Doctors come across so many people with Asthma who are treating this condition in an irresponsible and haphazard manner. Many sufferers deny, even to themselves, the fact that they have Asthma.
Keeping Asthma Under Control
Asthma should be viewed simply as a condition, not a stigma or major disease - and certainly not something to be ashamed about. It is not difficult to keep Asthma under control. If not managed properly however it can be life threatening- or even result in death.
When someone is diagnosed as having Asthma, it simply means that they have sensitive bronchi (the tubes that convey air we breathe from the nose and windpipe to the lungs). Bronchi are basically pipes made of smooth muscle. Like all the body's muscles, bronchi can contract when stimulated. Being able to contract or relax as required, they can vary their diameter, thus allowing more (or less) air to flow in and out of the lungs as needed.
Wheezing
If someone has Asthma, these air passages are overly sensitive to certain stimuli (called allergens) – which enter the body through the air one breathes, the food one eats or through the skin. If exposed to these allergens - or certain emotional stimuli - the bronchi suddenly narrow, making it difficult for air to flow into the lungs. This makes breathing difficult and causes wheezing.
This then is the simple explanation for Asthma – although certain other factors (swelling of the lining of the bronchi as well as production of mucus, both of which can further narrow the diameter of the bronchi) can also contribute to the reduction in air flow.
Management of asthma thus involves
- Preventing allergens stimulating and narrowing the bronchi
- Relieving this narrowing should prevention fail
The simplest method of prevention is to keep away from known allergens. If allergic to cat fur or cigarette smoke, keep away from cats and people who smoke. Such avoidance however is easier said than done! So to prevent allergens narrowing the bronchi, certain drugs are needed. Among the most effective are Steroids, and modern management involves making optimum use of inhaled steroids.
The word Steroid evokes fear in people – being associated with musclebound body-builders, masculinized women and Olympic cheats. While it is true that swallowing or injecting extra steroids into one’s body is asking for danger, the doses of inhaled steroids employed in modern asthma inhalers are too small to have such adverse effects. Preventive steroids are recommended to be taken once or twice a day through an inhaler (also called a puffer). Learning the proper technique of using these inhalers is vital, to ensure that the correct dose of drug is sucked into the airways. One should always wash one’s mouth with water after inhalation to ensure no steroid particles are left in the mouth and throat. If taken correctly, inhaled steroids are very effective in minimising the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.
If an attack of asthma comes on despite taking appropriate preventer medication, Reliever medication is required. One of the commonest medications used is salbutamol, although there are others. All are available in inhalers that deliver a measured dose of the drug. These Relievers act by relaxing the spasm in the bronchial muscles and so widening the air tubes, thus allowing more air to flow into and out of the lungs.
An important aspect of asthma management these days is to have a written Asthma Action Plan, a copy of which should be kept with the person who has Asthma – or if this is a child, with the parents and teacher. The purpose of such a written plan is to educate the person with Asthma so that he or she knows why he needs to take the different medications, how they should be taken, and when they should be taken. The “When” aspect is most important – so one does not neglect taking one's Preventer medication regularly, and to know what symptoms indicate that it is time to take a dose of the Reliever medication.
Of course, having a Plan and buying the medications prescribed by thedoctor is only part of the solution. Far too many people having asthma forget to take their Reliever puffers when they leave home – or have the puffer in their pocket or handbag but feel embarrassed to take it out and use it even when they feel tightness in the chest!
Managing Asthma is not difficult – provided one makes the effort to understand the condition, educate oneself about one's medications, and follows a proper Asthma Action Plan.
 |
