Asthma Attacks - Asthma Attacks May Start Suddenly

Asthma is a disease of the breathing airways. Asthma is a chronic breathing disorder in which the airways for breathing become blocked or constricted. Asthma attacks can be mild or severe. Asthma attack can be defined as a chronic inflammatory breathing disorder of the airways characterized by wheezing, breathing difficulties, chest tightness, coughing, and other possible symptoms. The symptoms of the disease and severe attacks are almost always preventable and can occur at any age but are more common in children than adults.

Recognizing the symptoms of an asthma attack people should learn to recognize when their child's asthmatic symptoms are getting worse or are becoming severe. If it actually happens, the child may suddenly start to cough, experience great difficulty in breathing, or notice a gradual worsening of the symptoms. During a prolonged asthmatic episode, or asthma attack, symptoms become worse than usual. The symptoms of an asthma attack can often be mistaken for general cold or flu symptoms. Some asthmatic symptoms can include Shortness of breath, coughing especially at night and early in the morning, wheezing, chest pain or tightness or a combination of these symptoms.

The symptoms of asthma attack can vary from mild to life-threatening. Wheezing often starts very suddenly during bed time or early morning. This may stop of its own accord but if not happen it can be relieved by bronchodilators. An extreme asthmatic attack is very frightening both for the sufferer and onlookers. Great difficulty in normal breathing is often accompanied by panic due to the shortness of breath. The face and lip color get changed and becomes blue and the sufferer will sweat profusely. Disorientation and drowsiness may follow immediately. Other asthma symptoms affecting the chest and heart may occur and should always be taken extremely seriously.

Parenting an acute asthmatic child is very difficult. Asthma attacks are actually frightening; especially for very young children and it is essential that a parent stays calm however distressing the situation. Parents should always try to encourage their asthmatic child to lead as normal a life as possible, whilst eliminating all possible irritants and monitoring physical activities. An allergy is an overreaction by the body's immune system to a normally harmless substance, or allergen that does not bother most of the people. Allergy symptoms may considerably affect the quality of life by causing fatigue, headache, and difficulty in daily functioning.

People suffering from asthma need to stay away from asthma triggers and allergy-proof their house for dust, cockroaches, mold, and other indoor allergens. People also need to remove the person from whatever brought on the attack, the allergy trigger. Allergic asthma is the most frequent form of the disease. More than 50% of the asthmatic people suffer from allergic asthma. People need to discuss all clinical advice, diagnosis, and treatment with their health care provider. People also need to ask their doctor for a thorough treatment plan. If the asthmatic treatment plan is unclear, people need to ask for an explanation. There are various over the counter asthma treatments, but people should always make sure they talk to their doctor before self-treating.

• Janny Raines
• 16/01/2009, 2:59 AM
• 0 Comments