Living with asthma symptom has become a common way of life for most asthma sufferers. Adult asthma obviously has the ability to affect a sufferer's way of life but the experts tell us it doesn't have to. Indeed it doesn't. Especially if the proper precautions are taken.

Asthma symptom can be brought on by a variety of triggers. Sufferers who practice good management practice techniques will live a good quality of life where asthma symptom aren't a constant worry. Did you know in the United States alone, over 17 million people are affected by asthma.

Asthma is described in many forms including allergy asthma, adult asthma; even asthma and acid reflux: with varying treatments. More recently, less mainstream treatment for asthma symptom has surfaced such as acupuncture for asthma.

Acupuncture For Asthma

China has used acupuncture treatment for centuries on different types of ailments. Acupuncture for asthma has been effective for a number of years. The World Health Organization identified acupuncture an effective treatment of up to 40 known diseases with asthma being one of them.

Acupuncture for asthma benefits such things as a reduced dependency on drugs. In the US, states have there own regulated laws relating to qualified acupuncture  practitioners. Certainly if you are not getting relief from your current treatment methods then acupuncture for asthma provides another alternative.

Allergic Asthma

Allergic asthma affects over 50 per cent of asthma sufferers. It has been described as a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways.

Allergic asthma forms from an early childhood and sufferers are affected by elements such as dust, mold and pollen. The problem of course is those three factors are hard to avoid so physicians will prescribe medication to reduce the incidence of attack.

Certainly asthma is no fun to live with but it can be controlled. Within these pages at AsthmaInfoLine.com we'll provide a library of views and reviews on asthma, asthma symptoms and treatment and news relating to asthma from around the world.

Do you know when you are in control of your asthma symptoms? Seems like a reasonably straight-forward question but it's important for sufferers to understand the importance of it.

Complacency is a problem affecting many asthma sufferers; when you think you have it under control, the temptation to ease up on medication and "symptoms watch" is always there but it really is important to maintain a consistent level of maintenance.

Try this simple test to determine if you are in an asthma control zone:

1. You use controller medication less than twice a week.

2. You sleep through the night and are not woken up by symptoms such as coughing.

3. Asthma symptoms are not a constant during your week. In fact, experiencing symptoms less than twice a week is a sign of good control.

4. Your day-to-day routine is unimpeded. For example, taking time off work or unable to exercise because of symptoms on a regular basis is a sign non-control. If asthma isn't interfering with your daily routine then you are performing good control maintenance.

Warning Signs

In the USA alone, asthma symptoms affects more than 20 million people and causes at least 4000 deaths. Nearly three per cent of sufferers are hospitalised a year so recognizing the warning signs is vital. Make no mistake, it's a killer and complacency should never enter into calculations. Let's check the more common warning signs:

- Shortness of breath. This is the most common symptom and a sure sign an attack is imminent.

- Wheezing and coughing leading to difficulty with breathing. Sleep patterns being affected because of this.

- Experiencing tightness in the chest or even chest pain.

- Over use of inhalers. Be aware of this important aspect. While inhalers are in themselves lifesavers, take it as a warning sign it's time to visit your doctor if you are using your inhaler on a regular or frequent basis.

Adult Asthma

Adult asthma is a very real issue. In fact, it's somewhat of a fallacy it's a disease which only children get. There is still a chance, about one in ten, adults can develop it during their lifetime. How? Usually through what are termed as non-allergic triggers such as severe flus to being exposed to irritants in the workplace.

If you experience asthma symptoms then don't accept it as a sign of defeat. It can be controlled effectively with good management practices. You just need to know when it's set to rear it's ugly head. Your doctor can help you devise a strategy to keep asthma under control in your life.

Dean Caporella - About the Author:

Dean Caporella is a professional broadcaster. Try these tips to enhance asthma control in your life! Also read the latest asthma related news and views at:http://www.asthmainfoline.com

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/learn-how-to-recognize-asthma-control-in-your-life-try-this-simple-four-step-test-119288.html

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If you have asthma, you know the dreaded choking sensation, the faintness, the anxiety. It's as if someone made you run around the block, then pinched your nose shut and forced you to breathe through a straw.

And you know all too well that once an asthma attack starts, it won't go away by itself.

Asthma wounded make up an predictable five to ten percent of the population.

And while no two persons with asthma are alike in the subtle characteristics of the condition, they do have one thing in common: They have trouble breathing properly.

Asthma is a lung disease. It causes problems to the breathing passage of our lungs also known as bronchioles.

It is caused due to chronic, long term and ongoing inflammation of the lung passage.

The lung passage also called airways of the affected person become very sensitive to the triggers.

The inflammation is caused or triggered due to various internal and external factors that fills the passage with mucus and also swells it.

Causes of Asthma

The exact cause of asthma isn't known. Researchers think a mixture of factors (family genes and certain ecological exposures) interact to cause asthma to develop, most often early in life.
These factors include:

1.    An inherited tendency to develop allergies, called atopy (AT-o-pe)

2.    Parents who have asthma

Symptoms of Asthma

People with asthma experience symptoms when the airways tighten, inflame, or fill with mucus. Common asthma symptoms include:

1.    Coughing, especially at night
2.    Wheezing
3.    Shortness of breath
4.    Chest tightness, pain, or pressure

Treatment of Asthma

1.    Clean the house at least once a week and wear a mask while doing it

2.    Avoid pets with fur or feathers

3.    Wash the bedding (sheets, pillow cases, mattress pads) weekly in hot water

4.    Encase the mattress, pillows and box springs in dust-proof covers

5.    Replace bedding made of down, kapok or foam rubber with synthetic materials

Home Remedies for Asthma

The patient should perspire through steam bath, hot footbath, hot hipbath and sunbath as this will stimulate the skin and relieve congested lungs.

Honey is considered highly beneficial in the treatment of asthma. At the time of asthma attack a jug full of honey be supposed to be located under the nose of patient, within few minutes the patient would start breathing easily.

One can also mix 1 teaspoon honey in a glass of water and have it 3 times a day.

This is very good home remedy for asthma.
The patient should be known garlic cloves boiled in thirty grams of milk daily. Good Home Remedy for asthma.

Steaming ginger tea with crushed garlic cloves be supposed to be given twice a day (morning and evening). This asthma remedy is good natural remedy for asthma.

A teaspoonful of turmeric powder with a glass of milk 2-3 times a day is optional. It is highly beneficial when taken empty stomach.
This remedy is also considered as good home remedies for asthma.

Regular chewing of fennel helps expel impure mucous from the chest.

Thus, helps in preventing asthma attacks.
Peel dry pomegranate and keep them in a jar. Boil two raisins and some part of the peel in 250 ml of milk. Drink this milk twice a day. This is one of the high-quality asthma remedies.

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Asthma is an ancient Greek word meaning "panting or short drawn breath". It is the most troublesome of the respiratory diseases. The asthma patient gets frequent attacks of breathlessness in between which he is completely normal.

Read more on Home Remedies for Asthma and Home Remedies for Acidity and Herbal Home Remedies

Asthma Symptoms

The general asthma symptoms are -

1.    Coughing - Persistent coughing is the first symptom of asthma. The coughing is continuous. It is worse in early morning and when we are outside home. The cough is often accompanied with mucus and burning sensation in the throat.

2.    Wheezing – It is a whistling sound which occurs when the patient berates. This sound is caused by the narrowing of the airway.

3.    Chest Pain – Coughing is often accompanied with chest pain or feeling of pressure on the chest.

4.    Breathing Problem – One feels that he can't breath in properly. This causes rapid breathing and rise in the rate of heart palpitation.

Causes of Asthma

The cause of asthma is unknown till date. Also it is not fully understood as to why asthma occurs in some but not in others. Asthma symptoms vary over time, and also differ from one individual to another. Some common causes of asthma are allergens from nature like house dust mite and cockroach, grass, pollen, foods, climatic changes, animals like cats, dogs etc.

Ayurveda classifies the causes of asthma into three based on the causative factors - Diet related factors, Work related factors and Other Factors

What happens during an asthma attack?

The inside wall of the airways become narrow and inflamed. They bloat up and get filled with fluid and mucus cells. Obstruction is further caused by tightening of muscles that surround the airways. This situation is called bronchospasm. In some people with asthma, the mucus glands in the airways produce thick mucus in large quantities, further obstructing the airways.

Chronic inflammation is considered to be the major cause of an asthma attack. The inflammation may last for weeks following an attack. Most people with asthma have some degree of inflammation all the time.

When inflammation occurs in the airways, they become sensitive. When the airways are more sensitive, a person is more probable get an asthma attack when exposed to things that trigger asthma.

Dietary Treatments for Asthma

1.    Avoid fried and processed foods

2.    Avoid food such as rice, curds, buttermilk, sugar, lentils, heavy milk products like cheese, paneer etc...which has natural tendency to produce the phlegm or to accumulate the mucus

3.    Drink boiled water in plenty

4.    Avoid over eating . Take light dinner one hour before going to bed

5.    Avoid fruits such as guava, papaya, watermelon and banana

Home remedies for asthma treatment

1.    Take a mixture of 1 tablespoon of water and 2 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice twice a day.

2.    Take a teaspoon of fresh ginger juice mixed with a cup of fenugreek decoction and honey to taste.

3.    Drink a glass of 2/3 carrot juice, 1/3 spinach juice, 3 times a day.

4.    Mix 10 - 15 drops of garlic juice in warm water and take internally.

5.    Grind to powder form - 2 gms each of Nagar (Nut grass, Cyperus rotundus) and Bharangi and mix them in water to prepare a paste which should be taken, with warm lukewarm water, twice daily.

6.    Mix 1 teaspoon honey with 1 teaspoon of Indian bay leaf (Cinnamomum tamala) powder and have it before going to bed at night. This will help you in preventing the attack of asthma at night.

7.    Take 10 cloves of garlic boiled with 30 ml of milk once a day.

8.    Make paste of Black resin,dates, long Pippli (Piper longum) and honey, in equal quantity.Take one teaspoonful of it morning and evening with warm milk.

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Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the body's bronchial (airway) tissues. The source of asthma is not fully understood Asthma is a disease affecting the airways that carry air to and from your lungs. Citizens who undergo on or after this continual condition (long-lasting or recurrent) are said to be asthmatic.

A surgeon, chemist and physiologist, said that asthma originate in the pipe of the lungs. At the commencement of the 20th century asthma is seen as a mental illness - an approach that probably undermined any medical breakthroughs at the time.

Types of Asthma
Child-Onset Asthma: Asthma that begins during childhood is called child-onset asthma. This kind of asthma happen as a child develop into sensitized to general allergens in the environment - most likely due to genetic reasons. The child is a topic - a hereditarily strong-minded state of hypersensitivity to environmental allergens.
Adult-Onset Asthma: This term is used when a person develops asthma after reaching 20 years of age. Grown-up-onset asthma affects women more than men, and it is also much less common than child-onset asthma.
Exercise-Induced Asthma: If you cough, wheeze or feel out of breath during or after exercise, you could be suffering from exercise-induced asthma. Observably your level of health is also a factor - a person who is unfit and runs fast for ten minutes is going to be out of gulp of air. However, if your coughing, wheezing or wheezing does not make sense, this could be an sign of exercise-induce asthma.
Cough-Induced Asthma

Cough-induced asthma is one of the most difficult asthmas to diagnose. The physician has to get rid of other possibilities, such as chronic bronchitis, post nasal drip due to hay fever, or sinus illness

Occupational Asthma

This type of asthma is triggered by something in the patient's place of work. Factor such as chemical vapors, gases, smoke, dust, fumes, or other particles can trigger asthma.

Nocturnal Asthma: Nocturnal asthma occur between midnight and 8 AM. It is trigger by allergens in the house such as dust and pet dander or is caused by sinus conditions. Nocturnal or night asthma can occur without any daytime symptoms familiar by the patient.
Severe Asthma

While the greater part of patients responds to standard inhaled steroid therapy, some are steroid resistant. Airway inflammation and immune commencement play an important role in chronic asthma. Current strategies of asthma therapy have consequently focused on the use of anti-inflammatory therapy, particularly inhaled. By falling airway inflammation and immune activation, are used to treat asthma. However, patients with steroid resistant asthma have top levels of immune activation in their airways than do patients with steroid sensitive (SS) asthma.

Asthma affects 300 million people in the world and more than 22 million in the United States. Although people of all ages suffer from the disease, it most often starts in childhood, currently affecting 6 million children in the US. Asthma kills as regards 255,000 people universally every year.

Asthma is the the majority familiar chronic disease among children - especially children who have low birth weight, are exposed to tobacco smoke, are black, and are raised in a low-income environment. Most kids first present symptom around 5 years of age, generally beginning as frequent episodes of wheezing with respiratory infections. Additional danger factors for offspring include having allergies, the allergic skin condition eczema, or parents with asthma.

Allergic reaction and asthma symptoms are often the effect of indoor air pollution from mold or noxious fumes from household cleaners and paints. Additional indoor green factors associated with asthma include nitrogen oxide from gas stoves. In fact, inhabitants who cook with gas are more likely to have symptoms such as puffed, breathlessness, asthma attacks, and hay fever.

Overweight adults - those with a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 30 - are 38% more likely to have asthma compared to adults who are not overweight.

Pregnancy: When mothers smoke during pregnancy, their children have lower pulmonary function. This may fake additional asthma risk. Study has also shown that early birth is a risk factor for developing asthma.

Genes: Genes linked to asthma also play roles in running the immune system and irritation. There have not, however, been consistent results from genetic studies across populations - so further investigations are required to figure out the complex interactions that cause asthma.

Treatment for Asthma:

Asthma is considered "well-controlled" if:

Chronic and troublesome symptoms (coughing and shortness of breath) are prevented and occur no more than 2 days per week.
There is little need for quick-relief medicines or they are needed less than 2 days per week.
You keep up good lung job.
Your activity level remains ordinary.
Your doze level remains normal and symptom does not wake you from sleep more than 1 to 2 nights per month.
You do not need crisis medical treatment.
You have no more than one asthma attack every year that requires inhalation of corticosteroids.
Your peak flow stays above 80% of your personal best number.

Medicine for asthma is broadly categorized as either quick-relief medicine or long-term control medicine. Reducing airway inflammation and preventing asthma symptoms is the goal of long-term control medicines, where as immediate relief of asthma symptoms is the goal of quick-relief or "rescue" medicines.

Tablets may also be administered using a nebulizer, providing a larger, continuous dose. Nebulizers vaporize a dose of medication in a saline solution into a steady stream of foggy vapor that is inhaled by the patient.

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Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects more than 20 million people in the United States, and possibly 30 to 40 million worldwide as the air is getting more and more polluted and more developing countries emerging.

It is a disorder of the respiratory pattern whereby a patient's airway becomes red and thin limiting breathing - can be excessively terrifying. The need of control that comes from having your own breath leave you is something only an asthma casualty can recognize.

The treatments sought for asthma include a number of hugely successful and sure medical interventions. Asthma patients usually trust in on respiratory inhalers and instruction medications to cure asthma symptoms and halt attacks. Further, for those asthma patients whose circumstance is exacerbated by environmental stimuli, escape of allergens becomes a main focus of daily life.

Nowadays - as the emphasis on healthy breathing becomes extra important - more and more people are expecting for a logical drug for asthma. And they're finding them; ways to soothe symptoms and hinder attacks. The natural therapy for asthma derives from a holistic advance to treating the whole body, thus correcting specific symptoms.

One approach to a natural therapy for asthma that has been embraced is chiropractic effort. Patients report a greater total sensitivity of well-being after visiting with a chiropractor. Chiropractic control works to align the spinal column as follows removing pressure from the nervous system. Because our central nervous structure is all connected along the spinal column, we can be enormously benefited by having adjustments.

More approach to a natural cure for asthma is acupuncture whereby sterilized needles are placed - painlessly - in vital areas of the body to correct internal imbalances.

Moreover, numerous in search of a natural therapy for asthma have found that definite types of exercise - most specifically yoga - have relieved their asthma symptoms. Again, overall fitness in the body addresses many symptoms.

Others have create non-conventional techniques such as hypnosis and laser treatments to clear airways very successful in their search for a natural drug for asthma.

To research a logical therapy for asthma, go online; there are numerous resources available for those who suffer from asthma including a gathering of chat forums wherein different people share their experiences and what has worked to comfort their asthma symptoms. Having support from family who understand can be supplementary than half the fight.

No matter what you select in your journey to alleviate your asthma, usually check with a medical expert prior to experimentation. It may be that you can use any of the methods mentioned above in conjunction nearby traditional medical treatment. Either way, living proactive and positive will one day find you enjoying a much healthier life.

The natural approach may help alleviate or eliminate your symptoms entirely while allowing you to take control in a gentle, proactive way.

You must create a plan for a future to relieve asthma safe and fast and live a drug-free asthma-free lifestyle. This includes a qualified medical practitioner who addresses your total health. Proper rest, proper breathing, proper exercise, proper nourishment, and a proper toxin-free environment. And remember to exhale completely!

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Asthma is a chronic condition (generally associated with humans but also controversially being diagnosed in housepets such as cats) involving the respiratory system in which the airway occasionally constricts, becomes inflamed, and is lined with excessive amounts of mucus, often in response to one or more triggers. These episodes may be triggered by such things as exposure to an environmental stimulant (or allergen) such as cold air, warm air, perfume, moist air, exercise or exertion, or emotional stress. In children, the most common triggers are viral illnesses such as those that cause the common cold.This airway narrowing causes symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. The airway constriction responds to bronchodilators.

Bronchial asthma is one of the most common illnesses in children. Factors influencing development of asthma have not been studied in rural population. The attack of bronchial asthma mainly comes on in the early morning when the patient suddenly wakes up with a feeling of apprehension and alarm. He sits up as the breathing suddenly becomes very difficult while he is lying down. He may rush to open the window to take fresh air in, as it becomes difficult to breathe in a closed room. The attack may last for a few hours or in some cases for few days before it subsides, and, in the early stages of the disease, the patient feels normal after the attack. In case of chronic asthmma the patient acquires a typical asthmatic look - a pale face and an emaciated (very thin and malnutritioned) body.

Symptoms of Bronchial Asthma

Primarily, asthma is manifested by a sudden or prolonged onset of airway narrowing, which accounts for the varying degrees of airway obstruction and accompanying sensation of an inability to breathe in and, more importantly, to breathe out; these symptoms herald hyperinflation. The total lung capacity (TLC), functional residual capacity (FRC), and residual volume (RV) increase.

Symptoms can occur spontaneously or can be triggered by respiratory infections cold air, tobacco smoke or other pollutants, stress or anxiety, or by food allergies or drug allergies. The muscles of the bronchial tree become tight and the lining of the air passages become swollen, reducing airflow and producing the wheezing sound. Mucus production is increased.

Except in severe cases, symptoms are occasional. The duration and severity of asthma symptoms vary greatly from time to time and from patient to patient. The symptoms may be intermittent, and they can last just a few minutes or days. In severe cases, symptoms may be constant and persistent.

Asthma symptoms can be brought on by dozens of different things, and what causes asthma flare-ups in one person might not bother another at all. The things that set off asthma symptoms are called triggers.

Causes of Bronchial Asthma

Asthma is caused by inflammation in the airways. When an asthma attack occurs, the muscles surrounding the airways become tight and the lining of the air passages swell. This reduces the amount of air that can pass by, and can lead to wheezing sounds.

Exposure to a variety of occupational irritants (e.g., vapors, dust, gases, fumes, tobacco smoke, air pollution) also can worsen or cause asthma.

Research on genetic mutations casts further light on the synergistic nature of multiple mutations in the path physiology of asthma, particularly as it is related to the role of platelet-activating factor hydrolyses, an intrinsic neutralizing agent of platelet-activating factor in most humans (ALA Utah, 2000).

When someone is diagnosed with asthma it is customary for the doctor and patient to put an action plan into place to eliminate triggers, prescribe treatment and ultimately control asthma symptoms. Being able to control asthma will prevent chronic symptoms of asthma such as coughing and wheezing, reduce the occurrence and frequency of attacks and maintain normal activity levels in daily life. Because there is no cure for asthma and in some instances of asthma there is no identified cause, medication is necessary to treat, prevent and control the symptoms of the disease. The type of medication is determined upon the patient's age, symptoms, triggers, and what makes the asthma better. Not all medications work on every individual especially since more than a quarter of people who suffer with asthma are children. Therefore determining the right type of prescription will be a task that both the doctor and patient will have to develop together.

There are two types of medications that doctors prescribe to asthma patients, long-term control medications and quick relief or rescue medications. Long-term control medications are the most effective way to reduce inflammation in the airway. Long-term treatments are normally taken on a daily basis to prevent symptoms. Quick relief medications are used in flare up situations to quickly open up swollen airways. Asthma patients most commonly use inhalers because the medication goes directly to the lungs however; pill and liquid forms of asthma medications are available as well.

Long-term control medications include inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, long-acting beta agonists, combination inhalers, theophylline, and methylxanthines. Quick relief medications include short-acting bronchodilator inhalers, anticholinergics, and oral and intravenous corticosteroids. With extrinsic asthma, allergies are a possible trigger, which is why allergy medication is used to treat allergy-induced asthma. Allergy medications include immunotherapy allergy shots, oral and nasal spray antihistamines, decongestants, and corticosteroid nasal sprays. Bronchial thermoplasty is another treatment that is used in cases where asthma is severe and traditional medications are ineffective. Lastly in cases where patients have difficulty with inhalers, an asthma nebulizer should be used.

LONG-TERM CONTROL MEDICATIONS

Inhaled corticosteroids-Inhaled corticosteroids are the preferred long-term control medication for people who suffer with asthma. They are most effective at relieving airway inflammation and swelling. By reducing the inflammation in the lungs it prevents the chain reaction that causes all the symptoms of an asthma attack. Taking inhaled corticosteroids daily can greatly reduce the severity of asthma, frequency and occurrence of asthma attacks. Inhaled corticosteroids are generally safe and are not habit forming. They have a lower risk of side effects than oral corticosteroids in pill or liquid form. Examples of inhaled corticosteroids include Flovent Diskus, Flovent HFA, Pulmicort Flexhaler, Asmanex, Aerobid, Qvar, Vancenase, Beclovent, Nasacort, and Atolone.

Leukotriene modifiers- Leukotriene modifiers inhibit leukotriene, a chemical that promotes the body's inflammatory response. By blocking these chemicals, leukotriene inhibitors reduce inflammation within the airways. Therefore eliminating the chain reaction, which causes asthma symptoms. Some side effects linked to leukotriene inhibitors include agitation, aggression, hallucinations, depression and suicidal thinking. Examples of leukotriene inhibitors include Singulair, Accolate, Zyflo, and Zyflo CR.

Long-acting beta agonists-Long-acting beta agonists are chemically related to adrenaline and are used to open up the airways. They keep the airways open for 12 hours or longer. However, long-acting beta agonists should not be used along. They should be used in combination with a low dose inhaled corticosteroid. Side effects include rapid heartbeat and shakiness Examples of inhaled medications include Serevent, and Foradil,

Combination inhalers-Combination inhalers include an inhaled steroid with a long-acting bronchodilator. Examples of combination inhalers include Advair Diskus and Symbicort.

Methylxanthines- Methylxanthines is a group of controller medications that is chemically related to caffeine and opens up the airways. Methylxanthines work as long-acting bronchodilators. Theophylline and aminophylline are examples of methylxanthines.

QUICK RELIEF MEDICATIONS

Short-acting beta agonists- Also known as short-acting bronchodilator inhalers, this medication is used for quick relief of coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breathe. These medications dilate the airways to lessen the asthma symptoms. Examples of short acting beta agonists include Albuterol, Levalbuterol, and pirbuterol.

Anticholinergics- Anticholinergics open up the airways by blocking the neurotransmitter acetylcholine within the central and peripheral nervous system. This is similar to the action of beta-agonists however; anticholinergics take slightly longer to take effect but last longer overall. In some instances anticholinergics and beta-agonists will be used together to produce a greater effect. The anticholinergics used for rescue asthma medication is Ipratropium bromide (Atrovent).

Oral and Intravenous Corticosteroids-Corticosteroids should be taken for short-term use only due to the increased side effects. Corticosteroids are an effective anti-inflammatory, and side effects are temporary when taken for two weeks or less otherwise they can be permanent. Prednisone and methylprednisolone are two examples of oral corticosteroids.

ALLERGY INDUCED MEDICATION

Immunotherapy- Immunotherapy is used to alter the immune system in patients who have an elevated level of immunoglobulin E, an allergy antibody. Allergy shots are generally given once a week for a few months, and then once a month after that. Omalizumab (Xolair) is one kind of immunotherapy injection.

Allergy Medication- Allergy medications include oral and nasal sprays, antihistamines, and decongestants. They work by preventing asthma related inflammation in the airways.

Cromolyn and Ipratropium are two forms of nasal sprays used as asthma medication. Cromolyn can prevent the development of an asthma attack if taken regularly however it does not help once an attack has started.

BRONCHIAL THERMOPLASTY

Bronchial thermoplasty- When inhaled corticosteroids don't improve asthma symptoms, especially in severe cases, bronchial thermoplasty may be the next best option. Bronchial thermoplasty uses an electrode to warm the inside of the airways, which calms the smooth muscle within the lungs. This helps to inhibit inflammation in the airways, which causes asthma symptoms. Bronchial thermoplasty is not widely available since more research is needed to determine the benefits and possible side effects.

ASTHMA NEBULIZER

Asthma Nebulizer- An asthma nebulizer is also known as a breathing machine. They are generally used in cases where there is difficulty using an inhaler. Asthma nebulizers use a mask that covers the mouth and nose. It changes the medication from a liquid into a mist making it more accessible to be inhaled into the lungs. Unlike an inhaler, a nebulizer requires several minutes for treatment.

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Anyone suffering from asthma quickly learns that cold air often brings on an attack. The problem with cold-induced asthma symptoms is that they can be easily mistaken for other, much less serious problems (like being extremely tired). Because exercise- and cold-induced asthma can, in some cases, result in death, it is very important to correctly name the symptoms. Even if you're not an asthmatic, this knowledge may save the life of one of your friends.

How could it happen?

Cold-induced asthma is caused by a narrowing of airways irritated by inflowing cold air. The symptoms are as the following:

1. Difficulty in breathing
Difficulty in breathing is the easiest signal to notice, but it is also the easiest of all cold-induced asthma symptoms to misinterpret. When coming into contact with cold air, or after exercising, some breathing problems are perfectly natural. But if someone says that he/she feels tightness in the chest, or if you notice certain irregularity in breathing (exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation) - remember that all these are genuine cold-induced asthma symptoms. At this point it is possible that the attack in already on the way.

2. Bluish color of face and/or lips
The facial discoloration is caused by the lack of oxygen. The problem is that it is also a natural color of the human face in cold weather. Fortunately, this cold-induced asthma symptom is visible along with other, more straightforward symptoms. The face color usually changes at the same moment an asthmatic starts loosing his/her consciousness.

3. Decreased level of consciousness
Losing consciousness is potentially the most dangerous of all cold-induced asthma symptoms. The confusions unconsciousness creates often prolongs the time between the attack and the sufferer receiving some help. Keep that in mind when someone shows signs of breathing problems. The danger of indulging violent outdoor exercises in winter is the possibility of losing consciousness... and that is a classic example of cold-induced asthma symptoms.

4. Severe apprehension
Another important cold-induced asthma symptom is fear. When an asthmatic feels he/she can't breathe, he or she will show fear bordering on panic, even if it is impossible for him or her to speak. This is probably the most important symptom of asthma for non-asthmatics. Exhaustion alone does not generate such fear. Consider this situation: you notice that your friend on a hiking trip stops suddenly and tries to take a deep breath. You think he or she is probably tired, but you come closer. If you see a trace of panic in his or her eyes, you can be sure that it's not about being exhausted: the cold-induced asthma attack in on its way. Symptoms don't lie.

Don't overlook them!

The worst thing you can do is to ignore or misinterpret cold-induced asthma symptoms. If it is a severe case of asthma, the very life of an asthmatic may rest entirely in your hands. It is not an exaggeration to say that your reaction may decide whether someone lives or dies! This is especially important outdoors or in wilderness.

If you spend regular time with an asthmatic you should discuss the situation with your friend. First agree on a gesture that will alert you to start of a server asthma attack. Next be sure you know what medications should be administered and where those medications are kept.

With some simple planning asthma can be controlled in a calm, rational manner. That planning leads to a very normal life for the sufferer.

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Chronic inflammation in the air passages of the lungs cause Asthma. Various external and internal factors contribute to such inflammation. It is also known as an obstructive lung disease and its incidence is rising all over the world.

In the US, nearly 17 million people are afflicted with asthma symptoms. As many as one-third of these are children. Asthma is largely incurable. Most people just learn to live with it. The best possible way is to avoid things, external and internal, that trigger asthma. The best way is to identify these agents and stay away from them to reduce the risks of an asthma attack.

Recognizing Asthma Symptoms

To combat an asthma attack, you first need to recognize the symptoms. Asthma attack symptoms include uncontrollable cough, tightness in the chest and shortness of breath. You should call for immediate medical attention if there is extreme difficulty in breathing. During very severe asthma attacks, you will have trouble walking or talking, your nostrils will flare and your fingers nails might turn blue or grey in color.

What Triggers Asthma

Asthma symptoms can strike a person at any age. Though it has no well-defined cause, often a family history of asthma can be identified. Stress is a major cause that can induce an asthma attack. In fact, asthma attacks after a stressful day at work are much worse than most other attacks. Cold air, pollen, animal hair, perfumes and respiratory infections can trigger asthma attacks. These are just a few of the causes but in most cases these conditions are not easy to avoid.

How To Combat Asthma Attack?

If you are an asthma sufferer, you need to follow your doctors medical advice religiously. Do not discontinue your medications on your own as this might trigger a severe asthma attack.

Watch for the patterns that induce attacks in you. Keep a notebook to keep track of what you were doing right before you developed the asthma symptoms. Take an allergy test and stay away from any external trigger or allergy that causes you to have an attack. Avoid well-known irritants, like cigarette smoke, perfumes and gasoline that can lead to an asthma attack. Be careful that you do not catch a cold as the asthma symptoms worsen with a cold.

And finally, however difficult it might be, avoid stressful conditions. Muscle tension and shallow breathing encourage asthma attacks and so you need to practice relaxation techniques. Yoga can help you learn how to relax. You must master the art of breathing from your diaphragm.

Asthma Treatment And Asthma Control

Asthma is largely incurable. So, asthma control is most important. By avoiding factors that can trigger an attack, you can manage to avoid most of the suffering. In the worst attacks, asthma treatment is necessary. Take expert medical advice for handling emergencies. High potency antibiotics are often administered in asthma treatment to clear up lung passage inflammations.

You have to rely heavily on prevention and an avoidance mechanism to offset serious asthma attacks and asthma control as there is no permanent asthma treatment.

Asthma might not be curable but with proper treatment and precautions you can avoid the most severe asthma symptoms.

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