Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes recurring
periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness,
shortness of breath, and coughing. The coughing often occurs at night or early
in the morning.
Asthma affects people of all ages, but it
most often starts during childhood.
Overview
To understand asthma, let us know how
the airways work. The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of your
lungs. People who have asthma have inflamed airways. The inflammation makes the
airways swollen and very sensitive. The airways tend to react strongly to
certain inhaled substances.
When the airways react, the muscles around
them tighten. This narrows the airways, causing less air to flow into the
lungs. The swelling also can worsen, making the airways even narrower. Cells in
the airways might make more mucus than usual. Mucus is a sticky, thick liquid
that can further narrow the airways.
This chain reaction can result in asthma
symptoms. Symptoms can happen each time the airways are inflamed.
Asthma
Figure A shows the location of the lungs
and airways in the body. Figure B shows a cross-section of a normal airway.
Figure C shows a cross-section of an airway during asthma symptoms.
Sometimes asthma symptoms are mild and go
away on their own or after minimal treatment with asthma medicine. Other times,
symptoms continue to get worse.
When symptoms get more intense and/or more
symptoms occur, you're having an asthma attack. Asthma attacks also are called
flareups or exacerbations .
Causes of Asthma
Asthma in children usually has many causes,
or triggers. These triggers may change as a child ages. A child’s reaction to a
trigger may also change with treatment. Viral infections can increase the
likelihood of an asthma attack. Common triggers of asthma include the
following:
Respiratory infections: These are usually
viral infections. In some patients, other infections with fungi, bacteria, or
parasites might be responsible.
Allergens :
An allergen is anything in a child’s environment that causes an allergic
reaction. Allergens can be foods, pet dander, molds, fungi, roach allergens, or
dust mites. Allergens can also be seasonal outdoor allergens (eg, mold spores,
pollens, grass, trees).
Irritants: When an irritating substance is
inhaled, it can cause an asthmatic response. Tobacco smoke, cold air,
chemicals, perfumes, paint odors, hair sprays, and air pollutants are irritants
that can cause inflammation in the lungs and result in asthma symptoms.
Weather changes: Asthma attacks can be
related to changes in the weather or the quality of the air. Weather factors
such as humidity and temperature can affect how many allergens and irritants
are being carried in the air and inhaled by your child.
Emotional factors: Some children can have
asthma attacks that are caused or made worse by emotional upsets.
Gastro esophageal reflux (GER): GER is more
commonly known as heartburn. GER is related to asthma because the presence of
small amounts of stomach acid outside of the stomach (in the esophagus) can
irritate the airways.
Inflammation of the upper airways
(including the nasal passages and the sinuses): Inflammation in the upper
airways, which can be caused by allergies, sinus infections, or lung
(respiratory) infections, must be treated before asthmatic symptoms can be
completely controlled.
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