately.
You can’t cure asthma, but you can control it
When people with asthma learn to control their asthma, they can live a normal, active life, they can work, play and go to school. They can sleep well at night. There is nothing to be ashamed of when you have asthma. Many people around the world have asthma, including many athletes, singers such as Teresa Teng, and celebrities such as President John F. Kennedy.
How can you control your asthma and prevent asthma attacks?
1. Stay away from things that can trigger your asthma attack.
2. Take asthma medication as prescribed by your doctor.
3. Go to the hospital 2-4 times a year to check your health and medication, even when you are feeling well and have no breathing problems.
When you have a relative with asthma, how can you prevent your child from getting asthma too?
1. Don’t smoke when you are pregnant.
2.Do not expose your baby to tobacco aerosol and do not have friends smoking in your home.
3, the baby’s mattress should be covered with a special dust cover.
4. Don’t have cats and other fur-bearing animals in your home.
How to remove things that cause asthma attacks?
1. Many asthmatics are allergic to animals with fur. Keep animals out of the house and don’t have pets.
2. Don’t smoke indoors. Help to quit smoking.
3.No strong smells in the house, no perfumed soaps, shampoos or lotions, no incense.
4.The house where asthma patients sleep should take some special changes.
5.Take away the big and small carpets, because they can accumulate dust and mold.
6, take away the soft chair cushions and extra small cushions, because they can accumulate dust.
7, do not let animals on the bed or in the bedroom.
8, do not smoke or have a strong smell in the bedroom. Keep the bed simple. Dust accumulates in mattresses, blankets and pillows, and this dust affects most asthmatics.
9.Mattress and pillow covers with special dust-proof covers with zippers.
10.Do not use pillows and mattresses made of straw.
11.A simple mattress may be better than a mattress.
12.Wash sheets and blankets often with very hot water and put them in the sun to dry. Open windows to keep the air fresh and clean.
13.When the house is stuffy, open the windows when there is cooking smoke and a strong smell in the house.
14.If you burn wood or kerosene, open the window a little to remove the smoke.
15, when the outside air is full of car exhaust, factory pollutants, dust and pollen from flowers and trees close the windows.
16. Plan to do these chores when the asthmatic is not at home.
17 Sweep, vacuum or plaster the floor.
Most people with asthma need two types of asthma medications
1. Every patient with asthma needs to have a medication that provides quick relief to end an asthma attack.
2. Many patients also need a daily preventive medicine to protect their lungs and prevent asthma attacks.
The role of a medication plan
1. Use the medication plan to learn what quick relief medication to use when you have an asthma attack.
2. Use the medication plan to help remember what preventive medication to use each day.
3.Use the medication plan to clarify whether you should use your asthma medication before exercise or heavy physical activity.
4.It is safe to use preventive medicine for asthma every day.
5.Even if you have used preventive medicine for asthma for years, you will not become addicted to this medicine.
6.Preventive medicine can eliminate airway inflammation in the lungs.
Tell your doctor about all the problems you are having with your asthma medication
Your doctor can change your asthma medication or change the dose of your medication. There are many kinds of asthma medications to choose from.
Go to your doctor 2-4 times a year for checkups to see how well your asthma medication is working.
Asthma can get better or worse over the years and your doctor may need to change your asthma medication.
Asthma medications can be applied in different ways
When asthma medication is inhaled, it goes directly into the airways of the lungs where it is given. There are many different types of inhaler devices for asthma medication, most of which are aerosols and some are dry powders. Asthma medications can be pills or syrups.
Be prepared and always have asthma medication: set aside money for asthma medication; buy back-up medication before you run out; and always take quick asthma relief medication with you when you are away from home.
How to use an aerosol inhaler – Remember to inhale deeply and slowly:.
1. Take off the cap and shake the inhaler
2.Stand up and exhale
3. Put the inhaler in your mouth or just in front of your mouth. As you begin to inhale, press the top of the inhaler and continue to inhale deeply and slowly
4.Hold your breath for 10 seconds in the deep inhalation position and exhale
Mist storage canisters or gas storage containers can make the spray inhaler easier to use
1. Spray the asthma medication into the canister one at a time
2.Then inhale deeply and hold your breath for 10 seconds
3.Exhale into the storage canister
4.Inhale again, but don’t spray the medicine again
There are many kinds of fog canisters, some with mouth plugs and some with face masks.
If an asthma attack starts, act immediately
Be aware of the signs that an asthma attack is starting, such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and being disturbed awake at night.
Stay away from things that trigger an asthma attack.
Use asthma quick relief medication.
Stay quiet for 1 hour to determine if your breathing is gradually stabilizing.
If you do not get better, go to the emergency room immediately to see your doctor. Seek help immediately if you have any of the following asthma danger signs
Rapid relief medication is short-lived or does not relieve the condition at all; breathing is rapid and difficult.
Difficulty speaking.
Lips and nails turn blue.
Nostrils become larger when breathing.
Intercostal sunken during breathing.
The skin around the neck sinks in.
Very fast heartbeat or pulse.
Difficulty walking.
Beware! Excessive use of fast-relief medications during an asthma attack is harmful
Fast-relief medications may end an asthma attack. However, in some cases, using too much rapid relief medicine can make the lining of your airways increasingly swollen, at which point you are at risk for a very serious asthma attack that can even take your life. If you need to apply rapid relief medication every day to stop an asthma attack, this means you need to use asthma prevention medication. If you need more than 4 applications of rapid relief medication a day to stop an asthma attack, you need to see your doctor today.
A peak flow meter can be used in an office visit or at home to measure how well a person is breathing.
It can help doctors diagnose whether a person has asthma.
It can help to know the severity of an asthma attack.
It helps the doctor to keep constantly informed about how well the asthma is being controlled. If a peak flow meter is used daily at home, a person can even detect breathing problems before wheezing or coughing symptoms appear. Following this, one can learn when more asthma medication is needed.
Precautions for using inhaled corticosteroids
1. The obvious effect usually appears only after 1 week of continuous, regular medication, and should be used more than 1 week earlier when preventing seasonal asthma attacks.
2.Inhale bronchodilators first, followed by inhaled corticosteroids when needed.
3. care should be taken to rinse the mouth after inhalation to prevent Candida infection of the oropharynx.
Precautions for the use of proprietary Chinese medicines to prevent and treat asthma attacks
1.Under the guidance of an asthma specialist, use preparations with reliable efficacy.
2. proprietary Chinese medicines should only be used as an adjunctive treatment for acute asthma attacks.
3. It is not advisable to use pCms without the exact ingredients indicated; it is not advisable to use pCms without a national drug registration.
4. Note that a few pCms with “peculiar” effects may contain oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone and dexamethasone, which will lead to serious adverse reactions when used in large doses for a long time and should be avoided.
Commonly used antiasthmatic drugs
1.B2 agonists.
Oral agents: allotropin, salbutamol, liconic acid, methotrexate, help preparation.
Aerosol: Vantorin, Schlitzel, Asthma, Likonidulb.
2, theophylline drugs: Antequine, Shuvamet, Ubiquitin, Prolotherapy.
3.Anti-cholinergic drugs: Adequan, Cortriptyline.
Asthma and preventive drugs
Corticosteroids: Bicodone aerosol (beclomethasone propionate), co-codone aerosol, pramipexole (butyldehydromine), pramipexole aerosol, beclomethasone propionate aerosol, sulforaphane powder
Other drugs.
Anchorite tablets, cisplatin tablets
Sodium cromoglycate, nedocromic acid (nedocromil sodium)
Clomipramine, ketotifen, trinostat, teflamadine