During an asthma episode, inflamed airways react to environmental triggers such as smoke, dust, or pollen. The airways narrow and produce excess mucus, making it difficult to breathe. In essence, asthma is the result of an immune response in the bronchial airways.
What are the risk factors for developing asthma?
Who’s at risk of asthma?
- Family history. If one of your parents has asthma, you may be up to 3 to 6 times more likely to develop it, too. ...
- Gender and age. Asthma is more common in children than adults. ...
- Allergies. ...
- Smoking. ...
- Air pollution. ...
- Occupational exposures. ...
- Obesity. ...
- Viral respiratory infections. ...
How do you know if you have asthma?
- do not cut grass or walk on grass
- do not spend too much time outside
- do not keep fresh flowers in the house
- do not smoke or be around smoke - it makes your symptoms worse
- do not dry clothes outside - they can catch pollen
- do not let pets into the house if possible - they can carry pollen indoors
What are the warning signs of asthma?
Main symptoms experienced by asthma patients
- Coughing. The cough is usually dry and hacking and is often most noticeable while you sleep and during early morning hours.
- Wheezing. Wheezing is a high-pitched, musical sound that is usually heard when the you breathe out.
- Breathlessness. ...
- Chest tightness. ...
- Runny nose, blocked nose and frequent sneezing. ...
What is the main cause of asthma?
- Genetics. Asthma tends to runs in families. ...
- Allergies. Some people are more likely to develop allergies than others, especially if one of their parents has allergies.
- Respiratory Infections. As the lungs develop in infancy and early childhood, certain respiratory infections have been shown to cause inflammation and damage the lung tissue.
- Environment. ...
What is the main psychological causes of asthma class 12?
Symptoms' subjective perception, alexithymia, coping strategies, depression and anxiety are the psychological factors that, in cognitive or in emotional dimensions, are most involved in Asthma experience and management.
What is the most common cause of asthma?
Allergies with asthma is a common problem. Eighty percent of people with asthma have allergies to things in the air, like tree, grass, and weed pollens; mold; animal dander; dust mites; and cockroach droppings.
What is the physiological process of an asthma attack?
During an asthma attack, also called an asthma exacerbation, the airways become swollen and inflamed. The muscles around the airways contract and the airways produce extra mucus, causing the breathing (bronchial) tubes to narrow. During an attack, you may cough, wheeze and have trouble breathing.
What are 3 major components to the pathophysiology of asthma?
The pathophysiology of asthma is complex and involves airway inflammation, intermittent airflow obstruction, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
Which is the strongest predisposing factor for asthma?
Atopy, the genetic predisposition for the development of an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated response to common aeroallergens, is the strongest identifiable predisposing factor for developing asthma.
What are the 3 types of asthma?
Types of asthmaDifficult to control asthma.Severe asthma.Occupational asthma.
What is asthma anatomy and physiology?
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airway. During an asthma attack, the respiratory tract becomes narrowed. This may be a survival mechanism — a reduction in airflow to limit lung injury from harmful airborne materials — that has gone awry in some individuals.
What are the 2 key components in the pathophysiology of asthma?
Asthma involves many pathophysiologic factors, including bronchiolar inflammation with airway constriction and resistance that manifests as episodes of coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
What is the main body system affected by asthma?
Asthma is a chronic (long-term) condition that affects the airways in the lungs. The airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the airways can become inflamed and narrowed at times. This makes it harder for air to flow out of your airways when you breathe out.
What 2 body systems are affected by asthma?
Organ Systems Involved The organ system affected by asthma is the lungs. The lungs consist of lobes and segments, with the right lung having ten segments, and the left lung has eight or nine, depending on the division of the lobe.
What are 5 causes of asthma?
Common Asthma TriggersTobacco Smoke.Dust Mites.Outdoor Air Pollution.Pests (e.g., cockroaches, mice)Pets.Mold.Cleaning and Disinfection.Other Triggers.
Can you suddenly develop asthma?
Asthma and its symptoms can appear at any point in time. You can develop it later in life even if you have no history of asthma in your childhood. Adult-onset asthma may suddenly occur because of a combination of factors. One common reason for adult asthma is constant exposure to an allergen.
Can asthma be caused by stress?
Strong emotions and stress are well known triggers of asthma. There is evidence of a link between asthma, anxiety and depression, though the outcomes are sometimes not consistent. Anxiety and depression may be associated with poor asthma control.
Can asthma go away?
Because asthma is a chronic illness, there's no cure for it, though treatments exist to manage symptoms. The most commonly prescribed treatment is the use of an inhaler (a reliever inhaler to relieve symptoms, a preventer inhaler to prevent them, or a combination inhaler for both).
What is asthma caused by?
Allergy-induced asthma, triggered by airborne substances, such as pollen, mold spores, cockroach waste, or particles of skin and dried saliva shed by pets (pet dander)
Why does asthma flare up?
For some people, asthma signs and symptoms flare up in certain situations: Exercise-induced asthma, which may be worse when the air is cold and dry. Occupational asthma, triggered by workplace irritants such as chemical fumes, gases or dust.
How do you know if your asthma is worsening?
Signs that your asthma is probably worsening include: Asthma signs and symptoms that are more frequent and bothersome. Increasing difficulty breathing, as measured with a device used to check how well your lungs are working (peak flow meter) The need to use a quick-relief inhaler more often.
How to review asthma treatment?
To review your treatment. Asthma often changes over time. Meet with your doctor regularly to discuss your symptoms and make any needed treatment adjustments.
What are the complications of asthma?
Asthma complications include: Signs and symptoms that interfere with sleep, work and other activities. Sick days from work or school during asthma flare-ups. A permanent narrowing of the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs (bronchial tubes), which affects how well you can breathe.
How to monitor asthma after diagnosis?
To monitor your asthma after diagnosis. If you know you have asthma, work with your doctor to keep it under control. Good long-term control helps you feel better from day to day and can prevent a life-threatening asthma attack. If your asthma symptoms get worse.
Why do some people have asthma and others don't?
It isn't clear why some people get asthma and others don't, but it's probably due to a combination of environmental and inherited (genetic) factors.
Why is asthma hyperresponsive?
Airway hyperresponsiveness is a crucial feature of asthma; this is an exaggerated bronchoconstrictor response, usually to different stimuli. There are a variety of mechanisms leading to airway hyperresponsiveness. Some explanations are due to increased histamine from mast cells or increase airway smooth muscle mass. Also, there is an increased vagal tone and increased intracellular free calcium that further enhances airway smooth muscle cell contractility.[15] To assess airway hyperresponsiveness, bronchial provocation tests are used to determine the severity.[16] This aspect is clinically significant because the presence of airway hyperresponsiveness is associated with a greater decline in lung function, and increased risk for the development and exacerbation of asthma from childhood to adulthood.[17] Therefore, targeted treatment can be employed early to combat asthma and hyperresponsiveness. All of these mechanisms together change the compliance of the lungs slightly to increase the work of breathing. In combination with inflammation, granular white blood cells, exudate, and mucous occupying the bronchiolar trees, it can be increasingly difficult for a person to breathe normally. The number of myofibroblasts, which give rise to collagen, will cause an increase in the epithelium, which narrows the smooth muscle layer and lamina reticulari.[18] As a result, there is an increased thickening of the basement membrane. A person can have irreversible obstruction of airflow, which is believed to be due to airway remodeling. [19]
What organ system is affected by asthma?
The organ system affected by asthma is the lungs. The lungs consist of lobes and segments, with the right lung having ten segments, and the left lung has eight or nine, depending on the division of the lobe.[8] Anatomically, the respiratory system falls into two zones, characterized by the conducting zone and respiratory zone. The conducting zone extends from the nose to the bronchioles, and the respiratory zone where gas exchange takes place is from the alveolar duct to the alveoli.[9] Asthma is primarily involved in the bronchial tree with its primary job to distribute air throughout the lungs until reaching the alveolar sacs. The bronchi stem from the end of the trachea, which divides into a left and right bronchi. The right bronchus has a wider diameter, and lies more vertical, while the left bronchus is smaller and more horizontal. The bronchi then divide into secondary and tertiary bronchi. The bronchi contain smooth muscle and elastic fibers to maintain their wall integrity, which change based on the contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle by inflammatory mediators, bronchoconstrictors, or bronchodilators.[10] As one progresses further from the bronchi to alveoli, there are much more smooth muscle fibers involved.[9] In normal respiratory physiology, lung compliance is the willingness for the lungs to distend, while elastance is the ability of the lungs to return to their resting position. In patients with asthma, the physiologic mechanism changes due to inflammation, decreasing the radius of the airway.[11] All of these mechanisms together change the compliance of the lungs slightly to increase the work of breathing.
How to diagnose asthma?
To diagnose asthma, clinicians can do a variety of tests. Tests must determine: expiratory airflow limitation, documentation of reversible obstruction, and rule out any exclusion of an alternative diagnosis. Assessing the patient’s obstruction via spirometry and checking for a reversible change after a bronchodilator is suggestive for the diagnosis of asthma. By using spirometry, physicians can diagnose asthma as well as the severity of obstruction.[20] The definition of the obstruction of air is spirometry of FEV1 less than 0.8, and the FEV1/FVC ratio is less than 0.70. The worse the asthma is, the lower the number is for FEV1 and the FEV1/FVC ratio. Another method of testing is spirometry is normal is the bronchoprovocation testing with methacholine. Methacholine is a muscarinic agonist, which in the lungs constricts smooth muscle via M1, M2, M3 receptors.[21] Methacholine can determine the severity of bronchoconstriction. Allergy testing is not necessarily useful in diagnosing asthma, but it can help identify the certain triggers that worsen it.
What are the phases of asthma?
There are two phases of an asthma exacerbation, which include the early phase and late phase. The early phase is initiated by IgE antibodies that are sensitized and released by plasma cells. These antibodies respond to certain triggers in the environment, such as the risk factors listed above. IgE antibodies then bind to high-affinity mast cells and basophils. When a pollutant or risk factor gets inhaled, the mast cells release cytokines and eventually de-granulate. Released from mast cells are histamine, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes. These cells, in turn, contract the smooth muscle and cause airway tightening.[12] Th2 lymphocytes play an integral role where they produce a series of interleukins (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13) and GM-CSF, which aid in communication with other cells and sustain inflammation. IL-3 and IL-5 help eosinophils and basophils survive. IL-13 attributes to remodeling, fibrosis, hyperplasia.[13] Within the next several hours, the late phase occurs, which eosinophils, basophils, neutrophils, and helper and memory T-cells all localize to the lungs as well, which perform bronchoconstriction and cause inflammation. Mast cells also play an essential role in bringing the late phase reactants to the inflamed sites.[14] It is critical to recognize both of these two mechanisms to target therapy and relieve both bronchoconstriction and inflammation, depending on the severity of the disease. Interestingly, those with a thicker airway over time have a longer disease duration, due to a narrower airway.[15] As a result of inflammation and bronchoconstriction, there is an intermittent airflow obstruction, resulting in increased work of breathing.
How does the airway remodel?
Epithelial cells lose their cell adhesion and functional polarity with tight junctions, reformatting their cells to develop into mesenchymal cells.[18] Additionally, eosinophils can further exacerbate airway remodeling due to its release of TGF-B and cytokines by interactions of mast cells. These mechanisms of airway remodeling may worsen inflammation and aggravate asthma over time if not treated and managed correctly. [15]
Is asthma a severe disease?
There are various triggers in which intensify asthma. Such triggers are cold air, exercise, and the pollutants listed above. Other non-specific symptoms that could suggest a severe obstruction can be tachypnea, tachycardia, or a patient seated in a tripod position. Asthma can be a severe disease if not treated and managed correctly. Since there are two phases of asthma, it is essential to try to target and decrease bronchoconstriction, inflammation, and airway remodeling. Asthma is defined in different stages depending on spirometry and/or clinical indications. There are four stages regarding the severity of asthma, intermittent, mild, moderate, and severe. Depending on the specific stage of asthma, treatment, and management change. Intermittent asthma occurs when one has symptoms less than two days a week, and nighttime awakenings less than two times a month. Mild asthma consists of having episodes more than two days a week (but not daily), while there are nighttime awakenings of 3 to 4 times a month. Moderate asthma is where the patient is symptomatic daily and has nighttime awakenings greater than once a week but not nightly. Severe asthma is where a patient is symptomatic throughout the day and often has nighttime awakenings more than seven times within a week. Based on these criteria, correct treatment can be administered to decrease the symptoms of the patient. The most common medications used are short-acting beta-agonists, long-acting beta-agonists, muscarinic antagonists, and inhaled and systemic glucocorticoids. The idea behind a beta-agonist is to try to bronchodilate the patient’s lungs when they become constricted during an asthma attack. The mechanism behind beta-agonists is that they are G protein receptors that activate cAMP. cAMP then activates smooth muscle relaxation by a mechanism not fully understood. Also, a glucocorticoid may be used to decrease the inflammation and remodeling of the lungs. The primary mechanism of a glucocorticoid is to increase the production of IL-10. IL-10 inhibits inflammatory cytokines, T-cell activation, and different white cells such as mast cells and eosinophils.[22] These effects decrease inflammation and help the patient breathe better in the short and long term. Muscarinic antagonists block the inflammatory effect by diminishing the attraction and life of inflammatory cells, diminishing cytokine release.[23] Muscarinic antagonists can be paired with a beta-agonist or glucocorticoid for a synergistic effect.
What are the cells that are involved in asthma?
Microscopically, asthma is characterized by the presence of increased numbers of eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and plasma cells in the bronchial tissues, bronchial secretions, and mucus. Initially, there is recruitment of leukocytes from the bloodstream to the airway by activated CD4 T-lymphocytes.
Does asthma cause structural changes?
Regardless of the triggers of asthma, the repeated cycles of inflammation in the lungs with injury to the pulmonary tissues followed by repair may produce long-term structural changes ("remodeling") of the airways.
Is asthma a chronic disease?
Asthma is best described as a chronic disease that involves inflammation of the pulmonary airways and bronchial hyperresponsiveness that results in the clinical expression of a lower airway obstruction that usually is reversible.
