Understanding Asthma Attacks
Asthma is an increasingly common health condition in modern society. No doubt you’ve heard about 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.
There are several typical symptoms of an asthma attack. These include coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. 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. In fact, allergies and asthma are very closely related. 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. There’s a muscle located outside the airway that controls when it opens and closes. 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. As well, a build up of mucus takes place, and at the same time the lining becomes inflamed and starts to swell. 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.
It’s hard to breathe when this accumulation of mucus is present. The asthma attack won’t end until the mucus is cleared away. 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. However, a severe attack can last for hours or even 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. He or she will run some tests to diagnose the situation. As well, they’ll try to figure out what’s triggering the attacks. When you’ve established the factors that trigger your attacks, it’s critical that you do your best to avoid them. You’ll need to work closely with your doctor and follow the prescribed asthma treatments if you want to prevent future attacks. The attacks can be deadly, so don’t ignore your symptoms.
