Knowing your triggers keeps asthma under control- medics

It took Cathrine Asio five years to discover that her 10- year daughter was asthmatic. For all these years, she used all manner of cough syrups and tablets to treat her daughter’s stubborn coughs.

“I was in and out of hospitals. I consulted several paediatricians. My daughter’s cough was a nightmare. It would take a month or so to heal only to recur weeks later,” says Asio. 

She adds: “Hers was not an ordinary cough. It is the type that would only ease after the strongest medication was administered. At some point, she had to be nebulised.”

Asio says difficulty in breathing, persistent cough and wheezing got her concerned.  At last, a diagnosis revealed that her daughter had asthma and she was taught how to manage the condition. 

Asthma, a medical condition of the airway and the lungs is characterised by dry cough, wheezing, difficulty in breathing and breathlessness due to blockage of the airway.

According to Dr Harriet Mpairwe, a peaditrician and asthma researcher, asthma is an incurable long term chronic inflammatory disease that makes it difficult for patients to breath.

“An asthmatic attack causes bands of muscle around the airways to tighten. During the attack, the airways become swollen and the cells in the airways make thicker mucus than normal,”Dr Mpairwe says.

She says every asthma patient experiences different symptoms. The symptoms also vary from one asthma attack to the next, being mild during one and severe during another.

Dust, smoke from cigarettes and any other burnt substance, scents from perfumes and flowers, pets and moulds as well as emotions such as excitement and anxiety all trigger asthma. While it affects all age groups, the symptoms are more severe among children.

“Some asthmatic patients may go for long periods without any symptoms while others might have problems every day,” says Dr Mpairwe.

Mild asthma attacks are more common but last longer and require immediate attention. In order to keep asthma under control, it is important to identify and treat mild symptoms.

Symptoms             

Asthma can start at any age, but it is more common in people younger than 40 and children have more symptoms than adults. Dr Mpairwe says among children, the coughing happens at night, during play time, at night, or while laughing. “They struggle to catch a breath while they play, fast or shallow breathing and a whistling sound when they breathe,” she adds.

Other symptoms include severe wheezing, coughing that will not stop, very rapid breathing, chest pain or pressure, tightened neck and chest muscles, called retractions and pale, sweaty face.

Allergic and occupational asthma

Allergic asthma is triggered by allergens such as dust, pollen, molds, and pet dander, can also cause asthma attacks while non allergic asthma flares in extreme weather. It could be on very hot or cold days or when you are stressed.

Occupational asthma affects people who work around chemical fumes, dust, or other irritants things in the air. Adults between 35 and 50 years old suffer from osinophilic asthma when high levels of white blood cells called eosinophils are found in their sputum.

If your asthma symptoms get worse at night, you suffer from nocturnal asthma. Infections such as  sinusitis, colds, and the flu, tobacco smoke, cold air or changes in the weather, allergens such as pollens, mold, strong odors from perfumes or cleaning solutions, strong emotions such as anxiety, laughter, sadness, all trigger asthma.

Asthma can be diagnosed through scanning lungs. Allergy tests can be blood or skin tests.

Treatment

Currently, there is no cure for asthma but several treatments that help to manage the condition, according to Dr Mpairwe. “Without proper management, asthma can cause pneumonia, mental health issues, permanently narrowed bronchial tubes in lungs, lung collapse and respiratory failure, birth weight babies and miscarriages,” she says.

 “The corticosteroids- an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat rheumatologic diseases, eases swelling inside your airways and makes less mucus. An inhaler gets the medicine into your lungs. Common inhaled corticosteroids include beclomethasone budesonide (Pulmicort), fluticasone and leukotriene modifier pills,” Dr Ampaire says.

These rescue medicines loosen the bands of muscle around your airways, ease symptoms and are handy during an attack.