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About Asthma
Knowledge Base
Asthma
Presence of allergens in the home (including house dust mite allergens) may lead to chronic bronchial inflammation. Patients periodically suffer from paroxysmal shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing and increased mucous secretion. Limited air flow through the bronchi under the influence of environmental factors is called bronchial hyperresponsiveness. This is a typical feature of asthma.
ABS data (2018) shows that 2.7 million people (11.2%) in Australia suffer from Asthma. The real number of sufferers could in fact be higher as asthma is a disease which is very difficult to diagnose. Co-occurance of asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis has also been noted.
The following environmental factors foster development of asthma and result in exacerbation of this disease:
- exposure to airborne allergens
- respiratory tract infections (especially viral ones)
- air pollution
- exhaust fumes
- diet (food allergies)
Variable and reversible airflow limitation through the bronchi, called bronchial hyperresponsiveness, is a typical symptom of asthma. It occurs spontaneously, but also under the influence of physical, chemical or biological agents.
Sometimes symptoms can become exacerbated. They are characterised by increased dyspnoea, escalating cough, wheezing, chest tightness, which may impair lung function. Chronic inflammation leads to the pathological repair processes, that is remodelling of tissues, which aggravate respiratory dysfunction. Bronchial smooth muscle contraction, mucosal oedema and overproduction of thick mucus take place during an asthma attack. Patients then feel a transient chest tightness.
Asthma is a disease with variable causes which may be perennial or seasonal. It may be induced by physical exercise undertaken, harmful environmental influence or occur as a side effect of some medications. In each case, the disease may be different – its course may be mild, moderate or severe.
A crucial element of prevention and treatment of asthma is eliminating allergens from the environment. Effective methods may relieve symptoms, reduce the risk of exacerbation and protect against the development of asthma.
