An Asthma Attack Causes Shortness of Breath and Wheezing
March 28, 2008
Introduction:
Asthma is quite a scary disease
One can live the entire life and only experience mild complications, or one can live everyday with the fear that death may come any time. These are two extremes on the situations, but they are true in most of the cases of asthma. Asthma attacks can be deadly and life threading and even fatal. Asthma also referred as an asthma episode or flare, occurs when a person feels shortness of breath that may interrupt the patient’s well being and there can be an urgent need for medication or any other form of intervention to control breathlessness and regain the normal process of breathing, once again.
Usually asthma is accompanied by wheezing that is a rattling or whistling sound that occurs air is not being able to flow freely due to obstructions in the airway and wheezing may occur when the asthmatic patient exhales. But when the attack persists for a longer period or progressing, it may occur in both inhalation as well as exhalation. . With even further progress of the asthma attack, the wheezing may stop and may be indicative of small airways becoming totally blocked and it is a very serious condition. Thus wheezing, trouble breathing, and coughing are thought to be external influences (i.e. smoke, or exercise).
Constricted Airways, Inflammations, or too Much Mucus
Usually asthma attacks are caused by airways constricting, becoming inflamed, or being lined with too much mucus and may be in response to triggering events such as being exposed to an allergen, cold air, exercise or some form of emotional stress. In the case of children events could be viral illnesses such as common colds. An asthma attack may be chronic or recurring when the airways develops too much responsiveness to stimuli that are characterized by bronchial hyper-responsiveness, inflammation, or increased production of mucus, as well as sporadic obstruction of the airway.
This deceptive disease has taken its toll on many people staying in the urban areas. Children as many as one fourth of the urban areas are infected with asthma. When a person is suffering from a severe asthma attack it may lead them to turn blue due to lack of oxygen, and the asthmatic may experience chest pain and may even lose consciousness and lead to respiratory arrest and even death. Even though a severe asthma attack is life threatening, the asthmatic may show few signs of the illness as well.
Symptoms:
–If a person is experiencing persistent cough that is accompanied by any other asthma attack symptom, then there may be chances of him experiencing an asthma attack.
–Chest pain or pressure is another asthma attack symptom that can be confused with another problem: heart attack. If one has experienced pain and pressure in chest, but do not feel that pain radiating to left shoulder and arm, it is probably an asthma attack.
–Wheezing is hard and felt while inhaling and exhaling; one might be experiencing an asthma attack.
Treatment and Cure:
Treating an Asthma patient is not an easy task. Firstly the physician needs to study the patient’s clinical history and conduct complete examination. Prior to diagnosing a person as being asthmatic, it is necessary for alternative possibilities to be considered. The best treatment for asthma attacks is to identify the triggers that cause it to occur (these may include pets or aspirin) and then make sure that he is not exposed to such triggers.
Summary:
Thus with Asthma can only be controlled with proper medication. Asthma attacks can be deadly and life threading and even fatal. Asthma also referred as an asthma episode or flare, occurs when a person feels shortness of breath that may interrupt the patient’s well being and there can be an urgent need for medication or any other form of intervention to control breathlessness and regain the normal process of breathing, once again.
Got something to say?
