What is Asthma?

Asthma is a treatable lung condition caused by chronic bronchi inflammation of the lungs. When an asthma attack occurs the muscle cells in the bronchi constrict, causing the airways to become swollen and inflamed. This makes breathing difficult and sometimes painful.

The bronchial tree begins when the trachea splits into two branches called bronchi. One branch is for the right lung and one for the left lung. The bronchi then branch off into little twigs called bronchioles, which in turn open into sacs called alveoli. There are about 600 million of these little air-filled sacs throughout the lungs. The alveoli are where the body absorbs the oxygen. When the lungs are functioning normally the chest muscles open the ribcage and the diaphragm moves down, pulling air into the lungs. The muscles relax and the air is then exhaled. When an asthma attack occurs the air comes in through the trachea and into the bronchial tree, filling the lungs with air. But something in the air breathed in acts as the trigger and the muscles in the bronchi constrict and trap the air. This immune system response causes the body to overreact by creating an excess of mucus in the lungs, which induces the coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath that characterizes asthma. There are different types of asthma and different triggers.

Allergy induced asthma is triggered by allergens that irritate the bronchial passageways, causing asthma symptoms to occur. Exercise induced asthma, or EIA, is generally caused by exercising in a cold, dry atmosphere. Occupational asthma is typically caused by some irritant in the workplace. There can be many triggers in the workplace, such as chemicals, dust, animal dander, fungi, and wood dust are among the most common. Patients with cough variant asthma, or CVA, have a chronic, non-productive cough. In most cases this is their main or only symptom. Many patients who suffer from asthma also have what is termed nocturnal asthma. These patients frequently wake during the night with asthma symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath, or wheezing. Studies have shown that patients who suffer from nocturnal asthma have a 15% decrease of FEV1 (the measuring of breath) during the time they are asleep. Childhood asthma affects children under the age of 18. When dealing with infants it is important to know that there is almost always some inflammation in their lungs present at all times, even if there are no outward symptoms. Some children will grow out of the asthma as they age, some will not. There are other triggers, such as stress, heartburn, food allergies, and smoke, that can cause asthma attacks as well.

It wasn't until the 1050's that asthma was recognized as a chronic physical illness instead of a psychological disorder. The 'talking cures' that doctors had used to this point were replaced with medicinal treatments. Although a small portion of asthmatics die each year, asthma is a very treatable and controllable disease.

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