Have you ever had a classmate who could not do any sport activities during Pendidikan Jasmani class and sat at the side of the field because the teacher was concerned they might get asthma attacks? Asthma is a common health condition occurring in any age and often started during childhood. Mild asthma may not be so concerning but severe asthma cases can be life-threatening.
Asthma is defined as a chronic or long-term disease involving airway passages to be inflamed and narrowed due to the body immune response. Clear airway passage is essential for humans to breathe as it helps carry air in and out of the lung. People with asthma will experience coughing especially at night time or early morning, shortness of breath and feeling tight in the chest. In a severe case of asthma attack, a person may look drowsy, confused, with a rapid heartbeat and skin or lips seem bluish. Wheezing, a special sound resembling whistling can be heard in people with asthma.
Causes of asthma:
-Asthma can be hereditary. If other family members have asthma, it is likely for others to have to. This is especially true if a parent or siblings have it.
-Previous allergy reactions such as eczema, a skin disorder characterised by dry flaky skin or rhinitis whereby a person experienced runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing and itching.
-Baby born with low birth weight or premature. These conditions cause bad effects on the development of the lung. Lungs that are not well developed are at risk for asthma.
-Prolonged exposure to allergen and irritants in the environment can increase risk of asthma. Example of allergen and irritants are smoke from cigarettes, dust and particle in the air, wood fires and strong fumes such as paint and gasoline.
-Occupational hazards such as exposure to industrial chemicals or particles, flour and grain dust, latex, wood dust, work related with animals
-Obese people. Excessive fat tissues in the body can trigger inflammatory responses that can impair normal functions of the lungs, thus risking asthma.
Asthma triggers:
-Allergens: pet fur or feathers, dust mites, molds, pollen, cockroach
-Respiratory infections: colds, flu or influenza, pneumonia, sinus infections, sore throats
-Poor air conditions: dust particle and cigarettes smoke
-Weather: heat, cold air, sudden weather change, dry wind, thunderstorms
-Emotional stress or intense emotions causing changes in breathing: anger, crying, excited, terrified, laughter
-Exercise: sports in cold air such as ice skating and ice hockey, sports that needs constant activity such as soccer and running
-Certain medications: Painkiller such as aspirin and NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), antihypertensive drugs such as beta blockers such as timolol and atenolol.
Currently, there is no exact treatment to cure asthma. Available treatments in the healthcare industry aim to help relieve the distress during asthma attacks and help patients to breathe better. However, what asthmatic people can do is to prevent themselves from getting asthma attacks by avoiding what is known to trigger asthma. Patients also need to identify early signs of asthma attack to help them know what to do, what medicine to take and when to take it, when to call a doctor or decide to go straight to the emergency room (ER) and who to call in case of emergency.
In essence, asthma is not a harmless disease. This disease accounts for 1 death per 100 000 people. Mortality risk increases in those aged above 40 years old and heavy smokers. As mentioned, asthma cannot be cured and the only way to survive is to comply with medications and to avoid triggers as much as possible.
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