Asthma is a chronic illness that is very debilitating for anyone inflicted with this disease. Sometimes the onset is abrupt and very noticeable and sometimes it is a very slow progression. The bronchial tubes or airways develop an inflammation which in turn causes swelling and constriction of the bronchial tubes. This makes the ability to inhale and exhale a strenuous effort. However, with asthma treatment the asthma attack can be under control, but it will take time. The beginning focus of attention is on controlling the asthma and finding out what is causing the asthma.
Asthma is not a new modern day phenomenon as it goes back through the centuries to the early Chinese, Greeks, Romans, and a few other cultures. Each culture had a different label they attached to asthma, but the end result remains the same. The symptoms of asthma are still the normal wheezing, coughing, gagging, choking, and at times the spitting up of phlegm. However, it seems more medical focus is on asthma today in the hopes of eradicating the disease in the future.
Asthma is a silent affliction that affects everyone from all walks of life and at any age and this is why it is such a concern to the medical community. Some of asthma reactions are environmental and some is from a genetic disorder. Distinguish which one is which is difficult until the individual’s exposure to the proper diagnostics. There is a difference between an asthma attack caused through an allergy too and this complicates the diagnosis. In any event the medical community agrees this is a bronchial condition of the inflamed bronchi. The cause is what causes difficulty in diagnostics.
Individuals having difficulty breathing will reach out for many remedies to try to cause the bronchial tubes to subside from the swelling. This is a focus of attention in a number of ways, some of which is through a change in diet for those individuals who experience an asthma episode through an allergic reaction. There are a few asthma inhalers that children and adults can use in an emergency, but the best possible source is to make an appointment with the family medical physician for a proper diagnosis.
Metered dose inhalers are the most prevalent asthma inhaler in use today by many individuals. Each push to release the medicated internal spray is a controlled and measured dosage to reduce the percentage of error. The dry powder inhalers are just what it implies. This is a very fine, dry powder to give the individual the opportunity to breath in the dry powder. This is a pressurized powder and released in the specific dose required by the medical physician. This will cause the individual to inhale very rapidly to absorb all the fine powder into the lungs to alleviate the congestion and reduce the mucus forming inside the lung canals.
Nebulizers are a special device specifically made for those individuals who are unable to use one of the other inhaler’s. This specialized device is especially helpful for infants and very young children afflicted with asthma. Nebulizer’s have a tiny cup attached to a mouthpiece in the form of tubing. This is then connects to an air compressor pumping needed medicine into the individual’s lungs at a specific interval for best release. It is in the form of a very fine liquid mist to penetrate deep into the tubes of the lungs and offers relieve to the individual almost immediately.
Long-acting beta-2 agonists are sometimes known bronchodilators to force open constricted airways and reduce the inflammation immediately and the effects of this asthma medication will last up to twelve hours affording the individual suffering an asthma attack or a bronchial asthma attack a few hours of relief. The Leukotriene modifiers help to reduce the production of leukotrienes. They are immune system chemicals preventing asthma symptoms for a period of time.
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