Physiology of Asthma

Asthma can be essentially defined as a long term lung disorder due to the narrowed down airways and their inflammation, which can make breathing difficult for affected individuals. For severe cases, it can make talking or being active a challenge. It affects about 25 million Americans every year. Without proper treatment, affected individuals have to go to the hospital often and are not able to carry on proper lifestyles for themselves with the disease. 

Symptoms of asthma include airway blockage, which is a tightening of the bands of muscle around the airway, and the air is unable to pass through freely. Another sign is irritated airways, such as coughing, wheezing, pain in your chest, shortness of breath, and feeling pressure from the airways. Lastly, inflammation in the lungs can also signal asthma. Certain people with asthma go for periods without these symptoms, and others may struggle with it on a daily basis. Not everybody will have the same symptoms, and not every synoptom listed is experienced by everybody. 

An asthma attack is when the bands of muscle around one’s airways is tightened, which is also called a bronchospasm. The cells lining the airways produce thicker and more mucus compared to normal. Other effects of an attack include retractions of neck muscles, pale face, and sweating. To treat the attack immediately, individuals use an inhaler to ease their breaths. However, without doing so, you will experience cyanosis. It is a bluish color change around the lips over time, and indicates a depreciation of oxygen in the blood, and can lead to fainting, loss of consciousness, or even death. This is the reason why if one experiences an attack, they need to go to a hospital immediately and receive medical attention.

There are several different types of asthma, including adult-onset asthma, allergic asthma, exercise-induced asthma, eosinophilic asthma, nocturnal asthma, cough-variant asthma, and occupational asthma. 

Living with asthma can be difficult for many. Knowing the triggers to the symptoms and limiting one’s exposure to them can help manage the disorder. In addition, talking to a professional and understanding your medications, creating an asthma action plan, and being consistent with the prescriptions will keep asthma in check for your daily life.