10 Facts You Might Not Know About Asthma

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 300 million people worldwide suffer from asthma. Hence, it’s not only important that we understand asthma but that we are also aware of its symptoms.

Understanding the signs and symptoms of asthma

Children and adults alike are affected by the severe non-communicable disease (NCD) and a chronic condition known as asthma. The small airways in the lungs become inflamed and constricted due to this muscle tightening.

Although everyone experiences symptoms differently, the following are the most typical:

• Breathing difficulty
• Chest discomfort or tightness
• Breathing through a wheeze (a common sign of asthma in children)
• Wheezing or coughing fits

Intermittent symptoms can get worse with common “triggers” and are frequently worse during exercise or at night. But let’s move on to the asthma facts you didn’t know.

1. Yawning Is a Sign
Wheezing and a nonproductive dry cough are two of the most common asthma symptoms. But did you know that yawning is a common symptom of this disease? Because asthma essentially causes an oxygen deficiency in your body, less oxygen enters your system, causing your body to induce yawning to compensate.
2. Asthma and fatigue go hand in hand
Many people avoid strenuous physical activity because it can precipitate an asthma attack – more on this later. However, it is not uncommon for people with asthma to feel extremely tired, even if they haven’t done anything to overexert themselves. It’s not because the body is lazy; it’s because the body is working extra hard to oxygenate the remaining cells with a limited supply. Even when at rest, your body consumes more energy than the average person just to keep the body oxygenated.
3. Asthma Triggers Can Be Found Anywhere
While asthma triggers, like symptoms, differ from person to person, there are a few common triggers. Doctors frequently advise asthma patients to avoid exposure to known triggers whenever possible to manage their symptoms. Irritants and allergens such as dust, tobacco smoke, car exhaust fumes, mold, pet dander, and even smoke from burning wood are common asthma triggers. Non-environmental triggers, such as colds, flu, sinus infections, acid reflux, and stress-induced hyperventilation, are more difficult to avoid.
4. Exercise Should Not Be Ignored
Physical activity is one asthma trigger that patients should not avoid. Yes, it causes rapid breathing, which can trigger asthma attacks; there is even a type of asthma known as exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Even if you have asthma, the health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle outweigh the benefits of regular exercise. Doctors usually work with patients to develop a safe exercise plan rather than foregoing cardio exercise. This could include performing warm-up intervals and using an inhaler before working out, wearing masks to limit exposure to irritants, and following up with cool-down activities.
5. Allergies Are Linked to Asthma Attacks
An asthma attack is similar to when someone has a sneezing fit during pollen season. However, while the former is irritating, the latter causes potentially fatal symptoms. When allergic people are exposed to allergens such as pollen, their bodies produce antibodies that bind to the allergen, signaling the body to release chemicals that cause allergic-like reactions. Most people’s symptoms are restricted to the head, such as a runny nose or watery eyes. Asthma symptoms, on the other hand, are felt in the lungs. When the lungs become inflamed, the airways swell and become clogged with mucus, restricting airflow and triggering asthma symptoms.
6. Asthma Is Simple To Recognize
Surprisingly simple, in fact. A lung function test is the simplest way to diagnose asthma. If a person has asthma-like symptoms (coughing, wheezing, chest tightness), a doctor will most likely examine the patient’s exhalations before and after they use an inhaler. If their breathing improves after taking the medication, the patient most likely has asthma. Asthma can also be diagnosed using chest x-rays.
7. Asthma Could Be Passed Down Through Families
While doctors are still unsure what causes asthma, they know it frequently runs in families. People with one asthmatic parent are nearly twice as likely to develop the condition themselves. People with a parent or grandparent who had asthma were four times more likely to develop it themselves. Because asthma is linked to allergies, a genetic predisposition to allergies, known as atopy, may explain some inherited asthma cases.
8. Children are the most likely to suffer from asthma.
Asthma is a common chronic disease that affects nearly 25 million people in the United States alone, with children accounting for 7 million of those affected. Asthma affects the majority of people during their childhood. It is the most common chronic disease among children, and it causes approximately 13.8 million school days to be missed in the United States each year, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
9. Germs Could Help Your Child Beat the Odds of Having Asthma
A person’s early environment influences whether or not they develop asthma. People who grew up in rural areas, around animals, and in large families are less likely to have asthma than those who did not.
10. There are two kinds of asthma treatments.
Long-term controllers and quick-relievers are two types of asthma medications. When flare-ups occur, immediate medications such as short-acting beta-agonists and anticholinergics relax muscles in the airways; they are typically inhaled directly into the lungs with an inhaler.

Long-term treatments control asthma symptoms over time and can be taken as frequently as every day, regardless of whether symptoms arise. Long-acting beta-agonists and corticosteroids are inhaled, as are biologic injections and theophylline and leukotriene modifier pills and liquids.

Get Help With Asthma

If you weren’t quite sure whether you have asthma, these things you didn’t know about asthma should give you a better idea of what steps you should take to lead a healthier lifestyle.

To get help or treatment for your asthma call 805-658-9500 today and speak to a specialist at Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Medical Group