If you are experiencing a whizzing sound while you breathe or having difficulty in breathing, you are suffering from asthma. It is a medical condition characterized by paroxysmal wheezing respiration dyspnoea. There is no definite way to prevent asthma, but by following a step-by-step daily plan, you can prevent asthma attacks or keep them in check. Here are some important measures to follow to prevent asthma:

You need to strictly follow your asthma action plan. The plan should be laid down after a detailed discussion with your doctor or healthcare team. All the medicines you require to prevent the asthma attacks will be written down for you.
You should get vaccinated for pneumonia and influenza. This will prevent these conditions from triggering asthma attacks or flare-ups.
You need to identify the asthma triggers and stay away from them. Several outdoors irritants and allergens from pollen to cold air can trigger asthma attacks.
You have to monitor your breathing. By recognising the warning signs of an attack like wheezing, slight coughing or shortness of breath, you can prevent an asthma attack. You need to measure and record your peak airflow regularly using a home peak flow meter.
By acting quickly, you can identify a fatal attack and prevent it from occurring. When the peak flow measurement decreases, you need to take your medicines immediately and abstain from any activity which may have triggered the attack.
You need to keep taking your prescribed medicines, even if your asthma symptoms have improved. You should not change your medication schedule without consulting a doctor. It is recommended that you to bring along the medicines you take at your doctor s appointment as he will be able to tell whether you are taking them right.
If you use your quick relief inhaler a lot, the asthma is not under control. You need to visit your doctor as soon as possible and he/she will make some modifications to your treatment.
For prevention of asthma, you should use allergy proof pillow covers and mattresses. You must wash your bedding every week in hot water to eliminate dust mites. You may use a dehumidifier for reducing excess moisture to prevent mold.
Do not allow your pets in the bedroom and on the furniture. Pet dander is a common trigger of asthma and it cannot be avoided by people who own pets.
You can also fit an air filtration system in your home. It will help in the elimination of asthma triggers such as pollen, dust mites and other allergens.
Many doctors suggest immunotherapy for asthma prevention in the form of allergy shots. Immunotherapy aims at altering a person s immune response by making it less sensitive to asthma triggers.

Asthma - 10 Ways to Keep it Under Control

Asthma is a chronic lung condition wherein the air passage gets blocked or constricted due to the production of extra mucus. It is an age old condition which has been creating problems for people since a long time. Despite the seriousness of the condition, there are various myths people tend to believe about asthma.

Here are a few myths about asthma and the usage of inhalers:

Regular Usage of Inhalers is Addictive: This is a total myth. Using inhalers is not at all addictive, it is a necessity. Just because you use your inhaler regularly does not mean you are addicted to it.  Just like brushing your teeth every day isn't an addiction, taking your daily medicine from an inhaler isn't an addiction as well. Using an inhaler will just help you with your asthma condition.
Oral Medicine Gets Better Results than Inhalers: Absolutely not. In fact, it is proven that inhalers give better results than oral medications. Oral medication takes longer to act during a sudden asthma attack while inhalers deliver the drug directly to the lungs.
Inhalers Are Meant For Severe Asthma Cases: Well, this again is not true. Inhalers are used for treating asthma. Period. Asthma is a condition where your lungs inflame which is best cured with steroids, and the easiest way to have steroids administered to you is through the inhalation method. When you use the inhalers, the steroids are delivered directly to your lungs. They also have a minimum number of side effects when administered through inhalers.
Asthma is Curable: You might tend to think that asthma can be cured with the help of proper medications. You might think that asthma is not a constant condition. But it is not what you think. The symptoms of asthma might not be present all the time but that doesn't mean you do not have asthma. Asthma is a long-term condition where the airways swell up causing you to suffer from breathlessness. If you suddenly stop taking your daily medicines because the symptoms have not surfaced, then it will take you a long time before you will be able to totally recover from the next attack you suffer from.
If you have asthma, remember to take your medicines daily and timely. 

Debunking Asthma Myths

If you have been diagnosed with asthma, it is important for you to know about the most common triggers of asthma. Asthma is a medical condition, which is characterised by paroxysmal wheezing respiration dyspnoea. It causes breathing difficulties, tightened chest and coughing. By identifying and reducing your exposure to several asthma triggers, you will be able to manage or control your asthma symptoms and the frequency of your asthma attacks. Here are the most common triggers of asthma you should know about:

Allergies that trigger asthma
Allergies, are common problems and over 80% of people are suffering from asthma and are allergic towards substances like weed pollens, animal dander, dust mites, mould and cockroach particles. Children having large amounts of cockroach droppings in their homes are more likely to develop childhood asthma. Dust exposure may lead to dust mite allergy in asthmatic patients.

Food which triggers asthma
Certain food allergies may lead to isolated asthma, where other symptoms are absent. Patients with food allergies can exhibit asthma as a part of anaphylaxis, which are food induced. The common food items which are associated with allergies include eggs, peanuts, cow milk, soy, fish, wheat, shrimps, salads and fresh fruits. Several food preservatives also trigger asthma. They may include sulfite additives such as potassium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfate and many others. These are commonly used in food processing and trigger asthma in sensitive people.

Asthma induced by exercise
Strenuous exercise may lead to the narrowing of the airways in maximum people having asthma. Exercise acts as a primary trigger for asthma symptoms in many people. Patients having exercise induced asthma are likely to feel chest tightness accompanied by coughing and breathing difficulties after completing an aerobic workout session. Although the symptoms subside, they may reoccur within some hours. You should warm up properly and slowly before a rigorous workout session to prevent an asthma attack.

Smoking
People who smoke are more likely to have asthma. If you have asthma and still smoke, the symptoms of wheezing and coughing worsen. Pregnant women who smoke increase the chance of wheezing in their to-be-born babies. You should absolutely quit smoking if you have asthma.

Infections which trigger asthma
Several infections such as cold, bronchitis, flu and sinus may cause asthma attacks. The respiratory infections, which are viral or bacterial, are a common cause and trigger asthma, especially in children. Asthma is also associated with severe heartburn. According to studies, more than 85% people with asthma also suffer from heartburn. This is a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.

Asthma - Common Triggers Behind it?

The inflammations of the lining in the bronchial tubes, which are responsible for carrying air from and to your lungs are known as bronchitis. It is a respiratory disease and more than a million cases are reported each year. Bronchitis requires medical diagnosis by your healthcare provider and can be chronic or acute. Cold or other respiratory infections can cause acute bronchitis whereas smoking leads to chronic bronchitis. Acute bronchitis usually lasts for few days but with persistent cough. Whereas, chronic bronchitis can be responsible for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Symptoms of bronchitis:
The symptoms common to both acute and chronic bronchitis are given below:
1. Cough which may form mucus
2. Body aches and breathlessness
3. Headaches, blocked nose and sinuses
4. Fever with chills
5. Wheezing

The diagnosis of bronchitis is done by your doctor who will ask you about your cough. Some other questions may include your medical history, about smoking or whether you have had cases of flu or cold recently.

Treatment for bronchitis:
Your doctor will mainly recommend pain relievers and cough syrup along with warm air to breathe mainly at indoors. However your doctor may prescribe the following medications in cases of severe bronchitis:

1. Cough medicine: These medicines will help to remove mucus and irritants from your lungs. Medicines may not be able to suppress the symptoms completely but will give you relief from pain.
2. Bronchodilators: Which clears out the mucus by opening your bronchial tubes.
3. Mucolytics: These helps loosen mucus in the airways and help to cough up sputum.
4. Oxygen therapy: It will help to improve the oxygen intake when you face difficulty in breathing.
5. Therapy: Pulmonary program will include a therapist who would work to improve your breathing.
6. Medicines: Using anti inflammatory medicines to reduce damage to your lungs tissue and to also avoid chronic inflammation.

Prevention of bronchitis:

Acute and chronic bronchitis can be reduced by the following measures; however, they cannot be completely prevented:
1. Avoiding dust, smoke, and air pollution. You can always wear a mask when you are on the road or in traffic.
2. Washing your hands often to avoid germs and infections.
3. Avoiding smoking as it can cause harmful damage to your lungs.

All About Bronchitis

Most people know all about Asthma, how dangerous it is and most importantly, with the rising levels of pollution and irritants how people are getting affected by it all over the world. Just like famous events, incidents and festivals have their special date in the calendar, May 1 apart from being the International Labour Day, holds another significant stance worldwide. As it is celebrated as the World Asthma Day. This day marks the initiation of the Asthma awareness campaign worldwide.

Understanding Asthma in brief

Asthma is a long-term respiratory condition, in which the airways of the human system may unexpectedly and suddenly narrow, often in response to an allergen, cold air, exercise or emotional stress. Common symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.

Why is Asthma Day important?

World Asthma Day is celebrated every year on the first Tuesday of May. This year it falls on 1st May. The day is celebrated to spread awareness about Asthma and how people all over the world can spread it amongst their families. Therefore to commemorate the event and educate the students in school and parents at home, World Asthma day was commenced. The aim of this campaign is to make people understand the types of Asthma that can affect them and immediate safety tips so as to ensure that the severity of the disease can be curtailed. 

Things to keep in mind about Asthma

All over the world, there are several people who do not opt for Asthma treatment and that proves to be a fatal mistake later on in life. Chronic Asthma disease can be easily prevented by a simple treatment in the initial stages. People who suffer from Asthma often face chronic attacks if they forget to carry their inhaler and different kinds of allergies are also very fatal for asthma people.

Things that can trigger Asthma in people

Dust 
Pollens
Gastroesophageal Reflux
Pet Dander
Certain foods 
Exposure to chemicals 
Excessive physical activity 
Stress 
39-50% Of Sinusitis patients have Asthma also 
Extremely cold conditions
Signs someone is suffering from Asthma 

Persistent coughing
Difficulty in breathing
Wheezing 
Tightness in chest
Diagnosis and severity are established by a simple air blowing test known as Spirometry.

Chest X-ray and Sinus X-ray Help 
Serum IgE a blood test tells about type and severity
Severe cases may require special blood test known as Arterial Blood Gases to look at blood oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Sheet anchor of therapy is the inhaled medication to dilate airway and to reduce inflammation. The dose being in microgram dose is harmless and delivered to the site of the problem.  New drugs known as Omalizumab and Benralizumab are approved for specific nonresponding patients with severe asthma.

Prevent asthma from being harmful

Asthma is a chronic disease can stay for the rest of someone's life. So on this World Asthma Day make sure that you know how it can be treated and prevent the disease from harming someone you love. Here are some treatment tips.

First get to know more about asthma and become a partner with the doctor to carry out treatment for a long time period.

Be aware of the allergens that may trigger asthma and prevent them from coming in contact with the person.

Make sure to keep the doctor updated regarding the status of a patient's condition and for any sign of potential risk.

If a loved one is suffering then ensure that they lead their life as per the guidelines shared by the doctor, in order to prevent any risky situation. 

So here are the important things that you should be knowing about asthma. And, in case you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above, one should immediately contact their doctor. On this World Asthma Day be aware of the disease and keep the people safe who are suffering from it. Stay Healthy!

World Asthma Day - Spreading Awareness Is Important!

Pulmonary Function Tests or PFTs are a set of tests that are used to determine, measure or observe the functioning of the lungs. The most common pulmonary function tests used are spirometry, gas diffusion, and lung plethysmography. 

Highlights of pulmonary function tests

A spirometry test is used to measure the amount of air inhaled and exhaled. It also measures the amount of time taken to complete a respiration cycle.
A lung plethysmography measures the amount of air in the lungs after the patient has taken a deep breath. It also measures the amount of air that remains in the lungs after the patient has exhaled as much air as possible.
What does a Pulmonary Function Test measure?
Pulmonary function tests would not only check how well the person is breathing but also how effectively the lungs are able to conduct oxygen to the rest of the body. In addition to air flow, these tests would measure the size and volume of the lung and lung diffusion.

These tests can also be used to measure

Total Lung Capacity   the amount of air present in the lungs after breathing in deeply
Forced Vital Capacity   the amount of air that can be exhaled after breathing in deeply
Minute Volume   the amount of air exhaled per minute
Vital Capacity   the total volume of air that can be breathed out after inhaling as much as possible
Tidal Volume   the amount of air inhaled or exhaled when breathing normally
Maximum voluntary ventilation   the amount of air that can be inhaled and exhaled in one minute
Functional Residual Capacity   the amount of air that remains in the lungs when breathing normally
Forced Expiratory Flow   the flow or volume of air during an exhalation
Peak Expiratory Flow Rate   the rate at which a person can exhale
When are Pulmonary Function Tests recommended?
A physician might recommend a patient undergo a PFT as part of a routine physical check-up. This test would be advised if the patient is experiencing any symptoms associated with lung problems or disorders such as asthma, respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD. A doctor would also use these tests to monitor and check whether a certain treatment prescribed for a lung disease or condition is working effectively.

Pulmonary function tests are safe as they are non-invasive but it is important to follow the instructions of the doctor or technician before, after and during the test. It is important to make your doctor aware of any surgeries, respiratory infections, chest pains or heart attacks that you might have experienced before the test. If you are taking any medications you might need to follow the advice of the doctor as to whether you can take them before the test.

Your doctor would also advice you on how to prepare for the test such as not eating a large meal, avoiding caffeine and wearing loose-fitting clothes. If you have any doubts, concerns or queries discuss them with your doctor.

Pulmonary Function Tests - Why Is It Required?

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