What Are Asthma Symptoms and Treatment Methods?
Asthma, which makes it difficult to breathe with the narrowing of the airways and continues in attacks for a lifetime, affects 300 million people around the world. In order to control asthma attacks, it is necessary to be protected from triggering factors. Memorial Atasehir Hospital Chest Diseases Department experts gave information about asthma.
In our country, asthma is seen in 7 out of every 100 adults and 15 out of every 100 children as a result of the combined movement of genetic and environmental triggers. In asthma, which adversely affects the quality of life, the triggering factors are avoided and the drugs given are used properly, the complaints are easily controlled and attacks can be prevented. Thus, the process leading to respiratory failure is prevented.
What is Asthma?
The asthma airways are extremely sensitive to environmental factors. There is swelling in the airways and the membrane called the mucosa that lays the airways. This swelling interferes with air flow from time to time, causing respiratory distress. These periods are called asthma attacks.
What is Allergic Asthma?
Allergic asthma occurs especially in spring and summer. Allergic rhinitis, which affects approximately 20-25 percent of the population and is common in women, can cause asthma if left untreated. Allergies; It develops as a result of the abnormal response of the nose to small particles in the air, called allergens. In some people, these particles can cause allergic asthma in the lungs and allergic conjunctivitis in the eyes. Environmental factors and genetic predisposition play a major role in the development of allergies.
What Are the Symptoms of Asthma?
Asthma manifests itself in attacks caused by obstruction of the airways. Symptoms of asthma are usually; cough, shortness of breath, wheezing and chest tightness. Asthma symptoms that help to diagnose asthma features; they are repetitive, appear at night and in the morning, exposure to certain allergen substances or triggered after exercise. These symptoms do not occur between attacks and asthma patients feel good between attacks. The diagnosis of asthma is made by detailed patient history, examination findings and pulmonary function tests. General asthma symptoms are as follows;
Cough (usually dry and in crises may awaken asleep at night.)
Wheezing
Chest congestion and congestion
Whistling while breathing
Shortness of breath
Risk Factors Causing Asthma
Risk factors for asthma may vary depending on the individual and environmental factors. Accordingly, the risk factors in asthma can be listed as follows;
Family having asthma,
Carpentry, joinery, furniture, bakery, hairdressing, medical staff, veterinary, poultry breeding, welding, foundry, farming, plastic / rubber / chemical / pharmaceutical industries, tea / tobacco production, railway labor, firefighting, dry cleaning, cleaning labor some occupations,
Excessive exposure to allergens during infancy,
From the age of 2 to spend severe respiratory disorders,
Smoking during pregnancy (risk factor for the baby),
Smoking in parents,
Malnutrition and low-weight birth of the baby in the womb
When to consult a doctor in asthma?
If asthma symptoms recur continuously, consult a doctor immediately.
If complaints such as cough, wheezing, chest tightness occur more than once a week,
If the complaints wake you up at night,
If you have difficulty speaking,
If there is bruising on the lips and nails,
If the heart has excessive palpitation and pulse acceleration,
If there is difficulty in walking, consult your chest specialist as soon as possible.
Factors triggering asthma
Factors that do not have any effect in people without asthma can easily affect people with asthma. Therefore, it is extremely important to pay attention to the factors that trigger asthma.
House dust mites:
It is the most common allergen in asthmatics. Mites are creatures too small to be seen with the eye. They live in beds, pillows, carpets, furry toys and textile fibers. They need humid and hot environments to survive. They feed on dead cells that fall from the skin. Dehydrated feces cause allergies. Complaints of mite allergies increase in spring and autumn, and usually increase in the morning.
For protection from mites;
In particular, dust-holding articles such as carpets in the bedroom, velvet-clothed furniture / curtains, furry toys, armchairs and books should be removed or reduced as much as possible.
Leather or vinex coating should be preferred instead of fabric in furniture.
Beds, duvets and pillows should be replaced with synthetic ones such as orlon / dacron instead of cotton / wool / feather.
Bed linen and bed linen should be washed once a week, at or above 60 degrees.
Special mattress covers can be used. These covers should be wiped with a wet cloth every two weeks.
Curtains, rugs, clothing should be washed every 60 weeks or above 60 degrees.
Carpets should be cleaned at least once a week with a strong vacuum cleaner.
The patient should enter the cleaning room after at least 20 minutes. If he / she is cleaning himself, he should cover his mouth and nose with mask / cheesecloth.
Indoor humidity should be controlled. When the humidity in the air drops below 45%, the mites die.
Rooms should be well ventilated.
Steam engines and humidifiers should not be used.
Cleaning agents may be used for lethal chemicals. However, they should not be administered by the patient himself.
Pollens:
Pollen causes seasonal asthma complaints. Nose and nasal discharge, itching, sneezing, watering eyes, live, redness may be seen. Tree pollen causes complaints in February-May and grass pollen in May-June.
During the pollen season;
The windows of cars and houses should be kept closed.
The patient should not go out as far as possible.
He should use a mask if he can.
When coming home from outside, clothes should be washed immediately, if possible, nose wash and shower should be taken.
Laundry should not be dried outside, pollen may stick to them.
Cat / dog / cockroach allergens:
Allergens in cats and dogs fur, feathers, saliva, urine and feces can easily spread throughout the house. Cats have more allergic effects than dogs. Allergen effect persists even 3 months after the cat has moved away from home. Cockroaches are common, especially in kitchens, and live in recesses where food remains are full.
The most effective way to prevent cat / dog allergy is to remove these animals from the home and not to enter their environment.
If the animals cannot be removed from the home, they should be washed every week or every two weeks, brushed out in the open air every day, never inserted into the bedrooms and cleaned with a vacuum cleaner at least twice a week.
The only solution in cockroach allergy is to eliminate these organisms by spraying. However, the application should be made when the patient is not at home and should be well ventilated at least 2 hours before entering the house.
Domestic mushrooms:
Fungi can grow in poorly ventilated areas, such as damp, dark, cool basements and bathrooms.
Moisture in the house should be reduced as much as possible and the house should be ventilated frequently.
Wood, old books, papers, fruits and vegetables should not be kept in the house for a long time.
Moist surfaces should be wiped frequently with bleach.
Goods on which mushroom growth should be removed from the house.
Outdoor pollution:
In cases of increased air pollution, unnecessary physical activities and, as far as possible, should be avoided. When necessary, a short-acting bronchial expander recommended by the doctor should be used before going out. The windows should be kept closed in case of air pollution.
Indoor pollution:
Asthmatic patients should not smoke and should not be in smoking environments. Stoves and fireplaces without chimneys should not be used and the chimney should be cleaned frequently. While cooking, the fume of the cooker or oven should be drawn with the aspirator and the kitchen should be well ventilated. The asthmatic patient should not be exposed to coal / wood / liquid fuel smoke, perfume, cleaning agents, frying, spray, paint and lacquer odors as much as possible.
Microbial respiratory diseases:
Patients with asthma are more likely to develop microbial diseases of the airways than normal, which may exacerbate the complaints of asthmatics.
Asthmatics should avoid contact with people with respiratory infections.
Influenza vaccine is recommended for asthmatic patients in September-October every year.
It may be necessary to increase the dose of asthma medications or add new medications during microbial diseases.
Asthma patients can be easily affected by adverse weather conditions. Therefore, it should not be exposed to cold as much as possible. Refrain from exercising in the cold.
Exercise:
Short-acting airway expanders may be used before exercise. Exercise should not be limited, on the contrary, the sport should be done as much as the patient's body allows.
Gastroesophageal reflux:
The frequency of reflux in asthma patients; 35 to 90%. Reflux, which can also cause persistent coughs, may be silent and may not cause a patient's complaint. In this case, persistent cough should be considered and the presence of reflux in an asthmatic patient should be investigated.
Reflux is the escaping of the gastric acid back into the esophagus due to disruption of the valve mechanism at the lower end of the esophagus preventing the passage of stomach contents into the esophagus. When stomach acid goes up, it can cause contractions in the bronchi, asthma attacks and chronic coughs, especially at night in people with allergic asthma.
Is Asthma Genetics?
Genetic factors play a role in the century. Asthma may be present on the mother and father's side. The disease is more common in people with both parents who have asthma. Allergy also has a role in patients with genetic factors. However, not all allergic people have asthma, and not all asthmatic people may have allergies.
What is good for asthma?
The most important part of asthma treatment is to stay away from the factors that can lead to asthma attacks. Therefore, it is very important for the patient to know the causes of the asthma attack. Some of the measures that will be good for asthma are as follows;
Pets should not be fed at home if you are allergic to pets
No smoking in the house
Do not use household spray, scented detergent, perfume
Synthetic bedding should be used (feather pillows, blankets, etc.)
Especially in the bedroom rugs, carpets, furniture, pillows and cushions should not have
Mattress should be thin, simple and synthetic
House should be ventilated
When the pollen increases, the doors and windows inside the house should be kept closed.
Whitewash, paint, lacquer, insecticide application
Must be ventilated when frying and cooking smell occur in the house
Do not go outside if there is wind in dry weather
Avoid gardening such as lawn mowing and weed cleaning, which causes the mixing of allergens into the air
Holiday hotels or cottages should be reviewed for allergens
Do not overdo it when performing outdoor exercises.
Clothing worn outside should be changed when returning home and shower allergens removed from the skin and hair
Wide-edged glasses should be used when going out. People with a very allergic nature and asthma patients should also use allergy masks
Allergy medications should be taken before the complaints begin during periods of high amount of pollen
Doors and windows should be kept closed during high pollen density
External activities should be avoided in the first hours of the day when the amount of pollen is high.
Instead of opening windows at home and in the car, air conditioners with regular pollen filters should be used.
Keep the humidity of living spaces low
House cleaning should be done with a vacuum cleaner with HEPA filter.
How is Asthma Diagnosed?
From the diagnosis of asthma, the patient's complaints and asthma symptoms are evaluated first. This process is followed by physical examination, chest radiography, pulmonary function tests, blood allergy tests. Early diagnosis is important in asthma. Because allergic diseases may increase unless necessary precautions are taken and necessary treatment is performed.
Asthma Treatment
There is no miraculous treatment of allergic diseases and asthma. Because these diseases are genetic. However, they can be completely controlled by early diagnosis and good treatment. The most important treatment is the patient-physician relationship and the patient's knowledge about the disease. The aim of the treatment is to provide the patient with a life in which he has no or minimal complaints. Treatment is long-term. The first step in treatment is to avoid and avoid the allergens to which it is sensitive. The second step of treatment is drugs. First, inhalation, spray or powder drugs should be preferred.
Asthma Medications
Two types of drugs are used in the treatment of asthma. These; and medications that treat or control the disease; In the treatment of asthma, which medications will be used for how long and in which situations should be determined by the doctor.
In asthmatic patients, chest tightness, cough, runny nose, reddening of the eyes, redness of the head and neck may occur after half an hour after taking aspirin or other painkillers. In more serious cases, shock and loss of consciousness may occur. Nasal polyps may also accompany asthmatic patients with aspirin allergy. When necessary, a painkiller without a patient's allergy is preferred.
Some blood pressure and heart medications, eye drops used for glaucoma, and medications used during anesthesia and radiological examinations may cause complaints in asthma patients. If you tell your doctor that you have asthma before prescribing any medication, he or she will prescribe the appropriate medicine.
Asthma in Pregnancy
During pregnancy, no change is observed in half of asthmatic patients. Complaints increase in 1 out of 3 patients and complaints relieve in 1 out of 3 patients. Untreated asthma can harm the baby more than medications.
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