Asthma occurs when the airways are chronically inflamed and more sensitive to triggers than normal. On exposure to a trigger — such as dust, smoke, cold air, or a respiratory infection — the airways tighten and swell, narrowing the air passages so that air moves in and out with difficulty, causing breathlessness and noisy breathing. Asthma affects both children and adults and is often linked to allergy.
Symptoms of asthma
Symptoms usually come and go and worsen on exposure to a trigger or at night and in the early morning. The most common include:
- A chronic cough, especially at night or after exercise
- Chest tightness and a feeling of not getting enough air
- Wheezing (a whistling sound when breathing out)
- Breathlessness and difficulty breathing, especially on exposure to dust, smoke or a change in the weather
Understanding the 2 groups of medication is the key to control
The "controller" inhaler is used every day to reduce inflammation of the airways and prevent flare-ups, while the "reliever" inhaler is used when symptoms occur to widen the airways quickly. If you need to use the reliever more often, it means the disease is not well controlled and you should consult a doctor.
Care and treatment
The goal is to keep symptoms under control, live a normal life, and prevent severe flare-ups.
- Avoid triggers such as dust, dust mites, cigarette smoke, animal dander and very cold air
- Use the controller inhaler consistently as prescribed, even on days without symptoms, and carry a reliever inhaler with you
- Use the correct inhaler technique, and attend follow-up appointments so the medication can be adjusted appropriately
At Doctor Chat Clinic, we examine and treat patients with a doctor, offering nebuliser treatment to relieve symptoms, blood tests for further investigation, and preventive vaccines such as the influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, which help reduce respiratory infections that trigger asthma flare-ups.
Preventing flare-ups
Besides using medication as prescribed, you should keep your home clean and free of dust and dust mites, not smoke and avoid cigarette smoke, have the influenza vaccine every year, exercise regularly to keep your lungs strong, and observe your own triggers so you can avoid them in advance. Good symptom control greatly reduces the chance of a severe asthma attack.
A severe attack — go to hospital immediately
- So breathless that you can only speak in single words, not full sentences
- Blue or dusky lips or fingertips
- The reliever inhaler does not improve symptoms, or breathlessness returns quickly
- Rapid, hard breathing, the ribs drawing in, becoming drowsy, or restless