Legacy

Asthma is one the long-term or chronic disease. Asthma occurs when the airways narrow due to the body's reaction to foreign objects in the body. This can cause shortness of breath or difficult breathing. Asthma is most commonly diagnosed in children and young adults, but it can also occur in adults. There are different types of asthma, and everyone may experience it differently.

As a disease that generally affects many people, asthma has become a common disease that is not scary. This disease is related to lung problems in which a person who has asthma and is having a relapse makes it difficult to breathe. Therefore, Asthma can be very serious and even deadly if not treated.

According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, in 2018 it is estimated that 2.4 percent of the entire population of Indonesia suffers from asthma. This number is much higher than the WHO estimate which is about 0.8 percent of the number of asthmatics in Indonesia. If projected, asthmatics can increase which leads to an increase in the number of deaths caused by asthma.

Recognizing Asthma

Asthma is a disease that can be deadly, but many people with the condition do not take the disease seriously. Many people think that asthma can be treated only by using an inhaler, even though if asthma has flared up badly then medical treatment is needed. People with asthma should know that they need to see their doctor regularly, control their asthma, and take medications as prescribed to avoid serious health complications.

Causes and Risk Factors

Many ask what causes asthma? Did you know, In some studies, the cause of asthma can not be found with certainty. In general, asthma can occur because the lungs are exposed to irritation and causes the muscles in the airways to become stiff and narrow. Coupled with increased production of phlegm, so asthma sufferers find it difficult to breathe. In children, asthma symptoms can disappear automatically or by themselves when entering adolescence. However, if the child has asthma symptoms that are quite severe, it is very possible for the child to get asthma again.

In addition to irritation, there are several risk factors that can worsen the condition of asthmatics:

Cigarette smoke
Dust
Animal hair
Cold air
Lung and upper respiratory tract infections
Chemical exposure
Have a history of allergies
Physical activity
Certain occupational environmental risks such as welder, woodwork, or textile factory workers;
Excessive emotions (loud laughter or prolonged sadness);
Food allergies, such as nuts

Asthma Symptoms

As a chronic disease that attacks the respiratory organs, one of the visible symptoms of asthma sufferers is difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. However, not only that, other common symptoms of asthma are varied and it is very important to know, such as:

difficulty breathing through the nose
Asphyxiate
cough
wheezing, such as making a whistling sound when inhaling

How to Detect Asthma

Basically, Asthma can be detected by looking at the pattern of symptoms that occur, the response to treatment therapy that has been done and the possibility of other diseases that can cause asthma (for example allergies). In the diagnosis process, the doctor will ask what symptoms are felt such as coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing and how many times these symptoms occur. In addition, a family medical history of asthma and other allergies will also be asked for consideration if there is a hereditary disease that may occur.

The next step is a physical examination. This process is called a spirometry test, where a person will measure how much air can be inhaled in and out using a spirometer.

This examination cannot be done independently at home, considering that it takes special expertise from a doctor so that the expected results are appropriate. The spirometer will measure lung function and provide the results of the examination in graphic form. This examination must be carried out by a health facility. The following are the steps for performing a spirometry test:

Sit in the most comfortable position
Then, the doctor will cover your nose using a clip-like device just above the nose
Take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds
Exhale into the mouthpiece on the spirometer as hard and fast as you can

In addition to using a spirometer, there are other checks that can be done:

Checking with a peak flow rate meter; This examination aims to determine the function of the lungs to circulate air.
Reversibility check (using a bronchodilator)
Bronchial provocation examination, where this examination aims to measure how much airway narrowing is experienced by a person from asthma.
Allergy test to determine if there is an acute allergy that can cause asthma
Thoracic photo, to see the condition of the lungs of people with asthma

Complications that can occur

As previously informed, many people think that asthma cannot cause complications. This statement really needs to be refuted, considering that if asthma is not treated seriously, it can cause complications and even death. Asthma that is left untreated can lead to various complications, such as:

Psychological problems (easy anxiety, stress, or depression)
Decreased performance at school or work
The body often feels tired
Impaired growth and puberty in children
Status asthmaticus, which is a severe asthma condition that does not respond to normal therapy
Pneumonia
Respiratory failure
Damage to part or all of the lungs
Death

Treatments that can be done

In treatment, how to treat asthma there are two therapies that can be done in asthmatics, namely relieving symptoms and preventing or avoiding risk factors that can cause asthma symptoms to recur. For this reason, people with asthma really need to be disciplined in undergoing treatment with a doctor so that asthma remains under control. In addition, asthmatics are also required to avoid things that trigger a relapse.

Generally, an inhaler will be recommended as a drug for the first treatment when asthma flares up but frequent use of the inhaler can potentially cause side effects for the user. The condition of an asthma attack that is getting worse requires further medical treatment even though it has been treated with inhalers or drugs. The reason is, asthma attacks are closely related to the response time to treatment in order to avoid bad complications.

How to Prevent Asthma

One of the easiest things to do to prevent asthma attacks from happening is to avoid the risk factors that provoke attacks. Here's how to prevent asthma so it doesn't recur again:

identify and avoid asthma trigger factors such as cigarette smoke, excessive vehicle fumes, cold air and others
Follow the doctor's recommendations for treatment regularly and appropriately
take treatment steps obediently and understand the causes of asthma attacks
use asthma medications that have been recommended by doctors regularly and obediently, so that treatment can run smoothly
ensure airway conditions

Apart from avoiding these risk factors, flu and pneumonia vaccinations are also recommended for patients with asthma to prevent dangerous complications related to breathing.

Royal Progress Hospital has a team of experienced pulmonary specialists who are supported by the latest technology to detect and treat asthma sufferers. Click here for more information.