Asthma

How Asthma Inhalers Work

What are Asthma Inhalers?

Asthma inhalers are devices which are used for treating asthma, and they are considered as having truly transformed asthma treatment. Asthma inhalers allow for both children and adults who suffer from asthma to be able to deliver the medicine that they require directly to their lungs, and there is a variety of asthma inhalers available, with the two most common being that of the metered-dose inhalers and the dry powder inhalers.

Metered-dose asthma inhalers are those which use a chemical propellant in order to push the medication out of the inhaler, and the medication itself may be released either by squeezing the canister or by that of direct inhalation. The dry powder asthma inhalers, on the other hand, are ones which don’t use that of a chemical propellant to push the medication out, but rather the medication is released by the patient inhaling more rapidly than they would with a traditional metered-dose inhaler.

These inhalers can be used to deliver that of a wide variety of different medications, with the most common being: short-acting bronchodilators, long-acting bronchodilators, corticosteroids, cromolyn or nedocromil, and corticosteroid plus long-acting bronchodilator.

Dependant upon which type of inhaler you are dealing with, either the more traditional metered-dose or the dry powder inhaler, will result in the instructions and basic working methods that you will have. For instance, with the metered-dose inhalers, and these work by including that of a pressurized canister which contains measured doses of medication inside of it, and by squeezing the top of the canister for use you will then convert the medication into a fine mist, which goes down the throat.

The dry powder inhalers, on the other hand, work by requiring the patient to place their lips on the mouthpiece and then inhale extremely rapidly, and in fact, some people find these types of inhalers easier because of the fact that hand-lung coordination is not required with the dry powder inhalers, but it is with the metered-dose inhalers.

However, one factor that is incredibly important and yet surprisingly overlooked, is the importance of using the inhalers properly. Many people find it difficult to take their asthma medication regularly, and however it should be known that even though it may be difficult, for one not to take their asthma medication regularly means that they may have more serious problems later on. If necessary, you can always consult your physician and ask them for a demonstration on how to use the inhaler properly.

Is an Asthma Diet Important?

The word ‘asthma’ means ‘panting’ in Greek. This refers to its main symptom -breathlessness. This is an ailment, which attacks the respiratory system whereby the airways constrict as a result of inflammation, causing the patient to gasp for air. Asthma is the result of an allergic reaction of the airway in two stages. The initial stage is when the airways constrict in response to certain allergens or triggers blocking the airways. And the second stage is when the reaction worsens causing inflammation, fluid retention and mucus formation.

Does an Asthma Diet Play Any Role?

Food has always been a very important factor in the overall health of a being. People say that the way you feel depends on what you eat. The asthmatic patient does not have too many restrictions in food. However, it has been observed that there are some foods that may cause as asthma attack, and/or aggravate it. An asthma diet would exclude such foods.

Some examples of food not part of an asthma diet would include curd, cucumber, vinegar, tomato sauce and foods which contain preservatives sometimes, trigger asthma. Often this is because the person is prone to a cold, and these foods enhance the effect. The good part is that once the trigger is removed, the asthma will subside to normal, unless the exposure is for a long and consistent period.

Be aware that asthma starts many times as an allergy. Hence, if you feel uncomfortable after eating anything, you should immediately make a note of it and avoid it in the future. It would be excellent if you have a small dairy where you can jot down all such things that irritate your asthma, whether this is food, smells, places and so on. In this way, sooner or later you will know exactly what is likely to bother you and you can avoid that.

The asthma diet has another advantage – once you have identified all the triggers, it makes it easier to keep your asthma under control. You would also be able to identify the exact allergy factors and possibly be treated to become immune to them. Without the triggers, any person suffering from asthma can behave as a completely normal person.

Hence, it is worth identifying and putting together your list for a complete asthma diet so you could enjoy as close to a normal life as possible.

Learning About Asthma Prevention

There are several factors that can influence asthma symptoms and make them greater in sufferers of the affliction. Learning about asthma prevention can help with those symptoms and decrease their harmful effect on the body of the sufferer, helping to overcome the affliction and live a life despite the conditions. Asthma prevention is, effectively, a lifestyle change that alters the way in which a sufferer handles their condition and handles their life outside of the condition. This can change all of the facets of life into something different and can affect the way life is lived in general.

To many, asthma can be a frustrating condition that can stop people from living normal lives and from being as active as they would have wished. With a little bit of awareness and care, most asthma sufferers can handle the condition to a certain degree and can enable a sort of healing in a sense that living a life properly becomes more of a possibility. This type of asthma prevention is based on simply changing the mind of the sufferer and changing the type of suffering. It involves a minor change in mindset and a major shift in lifestyle choices that affect the way the disorder manifests itself.

Lifestyle Changes

For starters, reducing general exposure to environmental triggers of asthma can be an important piece of the puzzle. Staying away from pollens, molds, animal dander or fluff, and tobacco smoke are important parts to keeping asthma prevention at the forefront of a health strategy. Keep the home or living space cooled to a certain temperature; most physicians recommend a temperature of around 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit for asthma sufferers. Providing air filtration systems that take care of filtering out harmful components from the air is also a good option for asthma prevention.

Wearing a mask when clearing out any outdoors areas is a good idea as this prevents any dust or dirt from entering the lungs. A good idea is also to add a mold inhibitor to paint, especially in areas more susceptible to dampness such as a washroom. This prevents the growing of any problematic mold pockets that are harmful to asthma sufferers. For asthma prevention, the key component is to prevent the problems from spreading around the home and creating a home that is air-friendly. The main factor in prevention is being prepared for anything that could come up, so sparing no expense should be considered.

The Effects and Causes of Childhood Asthma

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic and presently non-curable disease, which is able to be treated with certain forms of medication, such as beta-agonists, which are products that are used to stimulate beta-receptors, and which are able to relax smooth muscle, thus allowing the airways to open back up during an asthma attack. There are many different forms of treatment available for asthma even though there is as of yet no definitive cure, and so it is important to remember that the most important step of all in the dealing with asthma is that of prevention.

What are the Effects of Childhood Asthma?

Childhood asthma is in fact considered as being the most common chronic disease among children, and childhood asthma is a disorder which includes that of genetic dispositions, as well as that of a strong allergic component.

What are the Causes of Childhood Asthma?

The presumed causes of childhood asthma are basically identical to that of asthma in adults, as inflammation of the airways is the most common finding in both cases. In fact, recent studies show that inflammation of the airways is virtually always causative in the asthmatic condition of all people, and that this type of inflammation is usually caused by allergies, viral respiratory infections, and airborne irritants, for example.

There are certain signs and symptoms which can be looked for in a child in order to determine whether or not the chance that they may have asthma is there, such as the fact of wheezing, which is highly common among asthmatics. As well, any child who has frequent coughing or respiratory infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis should immediately be evaluated for asthma.

Other symptoms that may occur are a shortness of breath and/or tightness in the chest area, and there can also be a combination of two or more of any of the possible symptoms. There are certain triggers that your doctor will notify you about if your child does have asthma, which should be avoided as much as possible, including: exercise, infections, allergies, irritants, weather, and strong emotions such as stress.

Exercise, for example, is considered to be able to trigger an asthma attack in over 80 percent of the children with asthma, and although exercise can be completed even if your child has asthma, you must make sure to check with your family physician first, who will be able to let you know exactly what can and cannot be done in this regards.

What an Asthma Allergy is and How it can be Treated

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic disease which is non-curable, and which affects the respiratory system of the body. With asthma, what happens is that the airways constrict and become inflamed, and are then lined with excessive amounts of mucous, which is in response usually to triggers, which are factors that irritate or even cause an asthma attack. Triggers can include anything from cold weather, weather changes, stress, emotional anxiety, pet dander, even chalk dust.

In other words, asthma is a recurring inflammatory conditioned disease which causes the airways to develop increased responsiveness to various stimuli, and is a disease which is primarily characterized by that of inflammation, increased mucous production, intermittent airway obstruction, and bronchial hyper-responsiveness.

What is an Asthma Allergy?

It is considered that an asthma allergy – as well as allergies and asthma separately – is the most prevalent of all chronic diseases, and that it affects millions of people every day. An asthma allergy basically consists of anything that causes or triggers that of an asthma attack, and it is incredibly important for all asthmatics to understand and determine what their own personal triggers are, or what their primary asthma allergy is. As well, the specific type of medical treatment which is recommended to a patient will depend on the severity of their condition, and the most common types of treatments for asthma are broadly classified as relievers, preventers, and emergency treatment.

How can an Asthma Allergy be Treated?

Again, the most effective and positive type of treatment for any type of asthma trigger or allergy is that of prevention. In other words, if you are an asthmatic, especially if your condition is severe, you must recognize and determine the factors that trigger attacks with your asthma, and then try to avoid these factors as much as possible, or desensitize yourself completely, if possible. If there is no way that you can do either of these recommendations, say you have a pet that is affecting your asthma but you don’t want to get rid of it, then the best idea is to consult your physician and ask them what you should do about the situation.

There are however also forms of relief medication available, and typically every asthmatic is required to take some form of medication on a frequent basis, even if they do not experience attacks all that often.