May 2 is World Asthma Day in 2023,the 25th commemorative event launched by the World Health Organization, the purpose of which is to enhance people's understanding of the current situation of asthma, and to enhance the prevention and management of the disease by patients and the public. This year's theme is "Asthma Care for All", which aims to promote the formulation and implementation of effective asthma management plans in all countries.
What is asthma?
Asthma ,also called bronchial asthma,is one of the most common chronic condition diseases worldwide that affects the airways at all life stages. It is estimated that 1 in 20 people worldwide suffers from asthma, approximately 300 million people. The airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the airways can become inflamed and narrowed at times. This makes it harder for air to flow out of your airways when you breathe out.The changes in the airway structure caused by asthma are irreversible, not only that, but also cause various diseases, such as atelectasis, emphysema, and bronchiectasis.
Causes
Asthma has many pathogenic factors. There are 9 categories in total:
1.Inheritance Asthma is more likely if other family members also have asthma – particularly a close relative, such as a parent or sibling.
2.Inhalation allergens and irritants: dust mites, pet hair, dander, mold, paint .
3.Allergic conditions, such as eczema and rhinitis (hay fever).
4. Overweight or obese
5.Multiple lifestyle factors
Smoking and other sources of air pollution,mood changes,exercise, stress .
6.Events in early life affect the developing lungs and viral respiratory infections
These include low birth weight, prematurity.
Drugs : Aspirin, β-receptor blocker-propranolol
Symptoms
People with asthma usually have obvious symptoms. These signs and symptoms resemble many respiratory infections:
· Chest tightness, pain or pressure.
· Coughing (especially at night).
· Shortness of breath.
· Wheezing.
To judge whether a child has asthma, just look at the following points:
The same symptom occurs repeatedly.
Most of them occur in autumn and winter or when the season changes.
Occurs mostly at night or in the early morning.
Symptoms are obviously relieved after using anti-asthmatic drugs.
If a child has the above symptoms, it can basically be judged as asthma. Please take your child to the respiratory department of the hospital to see a doctor in time to identify allergens in time and reduce the chance of disease.
The Global Asthma Network (GAN) Phase I defined severe asthma symptoms as current asthma symptoms along with 4 or more attacks of wheeze, waking at night with asthma symptoms one or more times per week, and/or any episodes of wheeze severe enough to limit the ability to speak, over the past 12 months. Global patterns are similar across children, adolescents and adults but the burden in terms of prevalence and severity of disease is highest in adolescents. About 1/3-1/2 of childhood asthma can be extended to adults.
People with asthma need to:
1. Go to the hospital for testing as soon as possible
2. Stay away from common allergens (dust, cold air, etc.)
3. Quit smoking completely
4. Pay attention to keep warm in autumn and winter
5. Choose low-intensity aerobic exercise such as swimming, walking, jogging, and avoid strenuous exercise.
6. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
7. Use an air purifier to reduce allergens
Asthma can be life-threatening if you don’t get treatment.Therefore, patients must carry asthma spray with them, and they can breathe normally after spraying.
Asthma cannot be cured, but good management with inhaled medications can control the disease and enable people with asthma to enjoy a normal, active life.
The need for early detection of asthma
In the early or chronic phase of asthma, the symptoms may be mild, and some of them can be relieved by themselves, which are often ignored by patients. However, if airway inflammation cannot be effectively controlled, even if there are no symptoms at ordinary times, a small number of patients may have severe acute attacks after exposure to triggers, even life-threatening, which is the so-called "fragile asthma"; in addition, even if fatal acute attacks do not occur, repeated The seizures not only affect life and study, but also aggravate airway remodeling, resulting in progressive irreversible decline in lung function and eventually disability.
Why should asthma be treated for a long time?
The attack of asthma is staged, but the inflammation of airway is long-term existence. Therefore, in addition to the use of symptom-relieving drugs during acute attacks, long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs is also required to suppress airway inflammation. Acute asthma attacks are mainly given bronchodilators, oral corticosteroids or intravenous corticosteroids and theophylline drugs, and hospitalization is required if necessary. The chronic phase requires long-term drug control like other chronic diseases. Because some patients are unwilling to take long-term medication because they are worried about the side effects of inhaled hormones and drug dependence, the current good control rate of asthma is less than one-third. In fact, the systemic adverse reactions of inhaled hormones are extremely low, and there is no need to worry too much if you treat according to the doctor's advice.
In summary, asthma is a chronic disease with an increasing incidence year by year. Timely diagnosis and effective long-term treatment are necessary measures to prevent acute exacerbations and improve and protect lung function. After the current epidemic, patients with related symptoms need standardized diagnosis and treatment to reduce the possibility of acute attacks and improve the quality of life.
Ways To Prevent An Asthma Attack
1. Avoid triggering factors as much as possible, such as exposure to cold, rain, excessive fatigue, excitement, etc., to prevent asthma from being induced
2. Keep the room at a suitable temperature and fresh air. Ventilate at least 2 times a day for 10-30 minutes each time. If necessary, use an indoor air purification device to keep the indoor air fresh and prevent the child from inhaling dust. Avoid planting some flowering plants indoors, especially in spring and other peak seasons when pollen is flying. Doors and windows should be closed. Do not feed pets indoors and avoid the excrement of some insects (mainly cockroaches) indoors, which can also cause asthma attacks.
3. Reduce indoor air pollution: Do not use various spray insecticides, use less mothballs, perfumes, cosmetics, etc., to avoid irritating odors, do not smoke indoors, and use appropriate methods to reduce gas or lampblack pollution.
4. Do not use down quilts, silk quilts and bedding made of animal fur. Regular ironing and sun drying of quilt covers, pillowcases, curtains and other items.
