Asthma

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma
causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest
tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. The coughing often occurs at night or
early in the morning.

The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of your lungs. People who have
asthma have inflamed airways. The inflammation makes the airways to be swollen and
very sensitive. The airways tend to react strongly to certain inhaled substances.
When the airways react, the muscles around them are tight. This narrows the airways,
causing less air to flow into the lungs. The swelling also can worsen, making the
airways even narrower. Cells in the airways may make more mucus than usual. Mucus
is a sticky, thick liquid that can also narrow the airways.

Sometimes asthma symptoms are mild and go away on their own or after minimal
treatment with asthma medicine. Other times, symptoms continue and worse.
When symptoms get more intense and/or more symptoms occur, you're having an
asthma attack. Asthma attacks also are called exacerbations.

Symptoms of asthma
The symptoms of asthma can range from mild to severe. Most people will only
experience occasional symptoms, although a few people will have problems most of
the time.
The main symptoms of asthma are:

wheezing

shortness of breath

a tight chest which may feel like a band is tightening around it

coughing

These symptoms are often worse at night and early in the morning, particularly if the
condition is not well controlled. They may also develop or become worse in response
to a certain activities, such as exercise or exposure to an allergen.

Asthma attacks
When asthma symptoms are significantly worse, it is known as an asthma attack or
"acute asthma exacerbation".
Asthma attacks often develop slowly, sometimes taking a couple of days or more to
become serious, although some people with asthma are prone to sudden, unexpected
severe attacks.
Signs of a particularly severe asthma attack can include:

your reliever inhaler is not helping symptoms as usual

wheezing, coughing and chest tightness becoming severe and constant

breathing faster

a rapid heartbeat

feeling drowsy, exhausted or dizzy

your lips or fingers turning blue (cyanosis)


Causes of asthma
It's not clear exactly what causes asthma, although it is a combination of factors.
Some of these may be genetic. However, a number of environmental factors are
playing a role in the development of asthma. These include air pollution, chlorine in
swimming pools and modern hygiene standards (known as the "hygiene hypothesis").

Although the cause of asthma is unknown, a number of things that can increase your
chances of developing the condition, have been identified. These include:

a family history of asthma or other related allergic conditions (known as atopic
conditions) such as eczema, food allergy or hay fever

having bronchiolitis (a common childhood lung infection) when you are a child

childhood exposure to tobacco smoke, particularly if your mother also smoked
during pregnancy

being born prematurely, especially if you needed a ventilator to support your
breathing after birth

having a low birth weight as a result of restricted growth

Asthma triggers
In people with asthma, the small tubes (bronchi) that carry air in and out of the lungs
become inflamed and more sensitive than normal.
This means that when you come into contact with something that irritates your lungs
(a trigger), your airways become narrow, the muscles around them tighten, and there
is an increase in the production of sticky mucus (phlegm).
Asthma symptoms can have a range of triggers, such as:

respiratory tract infections particularly infections affecting the upper airways,
such as colds and the flu

allergens including pollen, dust mites, animal fur or feathers


airborne irritants including cigarette smoke, chemical fumes and atmospheric
pollution

medicines particularly aspirin and ibuprofen

emotions including stress or laughing

foods containing sulphites naturally substances found in some food and
drinks, such as concentrated fruit juice, jam, prawns and many processed or pre-
cooked food

weather conditions including a sudden change in temperature, cold air, windy
days, thunderstorms, poor air quality and hot, humid days

indoor conditions including mould or damp, and chemicals in carpets

exercise

food allergies

Occupational asthma
In some cases, asthma is associated with substances you may be exposed to at work.
This is known as "occupational asthma".
Some of the most common causes of occupational asthma include exposure to:

isocyanates (chemicals often found in spray paint)

flour

colophony (a substance often found in solder fumes)

latex

animals

wood dust
Jobs that are commonly associated with the condition include paint sprayers, bakers
and pastry makers, nurses, chemical workers, animal handlers, welders, food
processing workers and timber workers.

Acute = agudo
Airborne = aerotransportado
Airways = vas respiratorias
Carpets = alfombras
Carry = llevar, transportar
Chlorine = cloro
Colds = resfriados
Colophony = colofonia
Coughing = tos
Damp = humedad
Drowsy = sooliento
Dust mites = caros
Exacerbations = exacerbaciones
Feathers = plumas
Flour = harina
Flu = gripe
Fur = pelo
Go away = desaparecer
Hay fever = fiebre de heno
Isocyanates = isocianatos
Jam = mermelada
Mould = moho
Narrow = estrecharse
Phlegm = flema
Prawns = langostinos
Prone = propensos
Range = variar
React = reacciona
Recurring = peridico
Reliever inhaler = inhalador de alivio
Response = reaccin, respuesta
Solder fumes = humos de soldadura
Standards = norma
Sticky = pegajoso
Sulphites = sulfitos
Swollen = hinchadas
Thick = denso, espeso
Thunderstorms = tormentas elctricas
Tight = apretar
Tightness = opresin, estrechez
Timber = madereros
Triggers = desencadenantes
Welders = soldadores
Wheezing = sibilancias
Whistling = silbido