Asthma is an illness that affects roughly 25 million Americans according to the Centers for Disease Control. What is often thought to be a trivial bout of coughing and wheezing by most who do not have it, some fail to realize how fatal it can become if left untreated and uncared for. Asthma is a chronic condition, meaning it is an illness that is hard to cure, and even if a patient does not experience it for a long time, it can come back in the future randomly.
Also known as asthma exacerbation, this disease is characterized by the patient’s inability to breathe in and out comfortably due to airways swelling up and getting filled with mucus. While there are eight different types of this condition, these eight can be divided into two categories, namely intermittent and persistent.
Intermittent Asthma
Intermittent asthmatics are individuals who have well-controlled asthma without long-term medication. Those who experience this usually experience the symptoms sporadically and can often be separated by longer periods of time. This is normally a more mild type of asthma, as it occurs less frequently than persistent asthma.
Persistent Asthma
Persistent asthmatics are people who experience more severe asthmatic attacks more often than their counterparts. They are often required to be on long-term medication, as the lack of these often results in poorly-controlled asthma attacks. Those with this type of asthma have symptoms of attacks on a regular basis, such as weekly or multiple times per week.
Asthma Triggers And Symptoms
The triggers that can cause an asthmatic to act up include dust, tobacco smoke, air pollution, pet hairs, cockroach allergens, mold, and other infections like the flu. These are often caused by an allergic reaction that triggers the airways to close up and cause intense coughing and wheezing. You can tell if someone has asthma if they experience tightness in their chests or itchiness in their throat that cannot be scratched and continuously gets thicker. These can be deadly and life-threatening, as being unable to breathe can often be the cause of death for some asthmatics. Fortunately, medicines exist to treat airway blockages and can be the saving factor in an asthmatic person’s life.
What To Do When Someone Is Experiencing An Attack
Thankfully, modern medicine has been able to devise plans of action and pharmaceuticals to treat asthma. This is normally visible in youth years, where parents will recognize the symptoms in their children early on, which makes it easy to treat. Asthma medications fall into two groups, which are long-term and quick relief solutions either through inhalers that deliver steroids to the airways or pills to ease the irritation of passages. Quick-relief medications help alleviate the symptoms of an attack immediately or in short periods of time, while long-term ones help users have fewer attacks that are milder in nature. When someone experiences an attack or is starting to develop symptoms, check their person for meds to alleviate their asthma or rush them to the nearest clinic or hospital. Medical experts will likely have the meds readily available and can easily save the life of an asthmatic person.
Conclusion
Asthma is a life-threatening disease that should not ever be taken lightly. The feeling of not being able to breathe can cause extreme panic and can be the end of someone’s life. Always be aware if you have a loved one who has the disease by reading up on healthcare news and updating yourself on the medical industry.
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