Fast Facts: Asthma for Patients and their Supporters

Information + Taking Control = Best Outcome

J. Harrington

• Publisher: S. Karger
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781912776658
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Pulmonary & Thoracic Medicine

Asthma is a long-term condition that reduces the amount of air flowing in and out of the lungs. Whether your symptoms are mild, difficult-to-control or severe, it is important to be in control of your asthma. The information in this booklet is designed to help you and your family better understand the condition, what triggers it and how to treat it. It includes clear instructions for good inhaler technique and emphasizes the importance of having an Asthma Action Plan in place so that you know: • when and how often to take your treatment • how to tell if your symptoms are getting worse • what to do when your symptoms get worse. With simple clear illustrations, explanation of medical terms and space to write down the questions you want to ask your doctor or nurse, this resource will help you take control of your asthma. Contents: • What is asthma? • What causes asthma? • What are the symptoms of asthma? • What are the tests for asthma? • What medications are used to treat asthma? • Inhalers and spacers • Your Asthma Action Plan • How do I prevent an asthma attack? • How do I manage an asthma attack? • Difficult-to-control asthma • Severe asthma • Treatment of severe asthma • Exercise-induced asthma • Occupational asthma • Asthma in older people • Asthma in pregnancy • Asthma in children

What is asthma?

Understanding your airways

Asthma affects breathing tubes (airways) called bronchioles and bronchi that run from your windpipe to your lungs. These airways supply air to tiny fragile sacs called alveoli.

The airways are complicated structures made up of several layers. Each tube is lined by cells that have fine hairs (cilia) that keep the airway clean.

In asthma, the airways become narrower because: • the muscle around the airways tightens • the lining of the airways become inflamed and swollen • mucus builds up in the airway. In addition, air gets trapped in the alveoli, stopping the proper exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

As a result, it becomes more difficult to breathe in and out, and you will experience symptoms such as chest tightness, wheezing or coughing.

TERMINOLOGY TIP

Bronchi are the large airways that connect your windpipe to your lungs.

Bronchioles are smaller airways in the lungs that branch from the bronchi.

Alveoli are the tiny air-filled sacs at the end of the bronchi where gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) move between the lungs and the blood.

Why me?

Asthma can develop at any age. The causes of asthma vary from person to person and depend on your genes, level of immunity, physical development and interactions with the environment.

Different types of asthma

• Childhood asthma is the most common type of asthma. It is often caused by allergies or exposure to viruses. Symptoms resolve in over two-thirds of children as they grow older.

• Adolescent- and adult-onset asthma can develop after a severe viral illness or from an allergy.

• Occupational asthma is triggered by certain exposures in the workplace (for example, dust or chemicals).

• Seasonal asthma improves or worsens as the seasons change. Examples of triggers are cold weather and different types of pollen.

• Exercise-induced asthma occurs during and after exercise.

• Catamenial (or perimenstrual) asthma worsens around the time of a woman’s period.

Severity of asthma

Your doctor will grade your asthma as mild, moderate or severe, depending on how bad your symptoms are and the level of treatment you require. Asthma with a lot of symptoms and/or very serious attacks or worsening symptoms is often described as difficult to control or severe.

Ask your doctor

What sort of asthma do I have?

What causes asthma?

The exact cause of asthma is unknown, but there are a number of risk factors that increase the likelihood of asthma developing. They are different from the ‘triggers’ that bring on an asthma attack or cause asthma to worsen (see pages 7–10).

Risk factors

More than one risk factor is usually needed for asthma to develop.

Genes. No single gene causes asthma, but if one of your parents has asthma you have a 25% (1 in 4) chance of developing it; this rises to 50% (a 1 in 2 chance) if both of your parents have asthma.

Environmental exposures. People with allergies have an increased risk of developing asthma. A person with multiple allergies, such as hayfever and eczema, is likely to have asthma too. This is known as atopy: 90% of children and 70% of adults with asthma are atopic. You can become allergic through exposure to allergens such as pollens.

Exposure to chemicals or dust is a common cause of asthma in adults. Air pollution is another risk factor – children who live near bu...