Worldwide, 300 million are afflicted with asthma, and it kills 255,000 people a year. In America, 26 million people have asthma -- 7 million of them are children. Three-fifths of all cases are thought to be hereditary. It is the most common long-term childhood disease, and asthma accounts for about 2 million emergency room visits a year.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that narrows and obstructs airways in the lungs. This narrowing can lead to wheezing, or whistling, in and out of the lungs. Other symptoms are chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing at night or early morning, and increased mucous production.
This inflammation makes airways swollen and sensitive. They may react strongly to offensive, inhaled substances, causing the muscles around the airways to constrict. This narrows airways, restricting airflow to the lungs. Cells in the airways create more mucous, and this creates a chain reaction of further restricting airways that could lead to a person having a panic attack because of breathing problems. If there is coughing, shortness of breath, trouble breathing or chest tightness, pain or pressure, get medical help right away. This is a full-blown asthma attack that mandates emergency measures because it could be fatal.
The cause of asthma is not well understood. Genetic and environmental factors both may come into play. What is known is that there are certain respiratory infections in childhood, parents who have asthma, an inherited tendency toward allergies, and exposure to some kinds of viral infections in childhood while the immune system still developed.
Another theory from researchers posits that the Western influence of “clean, clean, clean” is a radical change to our living conditions. Overall, childhood infections have declined, and many kids don’t have as much environmental exposure as in the past. This affects infants’ and children’s immune-system development and may increase the risk of asthma, especially for kids who have close family members with the condition.
Five Things Making Your Asthma Worse: Symptom Triggers
1. Allergens – Dust and dander from animal and pet fur not only accumulates on your floors, but also floats in the air. Check out your ceiling fans lately? The ever-sneaky dust mite is probably chewing on your dander as we speak. Ever notice how thick the pollen can be on your car? Not only are the trees blooming, but also the grass and flower spores are in bloom. Think how much of that material accumulates on your shoes, clothes and hair. Allergens also include cockroaches and other insects, rodents and their droppings, mold from inside and outside of the domicile.
2. Irritants – Americans spend 90 percent of our time indoors. Well, most of us, at least. We are all familiar with indoor irritants, the ones we shouldn’t have indoors but do, like cigarette, cigar or pipe smoking. But there are others that we don’t give a thought to until they enter our poor, frazzled lungs. A few of these self-induced irritants include strong perfumes, cleaning solutions, hair sprays, chemicals or dust in the workplace, compounds in home décor products, and chimneys or wood-burning stoves.
3. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD) – Seventy percent of asthma sufferers have GERD, which is the backing up, or reflux, of stomach acid through the esophagus. Weight loss may help control or cure GERD. Smaller meals, decreasing alcohol consumption and caffeine, and avoiding eating meals less than two hours before bedtime should help avoid GERD.
4. Upper respiratory infections like flus and colds – Asthma is more difficult to control with a runny nose, sinus infections or reflux disease.
5. Food allergies – Though only 2 percent of adults have food allergies, for instance to shellfish, peanuts or eggs, an anaphylactic shock or attack requires immediate asthma meds and medical attention to keep airways open. Another common food allergy is to sulfites used as a preservative in various foods such as canned foods, dried fruits, processed and preserved foods and wine, among others.
Other Possible Factors
With an “overweight” body mass index (BMI, or body fat as compared with body mass) of 25 to 30, nearly 40 percent of sufferers are more likely to have asthma. With a BMI of greater than 30, “obese” by medical standards, the likelihood of severe asthma increases 100 percent.
It was also found that people who self-reported consuming high-calorie diets were more likely to be obese and experience more severe asthma, leading to a higher incidence of prescription medications and more sick days.
In another study, the incidence of asthma was higher in a population of boys who had a poorer diet and poorer lung function. They ate a diet lower in fresh fruits and vegetables. The other group that was studied were Mediterranean boys who had a diet high in fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. Incidents of asthma were markedly lower.
If you are exposed to tobacco smoke, you are at a higher risk of an asthma attack as well as an increased risk of death due to asthma, wheezing or respiratory infections. Infants are at risk for low birth weight, allergies, atopic eczema – a possible symptom of asthma -- and premature births to mothers who either smoked or were exposed to tobacco smoke while pregnant. Also, babies born by Caesarean section had a 20 percent higher asthma risk than other babies. Infants who develop asthma probably face a future of more severe and chronic asthma as adults than others.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee is correct in saying that asthma is nothing to wheeze at. With more than a quarter of a million deaths a year worldwide from this “wheeze-disease,” and 300 million lungs affected a year, millions of dollars in healthcare are spent to combat this insidious disease. If you find yourself having a hard time drawing a breath or keeping up with yourself, see a doctor. Asthma is an equal opportunity disorder.