Bronchial asthma is a disease known for its sudden restriction of the respiratory system, by which the airways become constricted and obstructed to some degree. The person feels incapable of exhaling and inhaling due to the inflation of the airways, and altogether, air is unable to flow in and out of the lungs at normal capacity. Many people with asthma have allergies. However, bronchial asthma has several causes for its symptoms, including allergic response, upper respiratory infection, stress or occupational irritants, such as dust or airborne pollutants at work.
Identification
Bronchial asthma is an allergic reaction characterized by a shortness of breath due to respiratory airway obstruction. The airways become narrowed or blocked from inflammation of the bronchial walls, caused by irritants. This causes the respiratory muscles to work strenuously to move efficient amounts of air in and out of the body. However, they easily become overworked from the extra force they have to provide to facilitate normal breathing through the airways that now have edema and are filled with mucus. When the muscles are not able to perform its function, the respiration is compromised and an asthma attack ensues.
Signs and Symptoms
The most common signs and symptoms of bronchial asthma is chest tightness coupled with shortness of breath, as well as wheezing and persistent coughs. These symptoms vary in degree and in combination amongst individuals with asthma, and a variety of factors can cause a bronchial asthmatic response. These factors include anxiety, stress, upper and lower respiratory infections, as well as exercise. Airborne pollutants and toxins, tobacco smoke and allergens, such as dust mites, pet dander, food, pollen and mold, are other factors that can cause a bronchial asthmatic reaction. Even acid reflux, laughing, crying, or a change in temperature, from warm to cold, can cause the respiratory airways to become irritated and inflamed. All of these factors are known to cause inflammation of and increased mucus secretion within the bronchi and bronchioles.
Considerations
Many people challenged by asthma periodically experience relatively mild wheezing, while others are challenged with more persistent and longer-lasting symptoms, as well as asthma attacks. Asthma is not an age-related illness, rather adults and children alike can develop bronchial asthma. Bronchial asthma is a very common disease. It affects one in every 20 people, yet children have a higher incidence of asthma, with one in every 10 children facing the illness. Though the statistics are high, many children tend to overcome the illness with age. Individuals with a family history of asthma, eczema or those prone to allergies, are at increased risk for developing bronchial asthma.
Diagnosis
Some methods employed to diagnose bronchial asthma include the use of spirometry, which analyzes breathing ability and capacity through a spirometer. This is also called a pulmonary function test or PFT. Bronchial asthma can also be diagnosed through analyzing peak expiratory flow, or PEF, through the use of a peak flow meter. Patients are asked to exhale to their greatest capacity, into the peak flow meter, to measure the force level they use to move air out of the lungs. This device is also useful for at-home management of asthma. Chest X-rays are also employed in the diagnosis of bronchial asthma. Doctors use the X-rays to examine the internal condition of the respiratory tract, and they can decipher, from these findings, that bronchial asthma is indeed the cause of the symptoms displayed.
Treatment
Bronchial asthma is treated primarily with a preventive modality. People with asthma are encouraged to avoid the allergens that irritate their asthma. Next, allergy medications may be prescribed to combat exhibited symptoms, including the use of inhalers.
For those with heightened cases of asthma, doctors usually prescribe medications to reduce the inflammation of the respiratory airways. These medications include bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids. Severe instances of asthma are not self-treatable. Healthcare professionals are adamant about monitoring these cases up close, within a hospital setting. There, the patient's breathing ability and capacity is monitored, coupled with on-demand oxygenation and medications administered intravenously. This emergency care will help the patient regain near-normalcy in their breathing abilities.
