Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the respiratory systems of over 30 million people just in the United States. Because the underlying cause of the condition remains unknown, we have so far only been able to treat its symptoms.

What Are The Symptoms of Asthma?

Most asthma sufferers have painful or labored breathing, cough due to irritation or mucus accumulation, and wheeze due to narrowed airways. These symptoms occur because of three kinds of changes in the respiratory system:

• Constriction of airway muscles
• Inflammation of airways
• Increased mucus production

Asthma symptoms occur when an environmental stimulus (smoke, aerosols, pet dander, cold air, etc) triggers the immune system to respond. Normally, the immune system will detect such chemicals but won’t react. Asthmatics, on the other hand, have an over-reactive immune system that when stimulated, causes harmful changes in the respiratory system in an attempt to protect itself from what it believes is harmful.

Asthma or Bronchitis?

Because asthma symptoms are very similar, if not identical, to many other respiratory maladies (such as bronchitis, emphysema, and hay fever) it can often be misdiagnosed. Many asthmatics don’t know they have asthma for several years after first experiencing symptoms.

To determine whether someone has asthma, doctors use a combination of laboratory tests, family medical history, and presentation of symptoms. The follow tests are often used to diagnose asthma:

• Spirometry: A spirometer is used to evaluate lung function, which is determined by a) how much air the lungs can bring in, hold, and expel and b) how quickly the lungs can inhale or exhale that air. Having asthma markedly decreases both of these values. The progression of asthma can also be monitored via spirometry, as these values can change with treatment.

• Chest X-rays: Lung function can also be affected by the presence of mucus in the lungs and upper respiratory airways. Chest X-rays allow doctors to visualize how much mucus is deposited in the respiratory system.

• Blood Tests: The most important function of the lungs is to exchange carbon dioxide in the blood for oxygen in the air. Therefore another way to test lung function is to test the amount of oxygen in the blood. Decreased blood-oxygen levels can suggest decreased lung function.

Current Treatment Options

There is currently no cure for asthma. Instead, doctors must prescribe medications based the symptoms of asthma. Most medications focus on decreasing inflammation and airway constriction by attempting to calm the immune system. This can be achieved with chemicals like antihistamine, mast cell stabilizers, and bronchodilators. Certain foods also have anti-inflammatory activity, such as berries, soy products, and green tea.

Perhaps the most effective way to manage asthma is through prevention – that is, identifying and avoiding things that trigger an asthma attack. There is a huge variety of things that can trigger an attack, including – but not limited to – food allergies, smoke, aerosols, exercise, cold air, and pollen.

By identifying and avoiding these stimuli, treating symptoms as needed, and maintaining a healthy diet, asthma doesn’t have to be debilitating.

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