Bronchial Asthma

Asthma, also called bronchial asthma, is a disease that affects your lungs. It’s a chronic (ongoing) condition, meaning it doesn’t go away and needs ongoing medical management.

Asthma affects more than 25 million people in the U.S. currently. This total includes more than 5 million children. Asthma can be life-threatening if you don’t get treatment.

What is an asthma attack?

When you breathe normally, muscles around your airways are relaxed, letting air move easily and quietly. During an asthma attack, three things can happen:

Bronchospasm: The muscles around the airways constrict (tighten). When they tighten, it makes your airways narrow. Air cannot flow freely through constricted airways.

Inflammation: The lining of your airways becomes swollen. Swollen airways don’t let as much air in or out of your lungs.

Mucus production: During the attack, your body creates more mucus. This thick mucus clogs airways.

When your airways get tighter, you make a sound called wheezing when you breathe, a noise your airways make when you breathe out. You might also hear an asthma attack called an exacerbation or a flare-up. It’s the term for when your asthma isn’t controlled.

What types of asthma are there?

Asthma is broken down into types based on the cause and the severity of symptoms. Healthcare providers identify asthma as:

Intermittent: This type of asthma comes and goes so you can feel normal in between asthma flares.

Persistent: Persistent asthma means you have symptoms much of the time. Symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe. Healthcare providers base asthma severity on how often you have symptoms. They also consider how well you can do things during an attack.

Asthma has multiple causes:

Allergic: Some people’s allergies can cause an asthma attack. Allergens include things like molds, pollens and pet dander.

Non-allergic: Outside factors can cause asthma to flare up. Exercise, stress, illness and weather may cause a flare.

Asthma can also be:

Adult-onset: This type of asthma starts after the age of 18.

Pediatric: Also called childhood asthma, this type of asthma often begins before the age of 5, and can occur in infants and toddlers. Children may outgrow asthma. You should make sure that you discuss it with your provider before you decide whether your child needs to have an inhaler available in case they have an asthma attack. Your child’s healthcare provider can help you understand the risks.

In addition, there are these types of asthma:

Exercise-induced asthma: This type is triggered by exercise and is also called exercise-induced bronchospasm.

Occupational asthma: This type of asthma happens primarily to people who work around irritating substances.

Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS): This type happens when you have both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Both diseases make it difficult to breathe.

Who can get asthma?

Anyone can develop asthma at any age. People with allergies or people exposed to tobacco smoke are more likely to develop asthma. This includes secondhand smoke (exposure to someone else who is smoking) and thirdhand smoke (exposure to clothing or surfaces in places where some has smoked).

Statistics show that people assigned female at birth tend to have asthma more than people assigned male at birth. Asthma affects Black people more frequently than other races.

Symptoms and Causes

What causes asthma?

Researchers don’t know why some people have asthma while others don’t. But certain factors present a higher risk:

Allergies: Having allergies can raise your risk of developing asthma.

Environmental factors: People can develop asthma after exposure to things that irritate the airways. These substances include allergens, toxins, fumes and second- or third-hand smoke. These can be especially harmful to infants and young children whose immune systems haven’t finished developing.

Genetics: If your family has a history of asthma or allergic diseases, you have a higher risk of developing the disease.

Respiratory infections: Certain respiratory infections, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), can damage young children’s developing lungs.

What are common asthma attack triggers?

You can have an asthma attack if you come in contact with substances that irritate you. Healthcare providers call these substances “triggers.” Knowing what triggers your asthma makes it easier to avoid asthma attacks.

For some people, a trigger can bring on an attack right away. For other people, or at other times, an attack may start hours or days later.

Triggers can be different for each person. But some common triggers include:

Air pollution: Many things outside can cause an asthma attack. Air pollution includes factory emissions, car exhaust, wildfire smoke and more.

Dust mites: You can’t see these bugs, but they are in our homes. If you have a dust mite allergy, this can cause an asthma attack.

Exercise: For some people, exercising can cause an attack.

Mold: Damp places can spawn mold, which can cause problems if you have asthma. You don’t even have to be allergic to mold to have an attack.

Pests: Cockroaches, mice and other household pests can cause asthma attacks.

Pets: Your pets can cause asthma attacks. If you’re allergic to pet dander (dried skin flakes), breathing in the dander can irritate your airways.

Tobacco smoke: If you or someone in your home smokes, you have a higher risk of developing asthma. You should never smoke in enclosed places like the car or home, and the best solution is to quit smoking. Your provider can help.

Strong chemicals or smells. These things can trigger attacks in some people.

Certain occupational exposures. You can be exposed to many things at your job, including cleaning products, dust from flour or wood, or other chemicals. These can all be triggers if you have asthma.

What are the signs and symptoms of asthma?

People with asthma usually have obvious symptoms. These signs and symptoms resemble many respiratory infections:

Chest tightness, pain or pressure.

Coughing (especially at night).

Shortness of breath.

Wheezing.

With asthma, you may not have all of these symptoms with every flare. You can have different symptoms and signs at different times with chronic asthma. Also, symptoms can change between asthma attacks.

Diagnosis and Tests

How do healthcare providers diagnose asthma?

Your healthcare provider will review your medical history, including information about your parents and siblings. Your provider will also ask you about your symptoms. Your provider will need to know any history of allergies, eczema (a bumpy rash caused by allergies) and other lung diseases.

Your provider may order spirometry. This test measures airflow through your lungs and is used to diagnose and monitor your progress with treatment. Your healthcare provider may order a chest X-ray, blood test or skin test.

Management and Treatment

What asthma treatment options are there?

You have options to help manage your asthma. Your healthcare provider may prescribe medications to control symptoms. These include:

Bronchodilators: These medicines relax the muscles around your airways. The relaxed muscles let the airways move air. They also let mucus move more easily through the airways. These medicines relieve your symptoms when they happen and are used for intermittent and chronic asthma.

Anti-inflammatory medicines: These medicines reduce swelling and mucus production in your airways. They make it easier for air to enter and exit your lungs. Your healthcare provider may prescribe them to take every day to control or prevent your symptoms of chronic asthma.

Biologic therapies for asthma: These are used for severe asthma when symptoms persist despite proper inhaler therapy.

You can take asthma medicines in several different ways. You may breathe in the medicines using a metered-dose inhaler, nebulizer or another type of asthma inhaler. Your healthcare provider may prescribe oral medications that you swallow.

What is asthma control?

The goal of asthma treatment is to control symptoms. Asthma control means you:

Can do the things you want to do at work and home.

Have no (or minimal) asthma symptoms.

Rarely need to use your reliever medicine (rescue inhaler).

Sleep without asthma interrupting your rest.

How do you monitor asthma symptoms?

You should keep track of your asthma symptom. It’s an important piece of managing the disease. Your healthcare provider may ask to use a peak flow (PF) meter. This device measures how fast you can blow air out of your lungs. It can help your provider make adjustments to your medication. It also tells you if your symptoms are getting worse.

What should I do if I have a severe asthma attack?

If you have a severe asthma attack, you need to get immediate medical care.

The first thing you should do is use your rescue inhaler. A rescue inhaler uses fast-acting medicines to open up your airways. It’s different than a maintenance inhaler, which you use every day. You should use the rescue inhaler when symptoms are bothering you and you can use it more frequently if your flare is severe.

If your rescue inhaler doesn’t help or you don’t have it with you, go to the emergency department if you have:

Anxiety or panic.

Bluish fingernails, bluish lips (in light-skinned people) or gray or whitish lips or gums (in dark-skinned people).

Chest pain or pressure.

Coughing that won’t stop or severe wheezing when you breathe.

Difficulty talking.

Pale, sweaty face.

Very quick or rapid breathing.

Oxygen concentrators play a limited role in the management of asthma. Asthma is primarily a condition characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the airways, leading to symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness. While supplemental oxygen therapy can be beneficial in certain severe cases of asthma exacerbation, it is not typically a first-line treatment for asthma management.

Here’s how oxygen concentrators may be used in asthma:

Severe Asthma Exacerbations: In some severe cases of asthma exacerbation, where there is a significant decrease in oxygen saturation levels in the blood (hypoxemia), supplemental oxygen therapy may be necessary to ensure adequate oxygen supply to the body’s tissues and organs, including the brain and heart. Oxygen concentrators can be used to deliver a controlled flow of oxygen to the patient.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Asthma Overlap: Some patients with severe asthma may also have features of COPD, a condition often characterized by airflow limitation and chronic respiratory symptoms. In such cases, supplemental oxygen therapy may be prescribed to manage hypoxemia and improve overall oxygenation.

Home Oxygen Therapy: In rare cases where severe asthma is complicated by chronic hypoxemia, long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) may be prescribed. Oxygen concentrators can be used as part of home oxygen therapy to provide continuous oxygen supplementation to improve oxygen levels in the blood and alleviate symptoms of hypoxemia.

It’s important to note that while supplemental oxygen therapy can be beneficial in certain situations, it does not address the underlying inflammation and airway constriction characteristic of asthma. Therefore, oxygen therapy is typically used adjunctively with other asthma treatments, such as inhaled bronchodilators (e.g., short-acting beta-agonists and long-acting beta-agonists) and corticosteroids, to effectively manage asthma symptoms and prevent exacerbations.

Patients with asthma should work closely with their healthcare providers to develop a comprehensive asthma management plan tailored to their individual needs, which may or may not include the use of oxygen therapy depending on the severity and nature of their condition.

Emerdepot supplies a range of oxygen-related products, including oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders, oxygen masks, nasal cannulas, and other respiratory equipment. These supplies are vital for individuals who require supplemental oxygen therapy due to various medical conditions, including asthma exacerbations, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, and respiratory failure.

Here’s how some of these oxygen supplies are commonly used in asthma management:

Oxygen Concentrators: These devices extract oxygen from ambient air and deliver it to the patient through a nasal cannula or oxygen mask. Oxygen concentrators are commonly used for long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) in individuals with severe asthma or asthma overlap syndrome with COPD.

Oxygen Cylinders: Portable oxygen cylinders contain compressed oxygen gas and are useful for providing oxygen therapy to patients who require mobility or during emergencies, such as severe asthma attacks or when power sources for oxygen concentrators are unavailable.

Oxygen Masks and Nasal Cannulas: These devices are used to deliver oxygen from oxygen concentrators or cylinders to the patient’s airways. Oxygen masks cover the nose and mouth and are often used in acute settings, such as hospitals, during severe asthma exacerbations. Nasal cannulas are more commonly used for long-term oxygen therapy and deliver oxygen directly into the nostrils.

Oxygen Regulators and Flowmeters: These devices control the flow rate of oxygen delivered from the oxygen source (concentrator or cylinder) to ensure the patient receives the prescribed amount of oxygen.

Oxygen Tubing: Flexible tubing connects the oxygen source to the oxygen delivery device (mask or nasal cannula) and allows for the transport of oxygen from the source to the patient.

For individuals with asthma, having access to these oxygen supplies can be crucial during asthma exacerbations or in cases where oxygen therapy is prescribed as part of their management plan. It’s essential for patients to have access to reliable oxygen supplies and to work closely with healthcare providers to ensure proper usage and management of their condition.

Explore top-notch asthma supplies with Emerdepot. From inhalers to nebulizers, our extensive selection ensures reliable asthma management and enhanced respiratory care.