Bronchial asthma - a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the respiratory tract, and occasionally cause seizures, which are characterized by cough, shortness of breath, wheezing and a feeling of tightness in the chest.

Magnitude of the problem

Around the world, asthma suffers from 100 to 150 million people - about as much as the people living in the Russian Federation. Each year, this disease causes the death of about 180,000 people.

In Russia, the number of asthma patients is seven to fourteen million people - according to various sources.

From asthma suffers 8% of the Swiss population, while only 25-30 years ago, the figure was 2%. Germany is home to about four million asthmatics.

Throughout Western Europe, the incidence of asthma in the last ten years has doubled. In the US, the number of asthmatics with 1980 increased by 60%, and the number of deaths due to this disease has doubled and grew to five thousand a year.

In Australia, asthma sick every six children under the age of sixteen.

Asthma is a big problem not only for developed countries. In India, home to around 15-20 million asthmatics. In the Caroline Islands about 50% of children have asthma (in this case the State of Papua - New Guinea, which is also located in the western Pacific, rarely suffer from asthma - the number of patients of the total population is less than 1%). In Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru and Uruguay, suffer from asthma by 20% to 30% of children in Kenya - almost 20% of children.

Symptoms

The symptoms of asthma vary from mild to severe. The sharp worsening of symptoms called an asthma attack. The main symptoms of asthma are:

• The feeling of lack of air, causing the patient may begin to have enough air mouth and choke;
• The feeling of tightness in the chest;
• Wheezing;
• Coughing, especially at night or early in the morning;
• Seizures caused by certain triggers (we'll talk about them later).

Bronchial asthma usually develops slowly and runs from 6 to 48 hours before the patient's condition deteriorates significantly. However, in some patients, seizures begin suddenly and quickly lead to deterioration. If an asthma attack happened the first time you have, contact your doctor - he will prescribe the necessary medication and tell you how to behave in case of repeated attacks.

If the following symptoms of asthma should immediately call an ambulance:

• Inhaler does not help relieve the symptoms of asthma;
• Due to problems with breathing patient can not speak properly;
• Increased heart rate;
• Irritability and anxiety;
• Lips and nails acquired a bluish tint.

Causes

It is estimated that asthma develops under the influence of several factors. The most significant of these factors are the effects on the body, particularly in infancy indoor allergens (such as dust mites that live in upholstered furniture, carpets, etc.), and asthma in family history. Studies have shown that the likelihood of developing this disease is highest among those whose parents suffered from asthma.

Exposure to tobacco smoke and vapors of certain chemicals in the workplace - are additional risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing asthma. In addition, risk factors include certain drugs (eg, aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), low birth weight, and respiratory tract infections.

Urbanization, seems to be almost universally promotes increased incidence of asthma, although experts still can not explain exactly why this happens. In addition, cause a lot of questions are cases where people suffer from hay fever, but who have not been diagnosed with asthma, asthma attack begins suddenly with such force that they need urgent medical attention. One such case occurred in June 1994 in London, when 640 people turned to the emergency department with severe asthma attacks. A similar incident occurred in Melbourne, Australia. Many scientists believe that the fault of the weather phenomena such as thunderstorms, which can move in the air large amounts of pollen, which trigger asthma attacks. However, it is unclear why such attacks occur in people who have previously been diagnosed only hay fever.

Treatment

Bronchial asthma can not be cured completely, but its symptoms can be successfully controlled, and take measures to prevent asthma in the future.

Patients with moderate or severe asthma need to take daily medication to control inflammation in the respiratory tract, to prevent the appearance of symptoms of the disease, and the development of repeated attacks. If the symptoms still occur, to facilitate their use special inhalers. They contain substances, which rapidly opens the airways, and facilitate breathing.

In addition, patients are advised to minimize exposure to triggers of asthma. The most common triggers of it are:

• Smoking - including second-hand smoke;
• Infections - colds, flu, and so on;
• Physical activity (diagnosis of asthma does not mean you have to completely give up the sport, but patients need to exercise caution);
• Drugs (beta-blockers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs);
• Foods containing large amounts of food additives;
• Perfumes;
• Stress;
• Sudden changes in temperature;
• Pollen, animal dander, dust mites, mold, and other allergens.

In some cases, trigger asthma attacks may be laughing, singing, crying, and acid reflux Reflux: the failure of the esophagus .