Asthma : 334 million people struggle with asthma being one of the the most common chronic disease . Asthma patients can be as healthy as a professional athlete by early diagnosis, regular doctor visits, regular therapy and eliminating triggering factors; which is our main target .
What are the signs of asthma?
– A whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling
– A persistent cough specially during night or early in the morning
– Sleep disturbances caused by shortness of breath or coughing
– cough or wheezing sound during exercise
-Complaints changing according to the seasons
-Cough ,wheezing or shortness of breath triggered by Cigarette smoke, paint fumes, perfumes, cleaning products
– even a mild cold leading to wheezing and tightness in your chest lasting for more than 3 weeks
-medications specially inhaled ones can relieve symptoms in a short period of time
-shortness of breath and other symptoms becoming worse and getting better even in hours
— runny nose, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat lasting for several weeks
If you have such complaints contact to your doctor as soon as possible. Early intervention in asthma treatment results in better control of symptoms and improved prognosis.
Is asthma so common ?
Approximately 300 million in the world and 3.5 million people in Turkey struggle with asthma .Each year 250000 people die from asthma . Prevalence of asthma is %2-15 in the childhood and %2-5 in adults
What is Asthma ?
Asthma is a disease which makes it difficult to breathe. Airways in the lung become narrow and inflamed ; this causes shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing . Symptoms may vary from person to person and change during minutes, hours .days; they can be very severe or go for a while.
Is only cough can be the sign of asthma?
Cough-variant asthma ; sometimes the only symptom of asthma can be cough lasting more than 8 weeks . This is called cough-variant asthma.
At what age does asthma start?
İt can begin at any age .
How is asthma diagnosed?
Asthma can easily be diagnosed from your symptoms and lung function tests.
What are the health condition that mimic asthma?
COPD, myocardial ischemia, sinusitis, congestive heart failure, lung and larynx cancer, vocal cord dysfunction, vocal cord paralysis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, bronchiectasis.
What are the most common asthma triggers?
Allergens such as pollen, pet ,dust mites, drugs such as aspirin, pain killers, reflux disease, food such as shrimp and other shellfish, wine ,beer , dried fruits, potatoes, cigarette smoke, air pollution, getting sick with cold or flu,
Is asthma dangerous during pregnancy?
Asthma is the most common respiratory disease during pregnancy. Most women have a normal pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby under appropriate therapy.
How long should ı use my asthma medication?
There are basically two components for asthma medication. İn asthma airways become narrow and inflamed. Medications that widen the airways act very quickly and you may feel better in minutes to hours. On the other hand it takes months for medications to control inflammation. So you have to use your asthma medication even you feel healthy , and consult to your doctor before you stop or lower the dosage
Please do not forget!
For a better asthma treatment ;
- You should visit your doctor regularly even if you don’t have symptoms
- You should take your medications regularly (even if you don’t have symptoms you shouldn’t stop taking your medications).
- You should take precautions for asthma triggering factors such as infections, cigarette smoke reflux disease, allergens, some food and drugs
- Lung function test should be done by your doctor at regular intervals to monitor the disease progression
- You must visit your doctor or have an action plan when your asthma flares up.