Asthma and Allergy

Risk factors of modern life, such as environmental factors, cigarette smoke, allergens, air pollution, occupational stimulus exposure, increase the likelihood of developing asthma. In the vast majority of patients receiving regular treatment, asthma does not adversely affect their lifes. On the other hand, incomplete or irregular treatment; As asthma becomes more severe, it causes irreversible restructuring in and around the airways.  

What is the Reason of Asthma?

Asthma is a respiratory disease that causes the airways to be extremely sensitive as a result of a non-microbial inflammation and narrow the airways in form of attacks with some factors.  Stimuli such as dust, smoke and odor cause complaints such as cough, shortness of breath and chest tightness. During the seizure, the muscles surrounding the airways contract, the surfaces of the airways become inflamed and swollen, and phlegm occurs. All these reactions cause the airways to become narrower and more irritated, and all these cause wheezing. Personal risk factors such as heredity, gender and obesity, and environmental risk factors such as allergen exposure, cigarette smoke, air pollution, occupational stimulus exposure increase the likelihood of developing asthma. Likewise, cold weather, microbial diseases, extreme fatigue and psychological disorders can increase asthma complaints. 

What are the most common symptoms?

Symptoms of asthma are shortness of breath, wheezing, feeling of tightness in the chest, getting tired more quickly than normal people, shortening of range of motion, and sometimes coughing. The sudden emergence of symptoms in asthma is called asthma attack. In this case, patients have severe shortness of breath. 

How is it diagnosed?

Asthma is a disease that shows itself as attacks and between these attacks patient may be normal. It is easy for the physician to diagnose asthma during an attack because the disease has characteristic examination findings. Other than the attack, the history of the disease lead the physician to the diagnosis of asthma. For the diagnosis, chest X-ray, pulmonary function tests, allergy test, some blood tests are requested from the patient. Generally, chest X-ray and pulmonary function tests are normal except during the attack period. In this case, instruments called PEF meters are used, which the patient can carry around, which simply measures the exhalation rate. The patient measures and records the air flow with this instrument in the morning and evening. The diagnosis can be made by calculating the morning and evening difference in this record list given to the physician. 

How is it treated?

In the treatment of asthma; It is aimed to control symptoms, to enable people to perform their normal activities without any problems, to prevent asthma attacks, and to keep lung functions at or near normal levels. This is possible by eliminating exposure to triggering risk factors and arranging asthma treatment and monitoring it at regular intervals. Medications used in the treatment of asthma are divided into two groups: controller and breathing. Controller medications improve non-microbial inflammation, their effects are evident when used regularly for a long time. Medications containing cortisone, medications affecting the leukotriene system, long-acting beta agonist medications, theophylline and anti-IgE are counted in this group. Breathing medications show their effects immediately after use and provide relief in complaints such as shortness of breath and wheezing. This group of medications are short-acting beta-agonist medications , anticholinergic medications  and theophylline. In the vast majority of patients receiving regular treatment, asthma does not adversely affect their lifes. On the other hand, incomplete or irregular treatment; As asthma becomes more severe, it causes irreversible restructuring in and around the airways.