Last Updated on August 23, 2022
Overview:
Are chest tightness, frequent coughing, and shortness of breath a part of your life? It might be an indication of Asthma. Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition affecting your lungs. It is most prevalent in children but is also observed in adults. Asthma affects about 25 million people in the US. This is roughly 1 in every 13 persons. Asthma affects over 20 million American individuals aged 18 and over. To help people with their Moderate Persistent Asthma symptoms, Revive Research Institute is conducting Asthma Clinical Research in Michigan.
In this blog, we will go through the symptoms, causes, types, management of Moderate Persistent Asthma, and if one can die from an asthma attack.
How Do We Know Whether It Is An Asthma Attack?
Coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and breathing difficulties can all be symptoms of an asthma attack. Your body’s airways, which are the channels via which air travels to your lungs, are the site of the attack. The airways in your lungs narrow as air pass through them, just as the branches of a tree are narrower than the trunk. Your lungs’ airways enlarge on the sides and contract during an asthma attack. Your lungs receive less air, and the mucus your body produces clogs the airways.
What Causes Moderate Persistent Asthma?
One of the most commonly asked questions is, “Can you die from an asthma attack?” Exposure to ‘asthma triggers’ can result in an asthma attack. Your asthma triggers may be substantially different from someone else’s. You can avoid your triggers by carefully noting down any changes in your routine that could trigger the attack. By understanding what triggers affect your asthma, you can manage your condition to avoid serious illness or even death. When you are unable to evade your triggers, be alert for an attack. Some of the triggers may include:
- Tobacco smoke,
- Dust mites,
- Outdoor air pollution,
- Cockroach allergen,
- Pets,
- Mold,
- Smoke from burning wood or grass, and
- Illnesses like the flu.
What Are the Symptoms of Asthma?
Moderate Persistent Asthma symptoms vary from person to person but the common symptoms are:
- Shortness of breath,
- Chest tightness,
- Wheezing sound,
- Difficulty sleeping, and
- Increased coughing with a respiratory virus.
What are the Risk Factors for Asthma?
- Particular allergies like food, pollen, etc.,
- Family history, and
- History of Bronchitis.
What Are the Different Types of Asthma?
Allergic Asthma:
Asthma that is brought on by allergens like pollen, pets, and dust mites is known as allergic (or atopic) asthma. Related conditions, such as hay fever, eczema, or food allergies, affect about 80% of people who have allergic asthma. If you have allergic asthma, your doctor will probably advise you to use a reliever inhaler when you experience asthma symptoms in addition to a preventer inhaler that you should use daily.
Seasonal Asthma:
As the name suggests, seasonal asthma indicates asthmatic flare-ups at certain times of the year, such as cold or hay fever season.
Occupational Asthma:
Occupational asthma is asthma that is specifically caused by your line of work. You may have work-related asthma if your asthma symptoms first appeared as an adult, and they get better on days off from work. Typically, occupational asthma is a form of allergic asthma. For instance, if you work in a bakery, flour dust may cause an allergic reaction, or if you work in healthcare, latex glove dust may do the same.
Non-Allergic:
Non-allergic asthma, or non-atopic asthma, is a type of asthma that isn’t related to an allergy trigger like pollen or dust, and is less common than allergic asthma.
The causes are not well understood, but it often develops later in life and can be more severe.
Exercise Induced:
Some people who don’t have an asthma diagnosis experience asthma-like symptoms only when they exercise. Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction is a more accurate term for what is frequently referred to as “exercise-induced asthma” (EIB). This is because having asthma does not result in the tightening and narrowing of the airways (bronchoconstriction). Athletes or persons engaging in difficult exercises in extremely low temperatures are more likely to experience exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.
Difficult Asthma:
Some asthmatics experience what is referred to as severe asthma or moderate persistent asthma. Allergies and other medical conditions you may have can make managing your asthma more challenging. Or perhaps you struggle to remember to take your preventative medication. Symptoms of difficult asthma include:
- Even with high doses of asthma medications and additional therapies, asthma symptoms persist
- Asthma attack warning sign: needing to use relief inhaler three or more times each week.
- Several asthma episodes
Serious Asthma Event:
This is a condition that affects 5-10% of individuals with asthma. Severe asthma is identified in a dedicated asthma clinic. Many people with this condition wonder if one can die from an asthma attack. Asthma attacks should be taken seriously and can be easily preventable with a proper treatment plan and understanding of your condition. You are at a high risk of severe asthma if:
- You have had more than two asthma attacks in the past year.
- You were using greater dosages of inhaled steroids and tried long-acting bronchodilators and preventer tablets, but your symptoms persist.
Adult Onset Asthma:
Although asthma frequently develops in childhood, some people only receive their first asthma diagnosis as adults. This type of asthma is also named Adult-onset or Late-onset Asthma.
The following are some potential causes of Adult-onset asthma:
- 9–15% of adult-onset asthma is caused by occupational factors,
- Secondhand smoke and smoking,
- Obesity,
- Women are more prone than men to acquire adult-onset asthma because of female, hormones, which have been related to the disease, and
- Stressful circumstances.
Childhood Asthma:
When exposed to specific triggers, such as breathing in pollen or contracting a cold or another respiratory infection, the lungs and airways are susceptible to inflammation. Children who have asthma may experience annoying daily symptoms that interfere with sleep, play, and other activities.
What is Fear-Induced Asthma?
Asthma symptoms can undoubtedly be brought on by fear. Your body triggers the “fight or flight” reaction when you are exposed to something that makes you feel anxious or fearful. As a response, stress hormones are released by the body during this reaction. Your breathing becomes shallower and your heartbeat accelerates as a result of these chemicals. Even if you aren’t aware of it, your body still tenses up.
This confluence of factors creates the ideal storm within the body and may produce an asthma attack. Breathing problems can result from fear or anxiety, and when we have trouble breathing, we start to feel anxious. It’s a vicious cycle that might be challenging to break.
Asthma and Sleeping Issues:
Many asthmatics report having problems falling asleep. Due to congestion, mucus, snoring, nightly coughing, wheezing, and breathing difficulties, people with allergies and asthma may not get enough sleep. Lack of sleep increases the likelihood of an asthma attack by encouraging inflammation in the body and affecting lung function. Sleep problems that go untreated can worsen asthma and lower your quality of life.
Asthma and Blood Pressure: What’s the Link?
In asthma, blood pressure plays a significant role. Asthma and high blood pressure are both linked in a complicated manner. But it’s not typically due to a severe asthma episode. Your blood pressure may increase during less severe episodes because your lungs may not be able to take in enough air. Your blood pressure will increase as a result of your heart has to work harder to supply enough oxygen to the rest of your body.
Treatment of asthma and blood pressure together is difficult as the medicines which are effective for blood pressure worsen asthma and vice versa. It is important to inform your doctor if the medicines are not working for you, they will make some changes in the dosage, medicine, and timings so that desired effects can be obtained.
Asthma and Pregnancy:
Asthma is considered to affect around 4% to 8% of pregnant women. Uncontrolled or moderate persistent asthma during pregnancy can lead to severe complications like preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a condition that happens after the 20th week of pregnancy or right after pregnancy. It is when a woman has high blood pressure that could lead to organ damage. If asthma symptoms are not controlled, the fetus might suffer from oxygen deficiency and the risk for the following conditions might increase:
- Premature birth,
- Poor growth, and
- Low birth weight.
Asthma In Children:
Childhood asthma is also called Pediatric Asthma. It is the same as adult asthma, however certain differences in symptoms exist. Symptoms may vary between episodes. Some of the childhood asthma symptoms are:
- Persistent cough,
- Coughing that aggravates during play or exercise, at night, in cold, while laughing,
- Cough that worsens after a viral infection,
- Rapid breathing,
- Frequent breaks to catch a breath while playing,
- Wheezing,
- Shortness of breath,
- Seesaw movements of the chest,
- Loss of energy, and
- Difficulty sleeping.
What are the Triggers of Childhood Asthma?
Some of the childhood asthma triggers involve:
- Airway infection,
- Allergens,
- Irritants,
- Exercise, and
- Stress.
Moderate Persistent Asthma And Quality Of Life:
Imagine living your life struggling to catch your breath. It is hard for people with asthma to live a healthy life. They always struggle to return to their normal breathing patterns after strenuous exercise, playtime, or any tiring task. This affects their daily life activities to a great extent. It is more difficult for children to cope with life activities. It is important to manage your symptoms of Moderate Persistent Asthma to prevent complications and live a healthy life.
Treatment Options for Asthma:
Asthma currently has no defined cure, however, medication can help manage the symptoms so you can lead a healthy active life. The major form of treatment is inhalers, which are tools that allow you to breathe in the medication. If your asthma is severe, you could also need tablets and other therapies.
Inhalers:
These can be especially handy:
- When symptoms arise — soothe them (reliever inhalers)
- To stop the onset of symptoms (preventer inhalers)
- For some folks who require an inhaler with both functions (combination inhalers).
The different types of inhalers are:
Reliever Inhalers:
The majority of asthma sufferers will be offered a relief inhaler. Typically, these are blue. When symptoms occur, you use a reliever inhaler to manage them. Within a few minutes, it makes your symptoms go away.
Preventer Inhalers:
You could also require a preventer inhaler if you frequently use a relief inhaler. Every day, you use a preventer inhaler to lessen the sensitivity and inflammation of your airways, which prevents the occurrence of your symptoms. It’s crucial to utilize it even if you are symptom-free. Preventer inhalers have steroid medicine in them.
Combination Inhalers:
You might need an inhaler that combines the two if relievers and preventer inhalers do not control your asthma. Combination inhalers are used regularly to aid in preventing symptoms of moderate persistent asthma from happening and provide effective relief if they do. Even if you don’t have symptoms, it’s still crucial to use it regularly.
Tablets:
If your Moderate Persistent Asthma symptoms are not controlled by using inhalers, you might need additional therapies like tablets. Few tablets that can be utilized are:
- LTRAs (Leukotriene receptor antagonists): These are available in tablet, syrup, and powder forms.
- Theophylline: It is consumed every day to prevent symptoms.
- Steroid tablets: If none of the treatment options help, then steroids in the form of medicines are utilized to control the symptoms of asthma.
Other Complementary Therapies for Moderate Persistent Asthma:
As potential asthma remedies, several complementary therapies are recommended including:
- Breathing exercises such as the Papworth method and Buteyko method,
- Acupuncture,
- Homeopathy,
- Chiropractic Manual Therapy,
- Ionizers (devices that employ an electric current to charge air molecules),
- Food supplements, and
- Traditional Chinese medicine.
The Takeaway:
Lung inflammation caused by Moderate Persistent Asthma makes breathing challenging. It can have an impact on both adults and children in various ways and to varying degrees of severity. Asthma can be treated with a variety of drugs. The most popular therapies are bronchodilators, which can be used either long-term or short-term to manage symptoms over time or short-term to treat an asthma attack.
Altering one’s way of life may also lessen Moderate Persistent Asthma attacks. This could entail making dietary adjustments, becoming active, or managing stress. Try to identify the type of asthma you may have and the best management options for you by consulting your physician. Learn more about Institutes conducting Clinical Trials in Michigan near you that are searching out potential treatment options to help people manage their Asthma symptoms.
