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About Asthma
Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways of your lungs. These airways are also known as bronchial tubes. In the case of asthma, chronic means that it never goes away.
Asthma is one disease that has two main components occurring deep within the airways of your lungs:
Airway Constriction: The muscles around the airways in the lungs squeeze together or tighten. This tightening is often called bronchoconstriction, and it can make it hard for you to breathe the air in or out of your lungs.
Airway Inflammation: The airways of the lungs are always inflamed if you have asthma, and they become more swollen and irritated when an attack begins. Your healthcare professional may refer to this swelling as inflammation. Inflammation can reduce the amount of air that you can take in or breathe out of your lungs. In some cases, the mucous glands in the airways produce excessive, thick mucus, further obstructing the airways.
Allergic asthma: Allergic asthma is triggered by an allergic reaction to allergens such as pollen or pet dander. People with this type of asthma typically have a personal and or family history of allergies, such as allergic rhinitis or hay fever, and/or eczema [skin problem resulting in itching, a red rash, and sometimes small blisters].
Seasonal asthma, a form of allergic asthma, can be triggered by trees, grasses, or flowers releasing pollen into the air. For example, some people find that their asthma is worse in the spring when there is an increase in flowering plants. Others find their asthma is worse in the late summer or early fall when ragweed and mold from leaves on trees are more likely to cause problems.
Nonallergic asthma: For some people with asthma, asthma attacks have nothing to do with allergies. Although these people get the same symptoms and have similar changes in their airways as people with allergic asthma, their asthma is not triggered by allergens. However, as in any person with asthma, asthma attacks may be triggered or made worse by one or more nonallergic asthma triggers, including substances in the air you breathe such as tobacco smoke, wood smoke, room deodorizers, pine odors, fresh paint, household cleaning products, cooking odors, perfumes, and outdoor air pollution. Respiratory infections such as the common cold, the flu, or a sinus infection may also cause symptoms. Finally, exercise, cold air, sudden changes in air temperature and even gastroesophageal reflux may be triggers for people with either allergic or nonallergic types of asthma.
Exercise-induced asthma: Exercise-induced asthma [EIA] simply refers to asthma symptoms that are triggered by exercise or physical activity. These symptoms are usually noticed during or shortly after exercise. Exercising outdoors in the winter seems to be particularly bad for patients with this type of asthma. However, exercise can also trigger symptoms in people with other types of asthma.
Nocturnal asthma: Nocturnal asthma can occur in a patient with any type of asthma. It refers to asthma symptoms that seem worse in the middle of the night, typically between 2 AM and 4 AM.
Things that can cause asthma symptoms to get worse at night may include sinus infections or postnasal drip caused by allergens like dust mites or pet dander. Your body clock may also play some role: levels of substances your body makes like adrenaline and corticosteroids, both of which protect against asthma, are lowest between midnight and 4 AM, making it easier for people with asthma to get symptoms during these times.
Asthma in pregnancy: Pregnant women with asthma have higher rates of pregnancy-related complications. Of pregnant patients with asthma, one third will experience improvement in their asthma, one third will remain stable, and one third will experience worsening of their asthma. Improved asthma control during pregnancy is associated with lower rates of pregnancy-related complications.
Occupational asthma: People with asthma are susceptible to exacerbations of their disease when exposed to irritant dusts or fumes in the work environment. Occupational asthma, however, refers to asthma of new onset that is caused by exposure to a substance [for example, chemicals, animal proteins, etc.] in the workplace. Reducing airborne concentrations of offending agents by better control of dust may lower the incidence of asthma exacerbations and decrease sensitization.
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