Common Symptoms of Asthma

Common Symptoms of Asthma

ASTHIM Asthma is caused by inflammation and narrowing of the airways without any microorganism. It is one of the most common diseases in the world. It is a chronic and inflammatory disease that can affect people of all ages. Asthma, which affects mostly boys in childhood, is more common in women in adults. Asthma can be controlled with regular medication use and doctor controls. Asthma patients can lead a normal and active life. What is asthma? Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the lung airways, i.e. bronchi. Patients consult a doctor with complaints of shortness of breath, cough and chest tightness. Symptoms of asthma can be confused with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). These complaints caused by asthma occur from time to time, especially due to seasonal changes. These complaints can be relieved with or without medication. While the airways can be restored in asthma, this is not the case in COPD. Since asthma is a chronic disease, regular use of medication and doctor control are important. What are the causes of asthma?

• Genetic predisposition,
• Cigarette use,
• Overweight and obesity,
• House dust mites, pollen, mould fungi and animal hair,
• Chemical substances,
• There is air pollution.
• If asthma is thought to be caused by allergy, skin and blood tests should be performed to determine which substances the patient is allergic to. Avoiding these substances is the basis of treatment. If the patient has pollen allergy, it is recommended not to go out as much as possible during periods when pollen is high and to use a mask when necessary..

What are the symptoms of asthma?

Cough,

Feeling of tightness and pressure in the chest,

Shortness of breath,

Wheezing, wheezing and whistling-like sounds when inhaling and exhaling.

If these symptoms recur, improve spontaneously or with asthma inhalers, and especially if they wake you up from sleep, asthma should be considered.

What are the tests required for the diagnosis of asthma? Asthma is a disease that can be diagnosed by patient history. The presence of recurrent complaints such as cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, wheezing, feeling of pressure in the chest may indicate asthma. A detailed patient history and pulmonary function test to be taken from the patient help in making the diagnosis. A pulmonary function test is performed on the person with complaints. Then an inhaler is given and the pulmonary function test is repeated after 15-20 minutes. If there is a certain difference between the two measurements, asthma is diagnosed. Pulmonary function tests may be normal when the patient is well. This does not mean that the person does not have asthma. Allergy tests are performed to determine whether asthma is of allergic origin. Half of adult asthma patients have allergic asthma. Allergy tests can be performed if allergic conditions are mentioned while taking the patient's patient history. Most of the time, chest X-ray or lung tomography is not required for the diagnosis of asthma. Since these symptoms may also be symptoms of other lung diseases, imaging techniques can be used to differentiate. There is no blood test for the diagnosis of asthma. Blood tests are also performed to determine whether there are other lung diseases. After the diagnosis of asthma is made, the presence of other diseases accompanying asthma is definitely reviewed. Diseases such as nasal polyps, chronic and allergic rhinitis are common with asthma. Sleep apnoea syndrome is also common in asthmatic patients. After the diagnosis of asthma, the patient is followed up at intervals of 1, 3 and 6 months. Pulmonary function tests and other controls are performed in these periods. What is the treatment of asthma? Asthma is characterised by reversible airway obstruction. The aim of the treatment is to control asthma with regular medication and routine physician control. Since it is a chronic disease, it cannot be completely cured. The treatment aims to reduce asthma symptoms as much as possible, to enable the patient to sleep comfortably, to continue his/her daily life comfortably and to prevent asthma attacks. Patient and physician co-operation is very important in asthma treatment. It is important to protect a patient with allergic asthma from allergens. In the treatment of asthma, inhalation, that is, inhaled spray-style drugs are used. These sprays may contain cortisone or breath-opening drugs together or separately. Asthma medicines contain cortisone, but these medicines are not addictive. Sprays are inhaled medicines, cortisone is locally effective in the airways and bronchi, so there are no serious side effects. The amount of cortisone used in asthma treatment is in microgram doses, which is very low. It does not cause known side effects of cortisone such as weight gain, skin deterioration, cataract development, stomach disorders or osteoporosis. Asthma patients should not stop taking their medication voluntarily. When asthma medication is used regularly, continuous use of medication can also be prevented. Regular medical check-ups are recommended after the start of treatment. Asthma is a disease that can occur with crises and attacks. For this reason, the patient's medication should always be available. Asthma can be severe in some patients. There are special treatment methods for these patients. These special treatment methods called biological agents should be accessed from centres specialised in asthma. Frequently asked questions What asthma patients should pay attention to? Asthma patients should use their medication regularly and should not interrupt their doctor's controls. Allergic asthma patients should avoid allergens that will trigger asthma as much as possible. A patient with pollen allergy should not go out as much as possible, and if they have to go out, they should use a mask. A patient who is allergic to house dust mite should pay attention to this for life. An asthma patient who is allergic to animal hair should be careful not to be exposed to this allergen. A smoker should quit smoking and an overweight patient should lose weight. Efforts should be made to stay away from strong and heavy odours that may cause asthma attacks. What is an asthma attack? Asthma symptoms can worsen both gradually and suddenly. This is known as an asthma attack. Exposure to a strong odour or upper respiratory diseases such as flu can cause an asthma attack. Before an asthma attack, it can be signalled by chest tightness, wheezing and whistling sounds when breathing in and out. Stress, excessive joy, sadness and distress can sometimes cause asthma attacks. Serious attacks may require hospitalisation and, in rare cases, asthma can be life-threatening if not treated adequately. Does asthma disease go away? As asthma is a chronic disease, it cannot be completely cured. Symptoms of asthma may occur at night and early in the morning, after physical exercise or in the presence of another trigger (pollution, allergens, etc.). However, asthma can be controlled with regular medication and medical check-ups. Can a patient with asthma become pregnant? There is no harm for a woman with asthma to become pregnant. Regular medication and doctor controls should not be interrupted during pregnancy. There are safe medicines that pregnant women can use. Asthma patients who are not followed up regularly may experience problems during pregnancy. To prevent this, regular physician controls and medication use are essential.