Asthma is a reversible obstructive lung disease caused by increased reaction of the airways to various stimuli. It is a chronic inflammatory condition with acute exacerbations. It can be life threatening if not properly managed. It is uncertain how one gets asthma.

 

 Lungs react to triggers that can cause an attack by making more mucus than normal, which is very thick, sticky and tends to clog the air tubes. The air tubes swell and the muscles in the tubes tighten causing narrowing of the air passages. This makes it hard to breathe resulting in a “wheeze”. Triggers can be such things as: a respiratory infection, cold, cigarette smoke, exercise, exposure to cold air or a sudden change in temperature, excitement, stress, indoor and outdoor pollutants or allergic reactions to pollen, mold, animal dander, feathers, dust and food.

 

 Asthma attacks may start suddenly or take a while to develop. They may be mild, moderate or severe. Mild or moderate attacks are more common. Symptoms are usually coughing or spitting up mucus, chest tightness, restlessness or trouble sleeping. Severe attack symptoms can be breathlessness, difficulty speaking, tight neck muscles and/or gray or bluish color of lips and fingernails. Severe attacks are treatable is medication and immediate emergency medical help, either in your physician’s office or an emergency room. Waiting too long to get help can result in death.

 

 Standard medicinal treatment usually works within minutes or sometimes hours. Know how long it takes for your medication to work. If it doesn’t work, call your physician immediately. There are two classes of medications: anti-inflammatory agents and bronchodilators. They can be divided into long term control medications taken regularly and quick-relief (rescue) medications taken as needed to relieve bronchoconstriction rapidly. Anti-inflammatory agents interrupt development of bronchial inflammation and have a preventive action. They may also modify or terminate ongoing inflammatory reactions in the airways. Bronchodilators act principally by relaxing bronchial muscle.

 

 Use of more than one canister per month of quick-relief medication indicates poor asthma control. Long term control medications should be added or increased. Anyone with persistent asthma requires treatment with both long term control and quick relief medications.

 

 Medication may be administered via metered dose inhalers, aerosol therapy and orally. Metered dose inhalers are hand held and can be carried on one’s person. For aerosol therapy (nebulized medication), compressed air generated by a small electric motor is directed to an aerosolizing chamber containing a liquid medication which is changed to a mist form and inhaled. Peak flow meters may be used to help adjust medication dosages especially in moderate or severe asthma. A peak flow meter is a portable, inexpensive, hand held device that measures one’s ability to push air out of the lungs in one “fast blast”. They are provided in two ranges: low for small children; and standard for older children, teenagers and adults.

 

 There are an estimated 20.3 million asthmatics in the U.S. with 6.3 million under the age of 18. Asthma is still poorly managed despite drugs available.