Symptoms Of Asthma & Asthma Treatment

The reason for the increase in the prevalence of asthma among children is not known, but it may relate to one or both of the following theories. One theory is that the widespread use of vaccines and antibiotics in children has shifted the activity of a special subgroup of white blood cells in the body from fighting infections. Onstead these infection fighting white blood cells over react even to normal external triggers causing inflammation of the respiratory tract and histamines. Also children are now living in better-insulated and clean homes than they were in the past. They are now more sensitive to even mild allergic substances.

The most important characteristic of asthma is airway obstruction. The airways of the lungs are basically tubes with muscular walls. Cells lining the bronchi have microscopic structures, called receptors. There are three main types of receptors: beta-adrenergic, cholinergic, and peptidergic. These receptors sense the presence of specific substances and stimulate the underlying muscles to contract and relax, thus altering the flow of air. Beta-adrenergic receptors respond to chemicals such as epinephrine and make the muscles relax, thereby widening the airways and increasing airflow. Cholinergic receptors respond to a chemical called acetylcholine, making the muscles contract and decreasing airflow, Peptidergic receptors respond to substances called neurokinins, also making the underlying muscles of the airways contract.


 

 

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Airway obstruction is often caused by abnormal sensitivity of cholinergic and peptidergic receptors, which cause the muscles of the airways lo contract when they should not. Certain cells in the airways, particularly mast cells, are thought to be responsible for initiating the airway narrowing. Mast cells throughout the bronchi release substances such as histamine and leukotrienes, which cause smooth muscle to contract and cause mucus secretion.

In an asthma attack, the smooth muscles of the bronchi narrow and the tissues lining the airways swell from inflammation and secrete mucus into the airways. The top layer of the lining of the airways can become damaged and shed cells. These actions further narrow the diameter of the airways. The narrowing of the airways requires the person to exert more effort to move air in and out of die lungs.In asthma, airway obstruction is reversible, meaning that with appropriate treatment or on their own, the muscular contractions of the airways stop, the airway obstruction ends, and the airflow into and out of the lungs returns to normal.

In a person who has asthma, the airways narrow in response to stimuli that usually do not affect the airways in normal lungs. The narrowing can be triggered by many inhaled allergens, such as pollens, particles from dust mites, body secretions from cockroaches, particles from feathers, and animal dander. These allergens combine with immunogiobu-iin E - a type of antibody on the surface of mast cells to trigger the release of asthma-causing chemicals from these cells. Although food allergies induce asthma only rarely, certain foods (such as shellfish and peanuts) can induce severe attacks in people who are sensitive to these foods.


 

 

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Environmental tobacco smoke, especially maternal cigarette smoking, is associated with high risk of asthma prevalence and asthma morbidity, wheezing and respiratory infections. Poor air quality, from traffic pollution or high ozone levels, has been repeatedly associated with increased asthma prevalence. Cigarette smoke, cold air, and viral infections can also provoke asthma attacks. Additionally in a person prone asthma, anxiety and other psychological causes can trigger mast cells to release histamine and leukotrienes and stimulate the vagus nerve connecting to the airway smooth muscle. This in turn contracts and narrows the bronchi.

Children of Caesarean births have been associated with high asthma rates when compared with vaginal birth; an analysis found a 20% increase in asthma prevalence in children delivered by Cesarean section compared to those who were not. It was proposed that this is due to modified bacterial exposure during Cesarean section compared with vaginal birth, which modifies the immune system.


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Asthma attacks vary in frequency and severity. Some people who have asthma are symptom-free most of the time, with only an occasional, brief, mild episode of shortness of breath. Other people cough and wheeze most of the time and have severe attacks after viral infections, exercise, or on exposure to allergens or irritants like cigarette smoke. Crying or hearty laughing may bring on symptoms in some people. Some people with asthma produce a clear and at times sticky mucus and phlegm. Asthma attacks occur most often in the early morning hours when the effects of protective medications wear off and the body is least able to prevent broncho constriction.

An asthma attack may begin suddenly with wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Wheezing is particularly noticeable when the person breathes out. At other times, an asthma attack may come on slowly with gradually worsening symptoms. In either case, people with asthma first notice shortness of breath, coughing, or chest tightness. The attack may he over in minutes, or it may last for hours or days. Itching on the chest or neck may be an early symptom, especially in children. In many cases a dry cough at night or during physical activity may be the only symptom of asthma.

During an asthma attack, shortness of breath may become severe, creating a feeling of severe anxiety. The person instinctively sits upright and leans forward, using the neck and chest muscles to help in breathing, but still struggles for air. Sweating is a common reaction to the effort and anxiety. The pulse usually quickens, and the person may feel a pounding in the chest. In a very severe asthma attack, a person is able to say only a few words without stopping to take a breath. However, wheezing may diminish, because hardly any air is moving in and out of die lungs. Confusion, lethargy, and a blue skin color are signs that the person's oxygen supply is severely limited, and emergency treatment is needed. Usually, a person recovers completely with appropriate treatment, even from a severe asthma attack.


 

 

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A doctor suspects asthma based largely on a person's report of characteristic symptoms. A diagnosis of asthma can be confirmed using spirometry tests. During an asthma attack, the test reveals decreased air flow, but over hours or days, narrowing improves and is therefore reversible. More commonly, the doctor performs spirometry or pulmonary function tests before and after giving the person an inhaled beta-adrenergic agonist. If results are significantly better after the person receives the beta-adrenergic agonist, asthma is thought to be present. If the airways are not narrowed at the time of the first test, a diagnosis can be confirmed by a test in which the person inhales a chemical (usually methacholine but histamine may also be used) in doses too low to affect a normal person but which causes airway narrowing in a person who has asthma.

Spirometry is also used to assess the severity of the airway obstruction and to monitor treatment. Peak expiratory flow (the fastest rate at which air can be exhaled) can be measured using a small handheld peak flow meter. Often, this test is used at home to monitor the severity of asthma. Usually, peak flow rates are lowest between 4:00 and 6:00 A.M. and highest at 4:00 P.M. However, more than a 30% difference in rates at these times is considered evidence of moderate to severe asthma.

Determining what triggers a person's asthma is often difficult. Allergy testing is appropriate when there is a suspicion that some avoidable substance is stimulating attacks. Skin testing can help identify allergens that may trigger asthma symptoms. However, an allergic response to a skin test does not necessarily mean that the allergen being tested is causing the asthma.


 

 

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There are array of drugs that can be used to prevent and treat asthma attacks. Most of the drugs used to prevent asthma are also used to treat an asthma attack but in higher doses or in different forms. Some people need to use more than one drug to prevent and treat their symptoms.

Therapy is based on two classes of anti-asthmatic drugs. The first are anti-inflammatory drugs, which suppress the inflammation that triggers the airways to narrow. The second are bronchodilators, which help to relax and widen (dilate) the airways. Within each of these two classes, several drugs are available. Anti-inflammatory drugs include corticosteroids (which are inhaled, taken by mouth, or given intravenously), leukotriene modifiers, and cromolyn.

Education about how to prevent and treat asthma attacks is beneficial for all people who have asthma and often for their family members. Proper use of inhalers is essential for effective treatment. People should know what can stimulate an attack, what helps to prevent an attack, how to use drugs properly, and when to seek medical care. Many people use a handheld peak flow meter to evaluate their breathing and determine when they need intervention, before their symptoms get extreme. A person who experiences frequent, severe asthma attacks should know how to reach help quickly.

Many people have a written treatment plan that was devised in collaboration with their doctor. Such a plan allows them to take control of their own treatment and has been shown to decrease the number of times people need to seek care for asthma in the emergency department. Asthma is a chronic condition that cannot be prevented or cured; however, individual attacks can often be prevented. Asthma attacks may commonly be prevented if the factors that trigger them are identified and treated or avoided. People who have asthma should avoid cigarette smoke. Often, attacks triggered by exercise can be blocked by taking medication beforehand. When dust and allergens are the problem, air filters, air conditioners, and other types of barriers (such as mattress covers, which reduce the amount of particles from dust mites that are in the air) can help considerably. For people whose asthma is stimulated by allergies, desensitization through the use of allergy shots may prevent attacks.


 

 

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The most common indoor allergens are house dust mites, feathers, cockroaches, and animal dander. Anything that can be done to reduce exposure to these allergens may reduce the number or severity of asthma attacks. Exposure to house dust mites can be reduced by removing wall-to-wall carpets and using air conditioning to keep the relative humidity low (preferably below 50%) in the summer.

Also, special pillow and mattress covers can help reduce exposure to these dust mites. Cats and dogs must be removed to significantly decrease animal dander.
Irritating triggers such as cigarette smoke should also be avoided. In some people with asthma, aspirin and other non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs trigger attacks. Tartrazine, a yellow coloring used in some drug tablets and food, may also bring on an attack. Sulfites which are commonly added to foods as a preservatives may trigger attacks after a susceptible person eats a certain food or drinks beer or red wine. For outdoor activity in cold weather, the person with asthma can wear a ski mask or scarf that covers the nose and mouth to help keep the air being breathed in warm and moist.


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If sensitivity to aspirin or other non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) trigger asthma, these drugs must be avoided. Drugs that block the beneficial effects of beta-adrenergic agonists (called beta-blockers) usually worsen asthma. Most people with asthma take drugs, such as inhaled or oral corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, long-acting beta-adrenergic agonists, theophylline, antihistamines, or cromolyn to prevent attacks. Prevention efforts are individualized according to the frequency of attacks and the stimuli that trigger the attacks.

A new treatment for asthma is being studied and developed based on use of a special antibody (given intravenously or injected just under the skin) that binds inimunoglobulin E, blocking its attachment to mast cells. By preventing immunoglobulin E from attaching to mast cells, these cells can no longer release the substances that cause allergic asthma.

Asthma even when relatively mild can provoke anxiety and alarm. A severe asthma attack is a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate, skilled, professional care. If not treated adequately and quickly, a severe asthma attack can cause death. People who have asthma are generally able to treat most attacks without assistance from a health care professional. Typically, they use an inhaler to deliver a dose of a short-acting beta-adrenergic agonist, move into fresh air (away from cigarette smoke or other irritants), and sit down and rest. Some people may inhale a corticosteroid in addition to a beta-adrenergic agonist. An attack usually subsides in 5 to 10 minutes. An attack that does not subside in 15 minutes or that gets worse is likely to require additional treatment supervised by a doctor.

 

 

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Because people with severe asthma commonly have low blood oxygen levels, a doctor may check the level of oxygen either by using a sensing monitor on a finger or ear or by taking a sample of blood from an artery. Supplemental oxygen may be given during attacks. However, in severe attacks, a doctor also needs to monitor carbon dioxide levels, and this test requires a sample of blood from an artery. A doctor may also check pulmonary function, usually with a spirometer or a peak flow meter. Usually, a chest x-ray is needed only in severe asthma attacks. People experiencing very severe asthma attacks may need to have an artificial airway passed through their mouth and throat and be placed on a mechanical ventilator.

Generally, people who have severe asthma are admitted to the hospital if their lung function does not improve after receiving a beta-adrenergic agonist and corticosteroids or if they have a seriously low blood oxygen level or a high blood carbon dioxide level. Intravenous fluids may be needed if the person is dehydrated. Antibiotics also may be needed if a doctor suspects a lung infection; however, most such infections are due to viruses' for which no treatment exists.


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Drugs allow most people with asthma lo lead relatively normal lives. Most of the drugs used to treat an asthma attack can be used to prevent attacks.
Short-acting Beta-adrenergic Agonists: Short-acting beta-adrenergic agonists are usually the best drugs for relieving asthma attacks. They can prevent certain attacks, such as exercise-induced asthma. These drugs are also referred to as bronchodilators because they stimulate beta-adrenergic receptors to widen and dilate the airways. Bronchodilators that act on all beta-adrenergic receptors throughout the body, such as epinephrine, cause side effects such as rapid heartbeat, restlessness, headache, and muscle tremors. Broncho-dilators such as albuterol act mainly on beta2-adrenergic receptors, which are found primarily on cells in the lungs. They have little effect on other organs and thus cause fewer side effects. Most beta-receptor agonists, especially the inhaled ones, act within minutes, but the effects last only 3 to 7 hours. New, longer-acting bronchodilators are available, but because they do not begin to act as quickly, they are used for prevention rather than for attacks of asthma.


 

 

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Severe asthma attack causes depletion of oxygen and increase in carbon di oxide levels in the body. Without oxygen, many organs begin to malfunction. The buildup of carbon dioxide leads to acidosis, an acidic state of the blood that affects the function of almost every organ. Blood pressure may fall to low levels. The airways are so narrowed that it is difficult to move air in and out of the lungs. Some asthmatics require intubations and ventilator support as well as maximum doses of several medications. Support is also given to correct acidosis.


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The long-acting beta-adrenergic agonists when used together with inhaled corticosteroids, asthma can be managed in much better manner. A combination of salmeterol (a long-acting beta-adrenergic; agonist) with a corticosteroid as an inhaler is also available. Most often, beta-adreneigic agonists are inhaled using metered-dose inhalers (handheld cartridges containing gas under pressure}. The pressure pumps the drug into a fine spray containing a measured dose of drug. Inhalation deposits the drug directly in the airways, so that it acts quickly, but the drug may not reach the airways that arc severely obstructed. For people who have difficulty using a metered-dose inhaler, spacers or holding chambers can be used. With any type of inhaler, proper technique is vital; if the device is not used properly, the drug will not reach the airways. A dry powder drug formulation is also available. The powder formulation is easier for some people to use, in part because it requires less coordination with breathing.


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Beta-adrenergic agonists can also be delivered directly to the lungs by using a nebulizer. A nebulizer creates a mist of drug, and its use does not have to be coordinated with breathing. Nebulizers arc more portable than they were in the past; some units can even be plugged into a cigarette lighter in a car. Beta-adrenergic agonists can also be taken in liquid or tablet form or injected. However, the oral drugs tend to work slower than the inhaled or injected ones and are more likely to cause side effects. Side effects include abnormal heart rhythms, which may suggest excessive use. Other bronchodilators may be combined with beta-adrenergic agonists for acute attacks, including intravenous infusions of aminophylline (a type of theophylline) and nebulized ipratropium. Overusing these drugs can be very dangerous. The need for continuous use indicates severe bronchoconstriction, which can lead to respiratory failure and death.

There are currently around 26 Popular beta-adreneigic agonists molecules in the market. They are : Amibegron, Arformoterol, Bambuterol,Bitolterol, Bromoacetylalprenololmenthane, Carbuterol,Clenbuterol,Dopexamine, Formoterol,Hexoprenaline,Indacaterol
Levosalbutamol, Orciprenaline,Pirbuterol,Procaterol,Ractopamine, Reproterol, Rimiterol,Salbutamol, Salmeterol, Solabegron, Terbutaline and Tulobuterol.


 

 

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Anticholinergic Drugs for the treatment of asthma: Anticholinergic drugs, such as ipratropiurn, block acetyl-choline from causing muscle contraction and from producing excess mucus in the bronchi. These drugs are usually inhaled but can be given intravenously in the hospital. These drugs further widen (dilate) the airways in people who have already been given beta-adrenergic agonists. However, doctors use anti cholinergic drugs mainly in the emergency department in combination with a beta-adrenergic agonist. When used alone, anticholinergics are only marginally effective.


 

 


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Leukotriene Modifiers: Leukotriene modifiers, such as montelukast, zafirlukast, and zileuton, are the newest drags available to help control asthma. They are anti-inflammatory drags, preventing the action or synthesis of leukotrienes, chemicals made by the body that cause bronchoconstriction. These drugs, which are taken by mouth, are used more to prevent asthma attacks than to treat them, although because leukotrienes arc increased in acute asthma, these drugs potentially can be used during an attack as well.


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Corticosteroids: These drugs block the body's inflammatory response and are exceptionally effective at reducing asthma symptoms. They are the most potent form of anti-inflammatory drugs and have been an important part of asthma treatment for decades. They are given in the inhaled form to prevent attacks and improve lung function. They are given by mouth in higher doses for people experiencing severe attacks. Corticosteroids given by mouth are generally continued for at least several days after a severe attack. Corticosteroids can be taken in several different forms. Often, inhaled versions are best because they deliver the drug directly to the airways and minimize the amount sent throughout the body. They come in several strengths and are generally used twice a day. The person should rinse the mouth after use to decrease the likelihood that an infection of the mouth (thrush) develops.

Oral or injected corticosteroids may be used in high doses to relieve a severe asthma attack and are generally continued for I to 2 weeks. Oral corticosteroids are prescribed on a long-term basis only when no other treatments can control the symptoms. If taken for long periods, corticosteroids gradually reduce the likelihood of an asthma attack by making the airways less sensitive to a number of provocative stimuli. Long-term use of orticosteroids, especially larger doses taken by mouth, can produce side effects.


 

 

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Asthma is the most common chronic problem among children. In fact, the American Lung Association says children make up about one-third of the nation's 20 million asthma sufferers.The statistics are even more dramatic closer to home: In some areas of St. Louis, 15 to 20 percent of children suffer from asthma, more than double the national average of 6.3 percent, according to studies by the St. Louis Regional Asthma Consortium. Asthma is a chronic disease.


 

 

 

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