Asthma Can Make Breathing Difficult! Breathe free with Ayurveda!

Asthma is a lifelong disease that affects your lungs. When you have asthma, the airways that carry air in and out of your lungs are affected. They become inflamed, narrowed and the membranes in your airway linings may secrete excess mucus. This can result in cough, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Symptoms of asthma may occur rarely or even every day and can range in severity from minor inconveniences to life threatening attacks.

The causes of asthma are unknown, but it’s commonly believed to be due to a combination of environmental and genetic factors.

Common Signs and Symptoms of Asthma

• Shortness of breath
• Cough with or without phlegm
• Chest tightness or pain
• Whistling sound or wheezing while breathing
• Trouble sleeping due to asthma symptoms

Causes of Asthma

The exact cause of asthma isn’t clear, but it’s commonly believed that asthma is caused by a combination of environmental and inherited (genetic) factors. Asthma often happens when your immune system strongly reacts to an allergen (allergens are substances in the environment to which your body reacts).

In fact, the genes associated with the immune system determine how your body reacts to different environmental substances. These genes can cause a stronger reaction in the airways in some people, leading to the onset of asthma. Viral infections in infancy or early childhood, when the immune system is still developing, can also give rise to asthma.

Asthma Triggers

If you have asthma, exposure to various irritants and substances that trigger allergies (allergens) can set off or worsen your asthma symptoms. Asthma triggers can vary from person to person and can include:

• Airborne allergens, such as pollen, mold, dust mites, pet dander or fur, waste from pests such as cockroaches and mice.
• Food and food additives
• Respiratory infections, such as the common cold, flu etc.
• Exercise-induced
• Cold air
• Air pollutants and irritants, such as smoke
• Certain medicines
• Strong emotions and stress
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which stomach acids back up into your throat

Who is at risk for asthma?

Asthma affects people of all ages, but it often starts during childhood. Certain factors can raise your risk of having asthma, which include:

• Having a family history, such as having a parent or sibling.
• Being a smoker.
• Exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy or in a child’s first few years increases the risk of the child developing asthma early in life.
• Being overweight or obese
• Exposure to occupational triggers, such as chemical irritants or industrial dust can increase risk in people who are susceptible.
• Having other allergic conditions, such as atopic dermatitis (eczema) or allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
• Exposure to viral respiratory infections in infancy or early childhood.

Complications of asthma

Asthma complications include:

• Decreased ability to exercise and take part in other activities
• Poor sleep.
• A permanent narrowing of the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs (bronchial tubes)
• Persistent cough
• Side effects from long-term use of some medications used to treat severe asthma