Asthma Signs And Symptoms

Getting desperate to breathe in the real sense?

Want to eat all that you crave for?

Want to do anything to get rid of a handicap-like inhalers and medicines?

Do not worry!

Here is a complete guide to free you from this trap FOREVER!

But first of all, let us join to gather the needed information about your problem Asthma!

Definition

Asthma is a chronic condition in which narrowing of the nasal or air passage causes periodic attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. These changes occur with the changes in the environment, including weather, allergens (such as dog or cat dander or dust), foods, or respiratory infections (flu, colds). Asthma is also popularly known as Bronchial asthma, Exercise induced asthma - bronchial.

Causes of Asthma:

Asthma occurs due to several reasons, the most important ones being:

1. Inhaled allergens like pet dander, dust mites, cockroach allergens, molds, or pollens

2. Respiratory infections

3. Exercise

4. Cold air

5. Tobacco smoke and other pollutants

6. Stress

7. Food

8. Drug allergies

9. Aspirin and other NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medications (NSAIDS)

10. An individual and/or family history of allergies such as Hay Fever (allergic rhinitis) or Eczema

11. strong emotions

Asthma attacks can last from minutes to days and become really dangerous if the flow of the air becomes severely restricted.

Recent researches show that asthma occurs in 3-5% of adults and 7-10% of children. Usually, half of the people with asthma develop this disease before age 10, and the rest before age 30. These symptoms can decrease over time, especially in children.

Asthma Symptoms:

Here are some of the most common asthma signs and symptoms you should always remember:

1. Shortness of breath

Your chest feels tight and you start feeling that you cannot catch your breath anymore or get all the air you need.

2. Frequent Coughing

If you cough very frequently every day or if this cough starts interrupting your sleep at night that won't quit, it could be a symptom of asthma.

3. Wheezing attacks

A whistling sound heard when a person with asthma is breathing. It happens when mucus causes the small passageways in your lungs called alveoli start to narrow. It happens all of a sudden and not constant. It may worsen at bedtime or early morning or by breathing cold air or by exercising.

4. Intercostal Retractions

These retractions stand for the inward movement of the muscles in the spaces between the ribs. The reduced pressure in the chest cavity is the reason for this pulling of the muscles. This is a sign of difficult breathing.

5. Tightness in the Chest

This can be quite threatening to the asthma sufferer. It gives the feeling of a steel band or a weight that is keeping your lungs from fully expanding as your breathe in.

6. Pallor or Cyanosis

Pallor is a whitish color and cyanosis is a bluish color in the lips and face. If either one of these is followed with severe shortness of breath, are danger signs of asthma attack. You need to get help right away if you notice this symptom.

7. Anxiety or Discomfort

A feeling of intense fear and uneasiness occurs when you find it difficult to breathe. If your anxiety is accompanied by short of breath and / or pallor or cyanosis, then undoubtedly, its time to get emergency help.

8. Fast pulse rate

If you find that your pulse is running extremely fast and you are sweating badly, then do not waste even a single moment and visit your doctor.

If you notice any of these symptoms in you or any of your near and dear ones on a regular or ongoing basis, then you might consult a doctor about whether you have asthma. And if already an asthma sufferer then do not waste time and immediately visit your doctor. Your doctor will diagnose your symptoms.

Skin Allergy Definition, Causes and Symptoms

What is a skin allergy? A skin allergy is a reaction caused by a substance that comes in contact with the skin, thus a skin allergy. Some types of contact skin allergies are dermatitis, eczema and hives. Contact dermatitis develops when the skin comes in contact with something that a person is allergic to. A reaction to skin allergies may cause a redness or even swelling, stinging, burning or blisters and yes, itching.

Skin Allergies are one of the most prevalent causes of skin conditions. Generally, they are caused by an immune system which becomes hypersensitive after exposure to certain substances which it recognizes as harmful. As a result of this exposure, the body's immune system releases huge amounts of antibodies to combat these "supposedly" harmful substances. The release of these immune cells may then cause an adverse reaction in other cells within the body.

The major symptom of skin allergy are hives, rashes, swelling, itching which may includes one or more physical signs like dry skin and it results in cracking of the skin. The hands, face, arms and neck are the common areas affected by skin allergies as are exposed usually every day.

Hives are red bumps or welts that form on the top layer of skin. Usually they will appear in a small area first, but they can then spread. You will find that the hives can appear on the face, arms, neck, or all over the body. The nature of hives is to be itchy. This means that food allergies cause itching skin in humans. Often the skin may appear itchy before the actual hives or reddened patches of skin will appear.

Common symptoms of allergies include redness and itchiness of the eyes, wheezing or other breathing problems, skin rashes or hives. Some people with severe allergies might even experience anaphylaxis or death in extreme exposure situations. There are many common allergies from which many people suffer. Animal dander (particularly from cats), pollen, dust mites and certain medications can all be causes of allergies. Some individuals are also allergic to certain foods or even whole food groups.

Something to keep in mind with the skin reaction as a result of food allergies is that irritating the area or becoming stressed over the issue can cause the skin reaction to be more pronounced. In other words if you become stressed you can actually psychologically induce hives. It is a reaction of too much chemical in your body as a result of stress. This means that for those with a food allergy they can cause the hives to become worse than they would normally be.

Eczema the most common skin problem is triggered by allergies. Similarly hives are caused by allergies. It is important to learn about allergies so that we can care for our skin. Most of us have different ideas about allergy. Some of us do not believe in allergy while some of us think that they suffer from allergy with every substance. Most of us are allergic to something. Most of these allergies are harmless but some like eczema can cause lot of distress and skin problems.

What Is Asthma, How Is It Diagnosed And What Treatments Are Available?

Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in the UK, affecting around five million people. The technical definition of asthma is a reversible airways disease which causes difficulty breathing. The word reversible is important and means that treatment can usually alleviate the symptoms and this separates it from other lung problems like Emphysema or Chronic Bronchitis (which are now called COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).

Asthma is a problem for many people because even mild symptoms can get in the way of exercise and it may mean carrying an inhaler around at all times. When more serious, asthma can be life threatening and needs to be monitored carefully. Although asthma is not curable it is "reversible" and therefore is almost always controllable given the right treatment. It is quite possible for a person with asthma to lead a completely normal life with the right combination of treatment.

For reasons that are not fully understood, asthma is on the increase and, in fact, the number of asthmatics has risen at least five fold in the last 25 years in the UK. Part of this increase may be due to doctors diagnosing it more often when perhaps in the past it was misdiagnosed. The increase is also thought to be related to increased levels of air pollution but this has not yet been categorically proven. The causes of asthma are not fully understood, although it seems both a genetic predisposition and environmental factors are involved.

What we do know is that during an asthma attack, the airways in the lungs become constricted, inflamed and there is an excess of mucus. This makes it much more difficult for the asthmatic to breath deeply in or out, causing a shortness of breath and wheezing. Asthmatic episodes can be triggered by many different factors including allergies (to fur, pollen etc.), exercise, viral chest infections, the inhalation of cold air and stress.

Treatment of asthma has advanced a lot over recent years. People living with asthma use either one, or a combination of inhalers (what some asthmatics call "puffers") which deliver a carefully measured dose of medication in the form of a spray or powder which is inhaled into the lungs. Anti-asthma drugs can be divided into "relievers" which are used just before or during an attack, and "preventers" which are used on a daily basis and help to suppress inflammation and reduce swelling in the lining of the airways.

It's important to remember that asthma is a common condition that can be mild or severe but in most cases can be controlled with medication, meaning that the vast majority of asthmatics can lead a normal life.

Daily Precautions For Asthma Patients

Asthma is a chronic disease of the respiratory system and may turn even fatal at times. It is therefore important for the asthma patients to take proper care and precautions regularly. Asthma patients suffer from attacks that enforce the system to breathe with difficulty. Wheezing, choking, gasping for breath and suffocation are the symptoms of asthmatic attack.

The attacks may last up to several minutes and leave a person thoroughly exhausted. There can be severe organ damage due to problem in respiration during the asthma attack. Also the system may suffer from lack of oxygen for a longer duration of time. It is therefore imperative to exercise proper caution and avoid the onset of an attack to the extent possible.

Some easily followed precautions everyday may keep an asthmatic without suffering an attack. These precautions are:

1. An asthmatic needs to follow routines. This is because it is generally seen that people do not suffer the agony of an asthmatic attack if they continue to live their life in a regular way. The problem arises mainly when the people go out of their way and break all the routines. The system thus gets unnecessarily pressured and reacts badly by manifesting the symptoms of the disease in the oddest of ways and without many warning signs. Sometimes the body does give the warning signs but the person may ignore them completely.

2. Daily morning walk does wonders to the system. But in the case of asthma patients the benefit from early morning exercise is enhanced manifold. This is because the early morning is the time when the air is pure and at its best. Exercising the lungs with the early morning air does wonders to the asthmatic lungs and respiratory tract.

3. Daily morning exercise schedule needs to be followed religiously in case of an asthma patient. Not only does this help in exercising the whole system but it also makes a person live a more disciplined and regularised life. This is because if a person gets into the habit of getting up early, in all probability he would try and sleep early too and his routine will automatically be set and fixed.

4. The daily diet of an asthma patient should be kept simple and nutritious. He should take care of not eating heavy meals as they would tax the system unnecessarily. Care should be taken to keep the meals small and frequent if need be, rather than consuming standard heavy meals at set hours. Also the food should be cooked with less oil and spices to keep it easily digestible. The diet should be mainly vegetarian with less of fats and carbohydrates. Sweets should best be avoided at night time. Dinner should be consumed at least two hours before sleeping so that the stomach is almost empty before sleeping. Dietary intake of fruits and vegetables should be enhanced. Snacks should be mainly in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables only and fatty, oily and salty or sweet snacks should be avoided completely.

5. Asthma patients should avoid smoking completely. Smoking fills the system with many toxins and the respiratory system gets flooded with them. These toxins are major irritants to the respiratory tract and create an undue pressure on the system that may be too much for an asthmatic to handle. An asthmatic may get more bronchial spasms and is more likely to be affected with respiratory infections if he continues to smoke.

6. An asthmatic person should also not indulge in drinking too much. This is because drinking causes a person to lose sense and become more prone to breaking disciplines of routine and diets. An asthmatic may become careless with his diet and may tend to overeat to counteract the influence of alcohol if he indulges in drinking too much.

7. Asthma patient's surroundings should be kept neat and tidy. As far as possible clutter should be completely avoided to steer clear of dust induced allergies that may create an attack. Clutter in the surroundings inhabits several mites and allergy causing organisms. It is therefore necessary that the furniture and other stuff should be arranged in such a way, which allows proper dusting and cleaning on a daily basis.

8. Asthma patients may have difficulty with the atmospheric pollution also. It is very important to assess whether the patient may be allergic to any particular kind of allergen present in the atmosphere around his place of dwelling or occupation. Sometimes certain professions support the excessive usage of one kind of toxin or the other, in which case a change in profession or occupational conditions may remain to be the only option.

9. Asthmatics should also be very careful of not getting mentally excited too much. This is because the mental aggravation may lead to appearance of asthmatic symptoms in patients. On a daily basis it is better not to accumulate taking decisions, whether in the personal life or in the professional life. The work should also be handled as far as possible on a daily basis to avoid excess stress and anxiety.

10. In order to manage asthma it is very necessary to accept the disease and the limitations attached with it in one's daily life. If proper discipline is maintained a patient can have a long and problem free life.

Asthma Breathing

Asthma breathing is important for every asthmatic patient. This is because the condition affects the breathing system of a patient. The airways that transport air in and out of the lungs get blocked because of swelling. This hence causes the patient not to breath with ease. Breathing therefore is important and can be made easier by avoiding the causes of asthma.

Symptoms that cause asthma breathing may include, tightening of chest, heavy breathing, wheezing and coughing. These conditions are usually triggered by various exposure of situations and circumstances. These may include the weather, viral infections, smoking among others.

Asthma breathing can either be mild or severe. One is advised to take preventative measures. These could include medications such as inhalers and tablets. Inhalers are of different types that help to prevent an attack. There are two types of inhalers, preventers and relievers. The preventer inhalers prevent an attack while the relievers help relieve the patient during an attack. Therapies can also be used to improve the condition of the patient. They however vary from one patient to another in relation to the seriousness of the condition.

The breathing is important because if ignored, a severe asthma can turn out to be chronic. In the instance of a patient knowing what triggers their condition, asthma breathing could be controlled and brought to a normal rate. The breathing then eases the flow of air in and out of the lungs. The breathing is a strong indicator of how serious the condition is. Therefore, necessary measures should always be a matter of priority in every patient.

Natural Cures for Asthma - What You Eat and Drink Can Make Asthma Better or Worse

There are many different causes and triggers for your asthma. Along with many causes there are also many solutions. Some of these solutions are actually quite natural. There are a variety of natural cures that seem to work for some people, though they may not work for everyone. Many of the natural cures for asthma involve ingesting foods and supplements.

What you eat and drink can be a great way to naturally cure your asthma. There are many foods out there that help to reduce the symptoms that cause asthma attacks.

Foods that are high in Vitamin C are great for helping to relieve from your asthma condition. Also, fatty fish and onions are great too. All of these foods have anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, they will help keep your air passages open.

Not only are asthma attacks caused by constricting airways but they are also caused by a build-up of mucus (known as mucus plugs). There are foods that will help reduce the amount of mucus in your air passages. Spicy herbs are great for this. These foods include chili, hot mustard, and garlic.

Magnesium is probably the best of all the supplements that can naturally cure asthma. More and more studies are showing that magnesium helps prevent asthma attacks. In fact, in many hospitals magnesium is actually one of the first things given intravenously (directly into the veins) to help stop severe asthma attacks. Taking 500 mg of magnesium a day has cured some people of their asthma.

Coffee has also been shown to help reduce the length and severity of asthma attacks. This is probably because the caffeine in coffee is a stimulant that causes the air ways to open up. However, make sure you drink the coffee black because any type of dairy product could trigger an allergy for your asthma.

Along these same lines, green tea has been shown to be another one of the many natural and effective cures for asthma. While it may not cure your asthma altogether, many people have found that if they drink it everyday, they have far less asthma attacks. Also, if you drink it when you feel an attack coming on, the green tea will often prevent the attack.

Of course what works for one person may not work for you. But almost everyone should be able to cure or at least treat their asthma naturally. The key is finding the cures that work for you.

Some of the best natural cures for asthma involve ingesting food, drink, or supplements. Some foods, drinks, and supplements that often cure or at least help asthma are foods with Vitamin C, fish oil, spicy foods, magnesium, coffee, and green tea.

Asthma - Definition, Cause and Triggering Factors

What is it and who gets it? Asthma is a condition whereby the smaller airways of the lungs constrict (or narrow) from time to time, causing typical symptoms. The duration and extent of narrowing vary and they determine the degree of severity of the disease. Asthma affects people of all ages, however, it tends to starts in childhood and runs in family. Having said that, certain asthma sufferers have no family members who have asthma.

What are the symptoms of asthma? Typical symptoms are a cough, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. The severity of asthma can usually be classified according to the degree of symptoms. Each episode of symptoms may last from a hour to several days if left untreated. Death is a known but uncommon cause of severe untreated asthma.

Symptoms of mild asthma: Episodes of symptoms only during exercise or triggered by a chest or an upper respiratory infection. You are usually symptom- free between episodes.

Symptoms of moderate asthma: You display symptoms from time to time. Symptoms tend to be worst at night and early in the morning. You may be awakened at night with a tight chest and coughing.

Symptoms of severe asthma: You have symptoms on most days. You may find it hard to talk. Frequent hospitalization for asthma is also one of the criteria for severe asthma.

What causes asthma? Asthma occurs as a result of inflammation in the lower, smaller airways. No one is entirely sure why the inflammation occurs. As a consequence of the inflammation, the sensitive airway constricts, making it hard for air to get in and out of the lungs. This leads to symptoms like wheezing, breathless, chest tightness and a cough. Not only that, the inflammation also stimulates the airway to pump out extra mucus, which causes the airway to obstruct further.

What are the exacerbating factors of asthma or what can make it worse? Asthma symptoms may be triggered by certain factors. Occasionally, we do not know why it becomes worse. It is possible to avoid certain triggers to help to reduce symptoms. Identifiable triggers include:

Exercise. Exercise is a known trigger for asthma. Having said that, you should not refrain yourself from doing sports and exercises. They are actually good for your asthma. It is possible to prevent asthma symptoms while exercising by using an inhaler before you exercise.

Pollen and moulds. This is particular evident during season of hay fever.

Infection. Viral respiratory tract infections like flu or common cold are common triggers.

Smoking and air pollution.

Some medicine. Certain medicines are known to constrict smaller airways in the lungs, they include aspirin, beta-blockers and some eye drops for glaucoma.

House dust mites.

Some food. We do not know why certain food can bring up symptoms of asthma. Food like nuts, eggs and fish can sometimes trigger off an asthma attack in people who have known asthma. However, this is not a common trigger.

Emotion. Asthma has nothing to do with your 'nerve'. However, certain emotions like stress, laughing, anxiety can all cause symptoms of asthma.

What Are the Main Causes of Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that leads to inflammation and obstruction in the airways and causes symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Hundreds of thousands of people are killed by this disease worldwide each year and children are particularly at risk. Let's have a brief look at some of the causes of asthma.

Tobacco smoke is one of the environmental causes of asthma and is one of the major reasons for death occurring due to wheezing, respiratory infections, and asthma. Parents, especially mothers, who are smokers are not just damaging their own lungs but also increasing the risk of asthma in their children.

If you are an asthma sufferer, you are most likely an allergy sufferer too. Antibodies in the blood are triggered due to allergic reactions which cause inflammation in the airways and asthma. There are various allergens in the environment that can trigger these allergic reactions.

People spend much of their time indoors and there are various biological allergens present inside the house. These include dust mites which are tiny animals that live in house dust. Dust mites are found in all houses; however, some houses have huge numbers of these insects. Besides cleanliness, the amount of moisture present indoors is a major reason for their presence. They are also found more often in temperate climates and normal altitudes. Dust mites eat the dust from our skin and then leave droppings which contain left-over enzymes used to digest the skin dust. These enzymes are the main triggers of asthma and allergic diseases.

If you have pets in the house, you are constantly exposed to animal dander and hair. Proteins in skin flakes, urine, feces, saliva, and hair of animals, especially cats, are tiny particles that float in the air and land on any body part that can come in contact with your nose and mouth. This protein is the reason why dander is considered to be a potent allergen.

The presence of molds and mildew is also a common cause of an asthma attack. If the air circulation in the house is poor or it is not receiving enough sunlight, growth of molds and mildew is highly likely, especially if there is continuous dampness or wetness in the house. Mold spores tend to float in the air and cause allergic reactions in the residents.

High level of humidity in the indoor air increases the presence of these allergens and increases your risk of getting an asthma attack. The best way to reduce asthma attacks is to reduce your exposure to these indoor irritants. Maintaining good air circulation, allowing sunlight to come into the house, and using products that can help control the high level of moisture in the air is the best solution for this.