Asthma Attacks: symptoms, causes & prevention, and more

In this video SimpliHealth expert, Dr. Preeti Sharma is talking about Asthma Attacks and also answered some very common questions that people usually ask like: 

• What are the causes of Asthma attacks?
• What should things be taken care of by asthmatic patients? 
• Can we get addicted to the use of inhalers? Are they harmful?

In some cases, people who have asthma don’t know they have asthma, so the chance of having attacks on them is more. 

What are these Asthma Attacks(अस्थमा क्या होता है) and Why do they happen? 

Most people who have dust, smoke either from pollution or factories, or smokers trigger asthma attacks—secondly, a place where people are smoking. Asthma is a lung complaint in which our airways, which we call the trachea, go ahead and divide into bronchi and bronchioles. These become dry; they are like a tube where the swelling comes towards the outside. This is the reason for asthma. 

Asthma Symptoms

What are the symptoms for its patients? 

As breathing is difficult, there is a wheezing sound from the lungs. It is because of them that these tubes swell. So inhalers do the work of opening them. Inhalers are such medicines that when we take them, they reach the lungs directly. That’s why there should never be any stigma attached to taking an inhaler. Inhalers are the most effective medicine which can cure asthma. 

Asthma Inhaler

There are many types of inhalers like bronchodilators; some also contain steroids. If a patient comes to us with asthma, we divide it into steps. Like how many times they had symptoms during the day or how many symptoms they had at night or how many times a week the symptoms came, or how many times in a month. According to this, we say that asthma is well controlled because there are no symptoms or there is partial control of the frequency of symptoms or if those are un-controlled. 

So our aim is to fit the patient in the different categories of well-controlled asthma, and according to the category, medicines are given to the patient. 

Asthma Treatment

So this treatment is escalated step by step. Initially, bronchodilators are given to the patient, and in some cases, we also give steroids depending upon their symptoms. These steroids directly go into the lungs in the form of inhalers. The systemic side effect of steroids taken in the form of inhalers is significantly less than taking in the form of drugs or medicine; it will be more. The body is benefited rather than being damaged by taking steroids in inhalers. 

The swelling in lung tubes (bronchioles and trachea) cannot open, known as inflammation, so steroids help control this inflammation in lung tubes ( bronchioles or trachea). So when taken in inhale form, it has no side effects otherwise, which is a problem for a patient.

Apart from this, as our experts already told you, oral medicine is not prescribed early. In early-stage, inhalers are given, but if one has a severe asthma attack of asthma, then, in that case, the full dose of oral medicine and bronchodilators are given. Despite this, if the patient is not in a calm state, we have to give steroids in the oral form. But it is provided for a small period and the doctor doesn’t continue for a more extended period. 

Our experts believe that if you have any of these symptoms, you must consult your specialist. We need to stratify what kind of asthma is and what kind of symptoms one patient has, how is the control only then we can give the medicine. Asthma is one such disease that can be controlled fully but cannot be cured. By control, I mean that you will not face any problem if you take medicines according to the prescription. If the asthma is well controlled, then the chance of asthma attack is also significantly less. 

One should recognize their asthma, meet their doctor, be concerned with the specialist, and take the medicines and inhalers properly. Understand the whole technique of how to take inhalers properly from your specialist. Because if you are not taking it properly, it is of no use. So after doing this, if your asthma is well controlled, you won’t face any difficulties in the future, and you may do anything that you want to do in the future.

Thank you.