Understanding Asthma Attacks
Asthma is an increasingly common health condition in modern society. You’ve almost certainly heard of it. But unless you actually suffer from the problem, you might not know what actually transpires during an asthma attack. If you’ve just been diagnosed with the condition, here are some facts you should know.
Symptoms of an asthma attack include shortness of breath, coughing and a wheezing or whistling sound in your chest. It’s a serious situation, and can lead to death if untreated.
So what is it that sets off an attack of asthma? It can vary depending on the individual. Well known triggers include allergic substances like pollen, dust, environmental pollution, chemicals and smoke. Indeed, many attacks are actually caused by allergy induced asthma. Things like a change in the atmospheric pressure, cold air, exercise or a common cold virus can also trigger asthma symptoms.
The site of an asthma attack is the airways leading to the lungs. The opening and closing of your airways are controlled by a specific muscle. It’s completely reflexive, so you can’t control it voluntarily. However, it can be caused to tighten by certain irritants or external conditions, as mentioned earlier. When you have an asthma condition, the muscle reacts disproportionately to the the triggers, thereby causing an attack.
When the muscle tightens, the airway narrows. It also gets clogged with mucus and the lining becomes swollen and inflamed. The presence of mucus in the air passages is completely normal, because it helps the flow of air from the lungs. However, during an asthma attack, mucus production increases considerably, and it clogs the airway.
This sticky mucus makes it very difficult to breathe. As long as the excess mucus is in place, the asthma attack won’t stop. That’s why it’s so important to treat your symptoms immediately with a prescribed medication.
Sometimes an attack will last just a few minutes. A severe attack, though, can go on for hours or days. There will be intervals where you might not experience any symptoms, but they will soon return if you don’t receive the proper medication.
If you suspect you might have asthma, it’s essential that you visit your doctor immediately. Tests will be run in order to make an accurate diagnosis. As well, they’ll try to figure out what’s triggering the attacks. Once you know what your triggers are, it’s essential that you avoid them as much as possible. In order to avoid asthma attacks in the future, close medical supervision and a strong commitment to using the proper asthma remedies are essential. Never ignore the symptoms, because an asthma attack can be life threatening.
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