Asthma Important Characteristics

[damon harvey]

Once the asthma attack starts the lack of air and shortness of breath
the asthma sufferer feels must be one of the worst experiences someone
can experiment, as oxygen is our vital lifeline that keeps the body
functioning. The lack of this vital gas in our body, even for short
periods of time can have devastating consequences. The lack of oxygen
affects the brain in just a few minutes and a continuos lack of this
gas can cause an irreversible damage in the brain after just five
minutes. An asthma attack is similar to living on the edge constantly,
with just the minimum amount of oxygen needed to survive.
Asthma is an extended disease that affects the respiratory system of
the individual, in which the airways constrict, become inflamed, and
there are excessive amounts of mucus, often in response to a number of
"triggers," for example, exposure to an environmental allergen, cold
air, exercise, or even emotional stress. In children, the most common
triggers are viral illnesses such as those that cause the common cold.
This airway narrowing causes symptoms such as shortness of breath,
wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing, which fortunately respond to
substances known as bronchodilators. Though this condition may become
chronic, between episodes, most patients feel in good shape.
As mentioned above, this disorder is a chronic or recurring
inflammatory condition in which the airways develop increased
responsiveness to various stimuli, characterized by bronchial hyper-
responsiveness, increased mucus production, inflammation, and
intermittent airway obstruction. The symptoms of asthma have different
degrees of gravity and can range from mild to even life threatening
symptoms in the worst conditions, thankfully these symptoms can
usually be controlled with a combination of drugs and some
environmental changes.
It is important to notice that most public health systems in the
developed world have recently focused on asthma because there has been
a rapidly increasing prevalence among the population, affecting up to
one in four urban children. Susceptibility to asthma doesn't depend
only on the environment but it can also be explained in part by
genetic factors, though no clear pattern of inheritance has been found.