Do you often feel short of breath, especially in an environment with humid air, pollution, dust and others? It could be that you have asthma. To prevent it from getting worse or complications occur, it is important for you to identify and understand what causes asthma and how to treat asthma. Let's talk more!
Definition of Asthma
Asthma is a respiratory disease that causes narrowing of the airways (bronchial hyperactivity) to cause shortness of breath or chest tightness.
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 difficulty 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.
What Causes Asthma?
In several studies, the cause of asthma has not been found with certainty, but from the symptoms and risk factors it can be concluded that there are several causes of asthma in general. Asthma can occur due to irritation in the lungs that causes the respiratory tract muscles to become stiff or narrow. If this happens, a person will automatically feel short of breath and if not treated immediately, there will be dangerous side effects. Here are some common causes of asthma:
- Have allergies to air pollution, cigarette smoke, animal dander, cold air or others
- Hereditary factors
- The presence of respiratory tract infections that may occur in childhood or adolescence
- Long-term contact with several objects that can cause allergic reactions or infections, such as air pollution as an infant or child, during which time a person is in a period of growth and development.
Apart from the common causes above, there are also very important risk factors to consider or avoid. Each person has different risk factors from one another, as for these risk factors are:
- Cigarette smoke
- Dust
- Animal hair
- Cold air
- Lung and upper respiratory tract infections
- Exposure to chemicals
- 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 Treatment
Asthma treatment can be done with two therapies, namely relieving symptoms and preventing or avoiding risk factors that can cause asthma symptoms to recur. Of these two ways, asthmatics can ensure that asthma does not recur so that activities can run optimally.
Discipline is needed by asthmatics in undergoing treatment with doctors to keep asthma under control. In addition, asthmatics are also required to avoid things that trigger a relapse.
One of the objects that can be categorized as drugs that must be carried or owned by asthmatics is an inhaler. However, this object must be used according to the doctor's advice. Generally, inhalers are recommended as drugs for the first treatment when asthma flares up, but frequent use of inhalers can potentially cause side effects for users. 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 because asthma attacks are closely related to the response time to treatment in order to avoid bad complications.
If you have symptoms or complaints that point to asthma, immediately consult our Lung and Respiratory Specialist at Royal Progress Hospital for a consultation to determine the right treatment for you.
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