Find out more about bronchial asthma so that you can be better prepared

With rising levels of pollutants in the air and a lot of construction sites dotting our city, there is a lot of dust in the air and many people today suffer from a host of bronchial problems. Most of these begin as allergies but are left untreated or with over the counter medication reduce lung capacity and bring about a great increase in the incidence of asthma.

The greatest problem with bronchitis is that many of the symptoms are similar to those of a common cold or cough and are often not detected till the infection is fully underway. This disease affects the lining of the lungs causing a very bad cough that results in the forming of thickened and discoloured mucus which are symptoms of bronchitis. People who suffer from this also have fevers and chills as well as shortness of breath, fatigue and discomfort. This infection needs to be treated well before it turns chronic.

With many cases of bronchitis going untreated today; asthma has become exceedingly common. It occurs in people of all ages, even in very young children. The major symptoms of asthma are as follows

• Shortness of breath
• Frequent cough especially during the night
• Tiredness or weakness during exercise often followed by wheezing
• Mood swings
• Difficulty sleeping
• Signs of cold like running nose, cough etc.
• Tightness in the chest

When these signs are present, testing lung function can show decreased lung capacity. Like in the case of other diseases, prevention is better than cure in asthma and people can take positive steps to prevent an attack from becoming full scale. All these symptoms need not occur together and each person suffering from asthma has his or her unique set of problems.

Asthma is the same disease as bronchial asthma which is an inflammatory disease of the airways in the lungs that cause patients to cough, wheeze and experience shortness of breath and tightness in the chest. It is a chronic disease that occurs from time to time and can be triggered by almost anything, even extreme emotions. Allergies and asthma are strongly related and those who suffer from both are likely to have more serious problems and need powerful medicines to keep the disease at bay. The most important thing to remember in the treatment of asthma is to keep the triggers at bay and control the attack at the beginning itself. The constriction of the airways cause a lot of difficulties in breathing and the right use of bronchodilators at the beginning of an attack can provide a lot of relief.

Dr. Avni Deshmukh is an expert medical consultant in Mumbai (India). To know more about symptoms, cure and treatment of Asthma, Cough etc for adults and children..