Do You Suffer From Asthma?
The Facts About Asthma and It's Triggers From
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a lung disease that can be life threatening.
Asthma is a chronic, or long-term disease, which can affect you for the rest of your life.
Asthma causes breathing problems. The airways in the lungs get blocked, causing the lungs to get less air than normal.
Symptoms of an "asthma attack" can be difficulty with breathing, a tight feeling in the chest, coughing and weezing.
Asthma can develop quickly and it can range from being a mild discomfort to a life-threatening attack if breathing stops completely.
Asthma problems are often seperated by symptom-free periods.
Asthma is a chronic, or long-term disease, which can affect you for the rest of your life.
Asthma causes breathing problems. The airways in the lungs get blocked, causing the lungs to get less air than normal.
Symptoms of an "asthma attack" can be difficulty with breathing, a tight feeling in the chest, coughing and weezing.
Asthma can develop quickly and it can range from being a mild discomfort to a life-threatening attack if breathing stops completely.
Asthma problems are often seperated by symptom-free periods.
What Happens In a Asthma Attack?
When asthma causes breathing problems, the breathing problems are called asthma attacks or episodes of asthma.
During an asthma attack, three major changes that can take place in the lungs include:
1. Cells in the air tubes make more mucus than normal. This mucus is very thick and sticky, and tends to clog up the tubes.
2. Cells in the airways get inflamed, causing the air tubes to swell.
3. The muscles around the air tubes tighten. These changes cause the air tubes to narrow which makes it hard to breathe.
2. Cells in the airways get inflamed, causing the air tubes to swell.
3. The muscles around the air tubes tighten. These changes cause the air tubes to narrow which makes it hard to breathe.
Who Gets Asthma?
In the United States, about 17 million people of all age, race, and nationality have asthma.
Asthma can occur at any age, but is more common in children than adults.
Nearly 1 in 13 school-age children has asthma, and that percentage is rising more rapidly in preschool-aged children than in any other group. Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism due to a chronic illness.
The impact of asthma falls disproportionately on African-American and certain Hispanic populations and appears to be particulary severe in urban inner cities.
Many cases of asthma likely go undiagnosed.
Asthma can occur at any age, but is more common in children than adults.
Nearly 1 in 13 school-age children has asthma, and that percentage is rising more rapidly in preschool-aged children than in any other group. Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism due to a chronic illness.
The impact of asthma falls disproportionately on African-American and certain Hispanic populations and appears to be particulary severe in urban inner cities.
Many cases of asthma likely go undiagnosed.
How Are Children Affected By Asthma?
Asthma is the most common long-term childhood disease, affecting 4.8 million children.
Nearly 1 in 13 school-aged children has asthma, and the percentage of children with asthma is rising more rapidly in preschool-aged children than in any other age group.
Asthma accounts for one-third of all pediatric emergency room visits and is the fourth most common cause for physician office visits.
Asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism, accounting for over 10 million missed school days per year.
Asthma also accounts for many nights of interrupted sleep, limitation of activity, and disruptions of family and care-giver routines.
Asthma symptoms that are not severe enough to require a visit to an emergency room or to a physician can still be severe enough to prevent a child with asthma from living a fully active life.
Children breathe more air, eat more food, and drink more liquid in proportion to their body weight than do adults. Their developing bodies may be more susceptible to environmental exposures than those of adults.
In a typical day, children may be exposed to a wide array of environmental agents at home, in day care centers, schools and while playing outdoors.
Nearly 1 in 13 school-aged children has asthma, and the percentage of children with asthma is rising more rapidly in preschool-aged children than in any other age group.
Asthma accounts for one-third of all pediatric emergency room visits and is the fourth most common cause for physician office visits.
Asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism, accounting for over 10 million missed school days per year.
Asthma also accounts for many nights of interrupted sleep, limitation of activity, and disruptions of family and care-giver routines.
Asthma symptoms that are not severe enough to require a visit to an emergency room or to a physician can still be severe enough to prevent a child with asthma from living a fully active life.
Children breathe more air, eat more food, and drink more liquid in proportion to their body weight than do adults. Their developing bodies may be more susceptible to environmental exposures than those of adults.
In a typical day, children may be exposed to a wide array of environmental agents at home, in day care centers, schools and while playing outdoors.
What Triggers Asthma Attacks?
Asthma attacks can be caused by something that bothers the lungs. These are called asthma triggers. There are many kinds of asthma triggers.
Two major categories of asthma triggers are allergens and irritants.
If you, or a loved one has asthma, it's important to learn which triggers are a problem.
Ask your doctor to help.
Your doctor may suggest keeping an asthma diary or recommend skin testing for allergies.
Once asthma triggers are known, actions can be taken to prevent asthma attacks.
Cutting down exposure to your triggers may help in avoiding asthma attacks.
When attacks occur, they will probably be less severe.
Two major categories of asthma triggers are allergens and irritants.
If you, or a loved one has asthma, it's important to learn which triggers are a problem.
Ask your doctor to help.
Your doctor may suggest keeping an asthma diary or recommend skin testing for allergies.
Once asthma triggers are known, actions can be taken to prevent asthma attacks.
Cutting down exposure to your triggers may help in avoiding asthma attacks.
When attacks occur, they will probably be less severe.
About Asthma Triggers
There are many asthma triggers.
Two large categories of triggers are allergens and irritants.
Allergens are substances that cause no problem for a majority of people but which trigger an allergic reaction in some people.
During an allergy attack, the body releases chemicals called mediators.
These mediators often trigger asthma episodes.
Irritants such as cold air, cigarette smoke, industrail chemicals, perfume, and paint and gasoline fumes can trigger asthma.
These irritants probably trigger asthma symptoms by stimulating irritant receptors in the respiratory tract.
These receptors, in turn, cause the muscles surrounding the airway to constrict, resulting in an asthma attack.
Viral infections are the leading cause of acute asthma attacks.
Suprisingly, bacterial infections, with the exception of sinusitis, generally do not bring about asthma attacks.
Since americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors, exposure to indoor allergens and irritants may play a significant role in triggering asthma episodes.
Two large categories of triggers are allergens and irritants.
Allergens are substances that cause no problem for a majority of people but which trigger an allergic reaction in some people.
During an allergy attack, the body releases chemicals called mediators.
These mediators often trigger asthma episodes.
Irritants such as cold air, cigarette smoke, industrail chemicals, perfume, and paint and gasoline fumes can trigger asthma.
These irritants probably trigger asthma symptoms by stimulating irritant receptors in the respiratory tract.
These receptors, in turn, cause the muscles surrounding the airway to constrict, resulting in an asthma attack.
Viral infections are the leading cause of acute asthma attacks.
Suprisingly, bacterial infections, with the exception of sinusitis, generally do not bring about asthma attacks.
Since americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors, exposure to indoor allergens and irritants may play a significant role in triggering asthma episodes.
The following is a list of the indoor environmental asthma triggers:
- Secondhand (cigarette) smoke
- Cockroaches
- Dust Mites
- Pets and other animals with fur or feathers
