Asthma

Asthma is a common disease of the respiratory system. It comes from the Greek word 'aazein', or 'sharp breath'. Allergens, common cold or even other triggers like exercise or stress can cause the airways or the tubes that carry air to the lungs. These become narrow and inflamed, with the build up of excessive mucous and breathing becomes a problem. A distinct wheeze can be heard during the entire cycle of respiration.

The asthma patient will be coughing and panting during inhalation with an uncomfortable tightening of the chest. It strikes patients more at night and in the morning, so sleeplessness is often a factor that adds to the discomfort. Some chronic asthma patients become hypersensitive to stimulants like strong smells, pollens or even pollutants. Some of the other triggers of asthma are dust mites, cockroaches, and even some pathogens. Sleep apnea is said to be one of the factors causing asthma.

In some cases a patient taking bronchoconstrictor medicines, like beta-blockers or some hypertension medication, which could trigger severe breathing problems. In these cases, asthma attacks can be sudden and even life-threatening. Today across the world, asthma has become the most prevalent disease.

The clinical conditions of asthma make it an easy to diagnose disease; however, one must understand that there is no cure for it. Asthma cannot be totally cured, but with treatment it can be controlled and an individual can lead a good life. Modern medicine has ensured that there are many ways to control it. These cures are often used in conjunction with the ancient science of Yoga, especially 'pranayama' or its highly evolved breathing practices.

One of the most essential treatments of asthma is of course removing the triggers that cause asthma. Long-term infections would need to be cured, and the underlying causes of asthma clearly understood. Rigorous efforts of cleaning the home from dust mites, and other pest like cockroaches will have to be undertaken. Mattresses would have to be changed, it is best to use the newer types that do not collect dust mites. The house would have to be made insect and dust proofed.

Anyone who suffers from asthma would have to ensure that he or she is well guarded against triggers like pollens, strong smells, pollutants and more. Sleep apnea will have to cured, this may require surgery, and medicines will have to be examined to understand whether any of these are responsible for the sudden asthma attacks. Anyone smoking is advised to give up the habit, as it can increase the frequency of the attack.

There is a range of instant relief bronchodilators available in pocket-sized, metered-dose inhalers. This can be used with an 'asthma spacer' to get a full dose; this is a plastic cylinder that is especially useful for children. Some of the most common bronchodilators are beta2-adrenoceptor agonists, such as salbutamol, levalbuterol, terbutaline and bitolterol. These improve the lung capacity immensely. Though they may be side effects, thus a full medical history has to be understood before any of these medicines are prescribed.

In case the asthma attack is unmanageable and the patient is unable to breathe a nebulizer, providing a continuous dose is used. The medicine is an easy to inhale saline solution and administered through vapor. In case of severe asthma, hospitalization is required, and the patient may need oxygen for a while, along with a wide range of relief medications and antibiotics to cure infections if any.

There is an increasing tendency to turn to alternative practices to manage asthma. Yoga offers the most effective solutions. Pranayama or the life breath, is a method to understand the importance of the breath and use it to optimum. These exercises help in the management asthma. The inhalation and exhalation practices help clear the air passages and bring in a fresh inflow of oxygen. This science has to be learned from a well-regarded teacher.

Acupressure and Acupuncture also helps in better asthma management. These need to be administered by registered practitioners, as they are specific forms of treatment.

Though one has to live with asthma, there are many ways in ensuring it does not come in the way of getting the most out of life.
Does Chlorine in Water Boost Asthma?
Exposure to the chlorinated water is said to be one of the many factors responsible for causing asthma. Swimming in the chlorinated pools daily may exacerbate the pre-existing asthma. To know more about how does chlorine in water boost asthma, read on...

Salt Therapy to Rule Out Asthma Attacks
In the salt therapy for asthma and allergies, patients are exposed to the dry, salt air for a specific time. This alternative treatment is purported to reduce asthma attacks in a natural way. To get an insight about salt therapy for treating respiratory ailments, read on...

Fish Oil for Asthma Treatment
Is your loved one coughing incessantly, having breathing difficulties and could be or is suffering from asthma? It hurts to see them suffer an asthma attack. If you have often found yourself helpless to soothe their misery in such a situation, here are facts about fish oil for asthma to help you ensure reduction in the frequency and severity of asthma attacks hereafter.

Beta Blockers and Asthma
The interrelationship between beta blockers and asthma is something that has been a concern for various healthcare specialists. On one hand, where beta blockers can help in treating some serious health conditions, they can also cause some chronic ones, including asthma. This article discusses the uses of beta blockers and how it can cause asthma.

Prednisone and Asthma
Prednisone is an oral synthetic steroid that is used for the treatment of inflammatory conditions. Its ability to reduce inflammation explains the connection between the use of prednisone and asthma control. Given below is some information on the side effects of using prednisone for asthma treatment.

Caffeine and Asthma
What is the relation between caffeine and asthma? Does the former ingredient help asthmatics, or consumption of the same actually worsens asthma symptoms. Get all the answers from the following segment.

Bronchodilator Side Effects
What is a bronchodilator? What is it used for? Are there any bronchodilator side effects? Find answers to all these questions and more, in this article...

How to Prevent an Asthma Attack
Knowing about a few basic steps on how to prevent an asthma attack can keep things from getting critical. This write up provides you with some simple self-care measures for the same.

Asthma and Eczema
Recent studies showed that the onset of adult asthma is connected to childhood eczema. People with a history of childhood eczema have a higher chances of getting adult asthma. To know more about the connection between asthma and eczema, read on...

How to Treat Asthma During Pregnancy
Asthma during pregnancy cannot be left untreated as it can cause a serious threat to the life of both the mother and the baby. Read this article to understand how to treat asthma during pregnancy.

Difference Between COPD and Asthma
This write-up attempts to bring out the difference between COPD and asthma by presenting to you the basic facts on both the medical conditions. Read to know each of them...

Chronic Asthmatic Bronchitis
Chronic asthmatic bronchitis is among the health problems categorized under the chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). It is a combination of two of the major pulmonary diseases, asthma and bronchitis. This article will give you an apt understanding of the condition. Read on...

How to Stop an Asthma Attack
Anyone who suffers from asthma needs to know how to stop an asthma attack, in case he or she cannot locate his or her inhaler or medication in the middle of an attack. This article will help you with some information about precisely that.

Breathing Exercises for Asthma
Asthma is a very difficult health condition to deal with because it can seriously impact a person's ability to breathe freely. In this following article, we will take you through certain specialized exercises that will help you deal with this condition better and bring about relief.

Is Asthmatic Bronchitis Contagious?
Asthmatic bronchitis is a condition when a person suffers from both, bronchitis and asthma. An answer to the query is asthmatic bronchitis contagious can be found in this article. Read on...

Magnesium Sulfate for Asthma
Magnesium sulfate for asthma has been an effective treatment to get relief from severe asthma obstruction. To know more about magnesium sulfate uses, read on...

Bronchitis vs Asthma
This article presents some basic points to help you understand the subject on bronchitis vs asthma. So keep reading and learn about both these diseases individually with the help of some basic aspects related to them.

Asthma Symptoms in Babies
Proper identification of asthma symptoms in babies is a big challenge for the parents as the little ones cannot express their feeling and discomfort. This article will help you to recognize the baby asthma symptoms and provide timely treatment to them. Read on...

Bronchial Thermoplasty
What is bronchial thermoplasty? How much does bronchial thermoplasty cost? Go through this article to find out more about this procedure.

Bronchial Asthma
This article on bronchial asthma will tell you all about the causes, symptoms and treatments, which can prove to be of help while dealing with the condition. Have a look...

Bronchial Thermoplasty for Asthma
Looking for information on a bronchial thermoplasty for asthma? This article is for you. Read on to understand what this procedure entails.

Chronic Bronchial Asthma
What is bronchial asthma? It is a respiratory disorder due to an allergic response to the various external stimuli. Chronic bronchial asthma is characterized by inflammation to the bronchioles or airways.

Asthma Treatment Plan
Asthma treatment plan entails treating and preventing future attacks of asthma. Given below are details regarding asthma treatment plan and what all goes into formulating a detailed treatment plan for asthma...

Bronchial Asthma Treatment
Those breathless spells and wheezing fits that wake you up in the night are terrible experiences! However, these days, bronchial asthma treatment has come a long way and recent breakthroughs in medical and alternate therapy sure shows a bright ray of hope for those suffering from this chronic ailment.

Cough Variant Asthma Treatment
Asthmatics can find cough variant asthma treatment here, that can help ease cough spasms and wheezing. Find out how you can help yourself and others when dealing with this condition...

Asthma Treatment Guidelines
Asthma treatment guidelines are the first and foremost thing laid down once a confirmatory diagnosis of asthma is made. Read on for asthma treatment guidelines, including prevention measures that need to be taken to reduce the frequency of attacks to a bare minimum...

Asthma Treatment for Children
Asthma treatment for children is mostly dependent on identifying the triggers that cause an asthma attack. Asthma is one of the top chronic conditions to account for school absenteeism among children.

Bronchial Asthma Causes
What exactly are the various bronchial asthma causes? The following article deals with exactly that issue. Read to know more.

Asthma Attack - What Triggers Asthma
There are various triggers that cause an asthmatic person to suffer from asthma attacks, and these should be avoided as far as possible. Recognizing these signs is something that only comes with experience, and extensive reading on the subject.

Asthma Symptoms in Children
It is essential to identify asthma symptoms in children in order to get them treated quickly. This article will give you more information on symptoms of asthma in children. Read on.

Asthma Attack and No Inhaler
The most simplest and effective way of controlling an asthma attack is inhalers. However, the article 'asthma attack and no inhaler' dwells on methods to control asthma attack in conditions when one doesn't have an inhaler around.

Inhalers for Asthma Over the Counter
Use of inhalers for asthma over the counter is considered to be the most effective and quick method of treating asthma. But can you buy asthma inhalers over the counter or how effective are these inhalers, we will try to know with this article.

Asthma Symptoms
There are many disorders that affect the respiratory system, one of them being asthma. For more information on asthma symptoms, read on...

Asthma Symptoms in Adults
Asthma may surface during any phase of life. Adult asthma symptoms may become evident in your later life. Read on to know more..

Cough Variant Asthma
Cough variant asthma, also known as chronic cough is a type of asthma, but without the usual asthma symptoms like, wheezing and shortness of breath. Find out the causes, symptoms and treatment for cough variant asthma in adults and children.

Mild Asthma Symptoms
It is important to understand and recognize mild asthma symptoms to treat it immediately before it turns into a chronic nuisance.

Asthma in Toddlers
The cases of asthma in toddlers are on the rise in all parts of the world, which is a matter of big concern. This article will give you information on asthma symptoms in toddlers, diagnosis of asthma in toddlers, reasons for its occurrence and the ways of treating asthma in toddlers.

Asthma Attack Treatment
One of the most common respiratory diseases these days is asthma. When the symptoms of asthma get aggravated causing a difficulty to breathe or speak, an asthma attack is said to have occurred. This article contains everything regarding asthma attack treatment.

Asthma Attack Home Remedies
According to a recent study, approximately 7 percent of the American population is suffering from asthma. If you have any asthmatic around you, here are some simple, yet effective asthma attack home remedies which can help you tackle asthma in emergency situations.

Asthma Attack in Children
Asthma attack in children is a cause of concern for many parents who may be unaware of how to deal with asthma attacks. Asthma is more common in children as compared to adults and it is essential for parents of asthmatic children to know everything they can about this disorder. Read on for information on asthma attack in children.

Asthma Attack - What To Do
There is no well-set time for asthma attack and hence the asthma patients should always be prepared for the worst. The article give instructions on 'asthma attack - what to do'.

Asthma in Children
Nearly 17 to 22 million Americans (6% to 7% of the total population), have asthma and approximately 6 to 9 million of them are children. In the UK, nearly 1.1 million children are suffering from asthma. Statistics are alarming for other countries too. Children are the biggest targets of this disorder. To know more information about asthma in children, read on...

Asthma Triggers
Asthma is a long-term respiratory disorder. It causes inflammation and swelling of bronchial tubes making breathing difficult.

Home Remedies for Asthma
Today one out of four urban children suffer from severe or mild asthma. Several types of medication are available off the counter. However, many natural home remedies could be used to help you with this illness. Scroll down to know more!

Natural Cures for Asthma
The natural cures are the most popular remedies amongst patients who suffer chronic type of asthma. These treatments reduce the adverse effects of regular or conventional treatments, that we use today.

Exercise-Induced Asthma
Exercise-induced asthma refers to the respiratory difficulties stimulated by exercise and other laborious physical activities. Although, the stimulating factors may vary, many features of exercise-induced asthma are similar to the other types of asthma. Read on to now more about exercise-induced asthma...

Allergic Asthma
Allergic asthma, which is triggered due to exposure to pets, pollens and dust particles, is the most common type of asthma encountered in children. Read on to know more about allergic asthma.

Adult Asthma (Adult-onset Asthma)
Adult-onset asthma refers to a condition where asthma sets in for the first time in someone who is middle-age or older. Breathlessness, wheezing and a productive cough are the symptoms of adult asthma.

Inhalers for Asthma
Inhalers are the main source of treatment for asthmatic patients and enables them to lead active lives without the fear of an attack. There are different types of inhalers available in the market which can make things confusing. This article will give some more information about the inhalers for asthma...

Asthma Attack Symptoms
A sudden asthma attack results from an upper respiratory tract infection or certain allergies. It can give rise to symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, etc. Read on to know to more about asthma attack symptoms.

Treatment for Asthma Attacks
Asthma is one of the common chronic diseases that affect the respiratory system. Treatment of asthma should be done at the right time as it can be life-threatening if it progresses to the severe stages. Let's look at the treatment for asthma attacks.

Facts on Asthma
Asthma is a condition where the airway in humans constricts, gets inflamed and is lined with mucus. The condition though generally associated with humans, is also being controversially diagnosed in house pets.

What Causes Asthma?
Asthma is a condition that affects the respiratory system, which is usually of allergic origin, resulting in difficulty in breathing, wheezing, and panting. Find out about what causes asthma here.

Exercise Induced Asthma - What You Need to Know
A quick summary of exercise induced asthma's effects.

Bronchial Asthma Symptoms and Treatment
Read on to know more about the various symptoms and treatments for Bronchial Asthma…

Dealing with Asthma (Part 2)
Here are some more tips to avoid and control Asthma.

Dealing with Asthma (Part 1)
If you have gone from doctor to doctor in search of a remedy for your asthma, you may feel frustrated and be tempted to explore some "alternative" treatments--cytotoxicity testing, special diets, herbal preparations, massage, and vitamins, to name a few.

Asthma - Causes and Caution Tips
Today million of people are suffering from asthma. Thousands of them lose their lives every year; about 20% of the total death cases are children. Let us take some preventive measures, which can help save lives of our dear ones.