What is asthma? Its diagnosis and treatment

Asthma or Asthma is a chronic disease, which keeps a person in its grip forever. Worldwide, more than 33 crore people are suffering from this disease, while this chronic disease takes the lives of about 250,000 people every year.

What is Asthma?

 Difficulty in breathing due to narrowing of the airways or narrowing of the airways is called Asthma or Asthma. Asthma has many symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, restlessness or trouble sleeping, and fatigue.

The disease caused by internal and external allergies, dust, changes in weather and infection in the respiratory tract is called 'asthma' and the disease caused by smoking and air pollution is called 'Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease' (COPD).

 Diagnosis 

Asthma is diagnosed through physical examination and medical tests. Medical tests can confirm asthma through blood tests, x-rays, blood oxygen levels, lung function tests, spirometry and allergy tests.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment available for asthma, however, the progression of the disease can be prevented by taking preventive measures. Asthma can be prevented in two ways. First is to prevent and the second is to treat. The trick is that the patient has to change his daily routine. 

If he is addicted to any type of addiction, he should quit it immediately, avoid the use of cigarettes, alcohol, tobacco and narcotic drugs while protecting himself from dust and air pollution. Apart from this, if there is damage due to the change of weather, then take protective measures for that too.

The most effective treatment for asthma is the use of an inhaler, which contains various medications to control the disease. With these medicines, the asthma can be prevented from getting worse and the patient's suffering is reduced. A common misconception is that regular use of inhalers is harmful to the body, that they are addictive and habit forming.

 The fact is that inhalers are very useful for asthma patients, they make the body accustomed to it, but this habit is as beneficial as eating food every day. People who stop using inhalers quickly progress to the final stage of the disease, which can be life-threatening.

Asthma in children

If you notice discomfort while nursing in young children and they appear to be in distress, this could be a sign of asthma, so they need to see a doctor immediately. According to research from the University of Kansas, during pregnancy the second Getting vitamin D in the trimester can significantly reduce the risk of asthma in the baby. 

If pregnant women spend 10 minutes in the sunlight a day, it reduces the risks of the baby suffering from respiratory diseases.

Asthma UK, a charity working for asthma patients in the UK, says that steroid medicines play an important role in controlling asthma symptoms in young children. Care should be taken in giving these medicines and every possible effort should be made not to give them these medicines.

According to a study conducted in Europe, asthma patients under the age of two are at risk of stunting if treated with steroids. A study of 12,000 children in Finland found that children who were given steroids for a long time were more likely to be stunted.

Earlier, a study had also indicated that steroid drugs have a negative impact on the development of children. Research has shown that if these drugs are used on a regular basis, children may grow up to be three centimeters shorter.

 Researchers say, 'It is very important that doctors prescribe asthma to young children. Before giving steroid medicines to them, think carefully whether it is necessary for them or not.

According to researchers, the best medicine to protect infants from asthma is breast milk. According to a 2016 study in Switzerland, breastfeeding infants for one year can protect them from asthma attacks.

A new treatment for asthma

Sometimes an asthma patient is in so much pain that it becomes difficult for him to walk two steps.

Jewel Benton, an asthmatic, says, “I have trouble breathing. When I walk up the stairs to my room, I have to rest against my dresser for a while.

Asthma patients have to deal with symptoms like cough, shortness of breath and chest pain throughout their life.

Paul Garb is from the US Centers for Disease Control, where he heads the Center for Lung Diseases. According to him, recent research shows that asthma is more common in certain groups of race, age and gender.

They say asthma rates are higher among children, women and black American men. Among the child groups, black American children have the highest prevalence of asthma. About 17 percent of children in this group may have asthma, more than any other group of children.

According to the World Health Organization, about 235 million people worldwide have this complaint. Despite reductions in air pollution and education campaigns about the effects of smoking and air pollution, one in every 12 people in the United States has asthma. 

Modern research has also shown that children who develop allergies to food and environmental elements in childhood are more likely to suffer from asthma in adulthood. Experts say that the disease can be combated by staying away from environmental factors that cause asthma and knowing how to manage asthma symptoms.

We don't know the causes of asthma, so we can't even prevent it from spreading, says Paul Garb. We know for sure that once someone has asthma and is diagnosed by a doctor, we can prevent asthma symptoms from appearing. Patients can learn to live with asthma.

 But they should also have access to medical care and regular contact with doctors. So that the doctor can prescribe the right medicine based on their symptoms, and teach the child and the child's parents how to cope with the symptoms.

According to doctors, there is no cure for asthma. And there are few drugs to combat its symptoms. These include inhalers, tablets and vaccines.

A new treatment method approved by the US Food and Drug Administration is called Bronchial Thermoplasty, in which the patient's airways can be enlarged using heat.

Smita Khatri, a physician at the Cleveland Clinic, is one of the few doctors to try this treatment. She says that some of her patients have benefited from this treatment.

She says the basic concept of this treatment is that by dilating the airways, it can reduce coughing fits and pressure in the airways.

But Dr. Khatri says the treatment can cause inflammation in the lungs, and can make asthma worse. It says that Bronchial thermoplasty treatment is not for those patients who have very mild asthma complaints. And should only be used in people for whom no other asthma treatment is proving effective.