Asthma Information

The disease called Asthma

Asthma is the name given to a collection of symptoms including wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing. It is derived from the Greek word for ‘breathe hard’. It is found in most cultures but the more westernised the culture the higher the incidence of the disease. The numbers have soared over the last few decades.

In the Uk today there are over 5 million people with the diagnosis of asthma.

It has been described in ancient literature and was considered a nuisance rather than a life threatening illness. More than 100 years ago Sir William Ostler wrote “ We have no knowledge of the morbid anatomy of true asthma, death during an attack is unknown”. Over 100 years later the cause is still said to be unknown but the grim reality of death is known to 1,400 families per year in the UK. That is the number of people whose deaths are attributed to the disease annually. Most diseases show an improvement in survival rates while asthma shows a massive increase in the mortality and morbidity rates.

WHY?

Because conventional medicine did accept that hyperventilations plays a pivotal role in the asthmatic condition, the emphysis was put on controlling symptoms through the use of drugs.  This approach has not led to a reduction the incidence of the disease as the statistics show.  Indeed there has been a steady incline in the increase of diagnosis of asthma.

Asthma is described by its collection of symptoms.

Wheeze: this is high pitched sound caused by air being forced through narrowed airways. The airways become narrow due to -

a) lowered carbon dioxide levels which leading to constriction of the muscles surrounding the airways and

b) swelling of the airway lining due to inflammation

c) increased mucus production.

This is a warning to the asthmatic that an asthma attack is imminent.

Breathlessness/Air Hunger: Because of the narrowed airways there is difficulty breathing out while there is feeling of not getting enough air. The sufferer tries desperately to breathe in which makes the situation worse. This is a very frightening and distressing for the sufferer and those in the immediate vacinity.

Chest Tightness: There is a tight feeling as air is effectively trapped in the lungs and so they are over inflated. Asthmatics describe it as feeling as if someone is squeezing the chest.

Coughing: Another distressing symptom and often the only symptom on which the diagnosis of asthma is made. It may be dry or a sputum producing cough. Most common during the night or early in the morning. the, sufferer feels he cannot stop coughing, the more he coughs the more he has to cough.

Tiredness: Interrupted sleep is common when breathing problems are present. Extra pillows must be employed to keep the sufferer as upright as possible as lying flat is impossible due to breathlessness. Fatigue and tiredness add to the feeling of being unwell.

Recurrent Chest Infections: Regular episodes of chest infections and colds are common features of the asthmatic condition. Asthmatic symptoms, which may not manifest between the episodes, are more pronounced at this time.

This is a time of particular stress and tension as there is the real possibility of a severe asthma attack. The combination of infection, cough and anxiety are likely to make asthma worse.

Triggers for Asthma

A trigger is something that makes the asthmatic condition worse by triggering symptoms and may even precipitate a life threatening attack. Triggers are many and each asthmatic will give a different list of triggers. This underlines the individual nature of illness, any illness as each person reacts in their own individual way.

The more common triggers include animal dander, house dust mite, cigarette smoke, pollens, chemicals, infections, changes in weather, stress and some drugs. Drugs most commonly involved are Aspirin and ibuprofen. The list can go on and on each individual has his own list. Exposure to a trigger almost always leads to a sharp increase in symptoms.

Avoiding triggers is essential for staying well but can restrict the life of the sufferer and such restrictions will depend on the nature of the trigger and can include -

• Not having a family pet
• Not going out in certain weather conditions
• Avoiding crowded places when flu and colds are prevelent.

An Asthma Attack

This term is assigned to an episode of breathlessness and breathing difficulty. It may be preceded by chest tightness and wheezing or my happen quite suddenly and without warning. It may be associated with exposure to something, which acts as a trigger for that person.

This is asthma at it’s most dangerous. This situation must be dealt with quickly and effectively. Short acting beta agonist drugs are called for.

If the attack is not resolving quickly, with short acting reliever medication, medical assistance must be summoned as an emergency.

How accurate is the diagnosis of ASTHMA?

As listed above the symptoms are many and varied and they could also be attributed to chronic bronchitis. Medicine is not an exact science. Each person is different and disease and its effects are manifest in individual ways. Diagnosis is made on an individual assessment.

Are reliever inhalers always necessary?

No. There is no doubt that bronchodilators are life saving in a severe asthma attack but over use is harmful. Professor Buteyko correctly recognised that relaxation of the muscles of respiration is an effective and safe way to relieve the symptoms of asthma. Every asthmatic knows the symptoms of the beginning of an asthma attack and during an Athma Care Course participants are taught how to control those early symptoms and so avoid worsening of the episode.

Are preventer inhalers always necessary?

Short term use of steroids is very helpful. They slow the respiratory rate and according to Professor Buteyko they are the drugs of choice for the asthmatic as they slow the respiratory rate and so help to overcome hyperventilation. They also keep inflammation under control, another component in controlling asthma symptoms while getting the body back to a healthy state.

What did Professor Buteyko have to say?

Professor Buteyko’s finding was that asthmatics breathe as much as 3 times too much air. The consequence of this overbreathing is a reduction of the levels of carbon dioxide in the system which leads to –

• Constriction of the airways
• Comprimise of the immune system leading to sensitivity of the airways
• Excessive mucus production in an effort to slow down the loss of carbon dioxide.

He also found that reducing the amount of air breathed, using the technique he devised, led to a dramatic reduction in symptoms and use of medication. His findings were confirmed in clinical trials.