Signs and Symptoms of Acute Asthma Attack

Are you finding it difficult to breathe at night and still wondering whether you have developed asthma symptoms or not? Asthma is of two types: intrinsic asthma (that happens during childhood) and extrinsic asthma (that triggers all of a sudden in your adulthood due to external factors). Here is how you can recognise each of them:

• 
  Wheezing: Asthma patients start wheezing heavily before breathlessness overtakes them. Wheezing, generally, constitutes a whooshing sound coming out from the mouth of the person, who is likely to get an attack within the next couple of minutes. Wheezing should alert you right away as it is the primary indication of an asthma attack. Some people also complain of an itchy nose or eczema around the nasal area, which happens when you are exposed to highly allergic pollen or dust.
• Most people feel anxious and sweaty just before an asthma attack. Sweaty forehead, neck, back and palms along with restlessness in the chest are signs that you must look out for.
• Formation of phlegm despite of you not having cold or viral is also a sign and symptom of an acute asthma attack. Asthma attacks usually happen when the chest congestion restricts the airway from a smooth breathing pattern leading to shorter and quicker breaths. Most often, symptoms such as cough and wheezing are more prominent at night. This is also called Nocturnal Asthma.
• During an asthma attack, the respiratory system undergoes an internal inflammation leading to the narrowing of the airway passage. During this time, another recognisable sign of an asthma attack is the formation of mucous in the mouth. It is usually thick and the cause of a dry throat.
• Chest pain and dropping of pressure is another symptom along with tightening of chest and neck muscles. These are called retractions.
• You will feel a difficulty in talking as every time you try to open your mouth, you will want to take a breath of air to release the discomfort that is being suppressed inside you.
• Look out for your finger nails! If they are blue, your blood vessels are not getting the sufficient amount of oxygen supply. This suggests the need for an urgent medical attention.
• Your lips will feel dry and turn blue. Shaking hands and getting cold feet are other symptoms of asthma that you must watch out for.

Prevent an asthma emergency in the middle of the night or while you are walking on the road. The sooner you recognise the symptoms and signs of asthma, the sooner your medication will be effective in healing. Keep your doctor’s number handy and start working on your asthma action plan!

Read more »

Causes of Bronchial Asthma in Acute Exacerbation

Chronic asthma attack or bronchial asthma acute exacerbation is a situation when the bronchial tubes present in the lungs constrict and swell up making the air passage narrower thereby, leading to a difficulty in breathing. In such a case, a person can enter a state of fright and lead to spasms and even death. Triggered by smoke, dust, pollen or animal hair, toxins present in the environment, strenuous physical activity and anxiety, the first asthma symptom of this condition is wheezing.

The person, in case of bronchial asthma in acute exacerbation, will try to take in more oxygen into the lungs while experiencing wheezing that stays for a long period. Panicking makes it worse and can lead to choking and death. Bronchial asthma in acute exacerbation has been categorised into four stages:

• The “symptom causing stage” or mild asthma: In this stage, the person experiences minor breathing attacks along with wheezing. An inhaler can prevent this from happening.
• Mild persistent asthma attack. In this stage, the person experiences minor attacks, but frequent ones over a short period of time.
• Moderate persistent asthma attack. The attacks in this case are intense and are the worst kind that an asthmatic patient goes through. In this stage, oxygen supply to the patient is a must. Nasal spikes should be provided to the person immediately to ensure that the oxygen saturation in the blood is more than 90 percent.

Now that we know the asthma causes in acute exacerbation and its types, you must be wondering how one detects the type of asthma attack that he or she has. If you are hit by bronchial asthma in acute exacerbation, you will not be able to utter an entire sentence in one breath. The breathing pattern, usually, would be 20 to 25 breaths per minute. As the intensity increases, the blood pressure and the pulse rate will drop considerably thereby, leading to exhaustion.

The person should also be given at least six to ten puffs of salbutamol within one to two hours. He or she should be checked again after an hour following the dosage. If the person shows very slow progress or signs of persistent exhaustion, he/she should be put on a ventilator. Further delay will cause unwarranted lung inflammation and the person will not be able to exhale any more. The doctors must avoid high positive pressure on ventilation as there is a risk of barotraumas to the lungs.

Prevention of Asthma, as with any other problem, is better than cure and therefore, people suffering from such a chronic asthma attack should avoid dusty places and other factors that they know will cause damage to their lungs. Carry your inhaler with you at all times and keep it handy. Stay safe!

Read more »

Asthma Symptoms in Children

It is emotionally hard to see little children suffer the trauma of asthma at a tender age. Asthma has been a rising cause of worry among many families, people and doctors all over the world as the causes and symptoms of the disease are increasingly getting worse. Most people even fail to realise that they are victims of the disease. Here is an easy guide that discusses few indicators of asthma symptoms in children:

• Initially, children unknowingly expose themselves to dust and dirt in the playground. If your child feels excessively sweaty in winter while feeling tightness in the chest, it is time you take your child to an asthma specialist and get him or her checked.
• If the child wheezes often at night or early morning, it might be an asthma symptom. If the child has climbed a few stairs or has run around for a short while only to feel severe breathlessness, it may be a case of bronchial asthma, which is a chronic case of asthma. The texture of the cough is often dry and thick. Wheezing is more prominent in sound when the child breathes out.
• Some children have narrow and constricted airways right from their birth, which genetically makes them asthmatics. These children have problems of sinusitis and often complain of cough and phlegm formation in their chest. This is the most prominent symptom of asthma and parents should get their children immediate medical help upon diagnosis. Doctors can detect asthmatic symptoms in new born children and help parents take suitable steps to keep their child’s asthma under control.
• If your child starts sneezing continuously upon seeing your neighbour’s pet dog or cat, he or she may be suffering from allergy induced asthma. The child may also be repellant from pollen, certain kinds of food items such as prawns and other environmental conditions such as smoke, pollution and extreme weather conditions.
• If your family history has cases of asthma patients, your child is even more vulnerable to be hit by the disease.

At times, it gets difficult to detect asthmatic conditions in infants, teenagers and toddlers and with a deteriorating weather condition, one must always opt for health checkups from time to time. Children should not be exposed to harsh weather conditions such as cold and rain when the temperature fluctuates drastically and does not give the body enough time to adjust to the temperature outside.

Read more »

How to use inhaler for asthma

An inhaler used by people suffering from asthma symptoms is a pressurised cylinder, usually, as big as the distance between your index finger and thumb. This has a pump-like function along with a bottle of medication inserted at one end. The other end is fitted inside the mouth with one pump releasing a certain amount of dosage into the airways that reach the lungs. This involves a certain technique and people, who find it difficult to use the inhaler efficiently, cannot reap its benefits. This acts as a great respite for people suffering from respiratory and obstructive pulmonary problems. The inhaler comes in extremely handy and can be carried at all times. Here is an easy guide for you to use your inhaler optimally!

• Shake the inhaler five to six times before use. Remove the cap of the inhaler and hold it upright.
• Incline your head slightly backwards and take a deep breath. Exhale.
• Most inhalers have a spacer that is meant to be used by children. You can use it too if you feel more comfortable that way.
• Open your mouth till the mouthpiece of the inhaler fits in your mouth. There should be no gaps surrounding it, Make sure you hold the inhaler tightly in between your lips. Hold the other end of the inhaler one to two inches away from your mouth.
• Hold the other end of the inhaler with your index finger on top and thumb below. This position will help you pump the inhaler from the top and release the medication directly into your mouth. With each pump, breathe slowly for three to five seconds. Hold your breath after every pump for about ten seconds or as long as you can for the medicine to travel deep enough into your lungs.
• Make sure your tongue is placed in such a way that the medication hits your throat. Swallow the medicine and it will automatically travel through your airway.
• Repeat the exercise until you find relief.

This technique of using an inhaler for asthma is meant to be used for a metered-dose inhaler. If you have been prescribed dry powder capsules, the process will be different. To use a dry powdered inhaler, one has to breathe in quickly after placing the mouthpiece inside the mouth. Ask your doctor for the exact steps.

Usually Controllers and Relievers are the only two inhaler medicines prescribed by doctors- the Controllers being the metered dose inhalers and the Relievers being the dry powder capsules. Some inhalers have inbuilt techniques that help one monitor the dose carefully. For this, you must also keep a track of your refills and usages. Keeping your details handy can inform you about your present condition. This can help in prevention of asthma attacks in future too.

Read more »

Asthma Symptoms in Adults

With the environment undergoing drastic changes, more and more people are getting affected by asthma: a disorder of the respiratory system i.e. lungs. Adults, who have had a good physical history, have started showing prominent asthma symptoms. Identifying such asthma symptoms in adults is therefore, tricky as not many people come to terms with it. For these adults, a little difficulty in breathing would be concluded as one of the symptoms of old age. By referring to an adult, it is someone above 20 years of age. If you have been diagnosed with asthma post 20s, it is most likely to have been allergy induced. As we grow older, the capacity of our lungs reduces considerably thereby, leading to the onset of adult asthmatic conditions.

These are certain asthma symptoms in adults:

• Coughing and formation of thick phlegm that gets worse as the night falls.
• Short and repetitive breathing patterns.  
• Increase in palpitation of the heart.
• Sweating.
• Extremely dry and an itchy throat.
• Inflammation in the airways and the bronchia.
• Wheezing sound during attacks.

Asthma symptoms in adults that develop at a later stage in life are known as an occupational disease because of over exposure to heat and dust. Therefore, adults are more likely to confuse the symptoms with other diseases and, sometimes, even ignore it. People, who are involved in welding, professional baking, carpentering and farming, have at least 60 percent probability of suffering from occupational asthma. One must visit the doctor if two or more symptoms persist for a noticeable period of time. Avoid self medication in such cases. Most people try different cough syrups at night. If it does not help, it is time for you to take this seriously and consult a doctor. Quit smoking if you have been smoking regularly.

Women, who have hormonal changes or reach menopause, are also prone to asthma. Most women take estrogen supplements post their menopause. Taking this for more than five to ten years increases their chances of getting an asthma attack by 50 percent. Adults, who are allergic to dogs and cats, also develop chronic asthma attacks in the later stages of their life.

Your doctor will detect the onset of adult asthma by discussing your medical history in detail. Analyzing your breathing patterns and taking a proper lung-function test or Spirometer test will tell you how fast you empty your lungs at one round of inhale-exhale. A chest x-ray is followed by this and further diagnosis is made on the basis of the x-ray. Treatments such as inhalers, anti-inflammatory, bronchodilators, muscle relaxants and drugs as such are prescribed to keep asthma under check. Monitoring the symptoms is an important part of asthma. Therefore, get your action plan ready! If you lead a cautious life, asthma attacks cannot stop you from leading a healthy lifestyle!

Read more »

Exercises for Asthma Treatment

Asthmatic patients cannot go for rigorous exercise routines or join a gymnasium because an increase in palpitation while exercising can cause heavy breathing and consequently, lead to an asthma attack. If you wish to take a positive approach towards a healthier lifestyle, here are a few exercises for asthma treatment that can be done indoors. Apart from that, if you are a chronic asthmatic patient, it is always better to consult your doctor and seek an approval for the same:

• Do not stop taking medication. Your line of treatment may make some space for exercises, but the medications should not be stopped at any cost. Exercise slowly and limit your routine from five to ten minutes a day in the beginning. Furthermore, do not try heavy weight exercises.
• Carry your inhaler along with a bottle of water at all times.
• You may indulge in wrestling, baseball, volleyball that allows exertion for short periods of time. Gymnasium is also a great way of exercising and losing a few extra pounds especially for asthmatics.
• Do not try playing soccer, cardio exercises or field hockey as they may cause momentary breathlessness.
• Give yourself sufficient rest after every ten to fifteen minutes. Have water and study your breathing patterns.
• Swimming is a great way to exercise and it is prescribed by healthcare practitioners as a remedy to cure asthma attacks. Swimming helps one to control heavy breathing and relaxes the muscles after one completes each lap.
• Asthma patients can also explore walking or indoor biking. Indoor biking will enhance your pulse rate while you can keep a check on your breathing patterns. If it gets heavier, pull the brakes. Biking, if done at a medium pace, can be continued for thirty minutes at a stretch.
• Before exercising, warm your body up. The muscles should not feel stretched too early. Use a pre-exercising inhaler before you begin your exercise routine. These are available in the medical stores and are medically known as inhaled bronchodilators.
• Make sure you give enough time to your body to cool down post the exercising routine. Rushing to work right after exercise or rushing for your swimming class right after work can cause considerable exhaustion thereby, making you more tired than you usually get!
• Do not exercise in cold climate. If you catch cold or viral infection, the asthmatic condition will intensify and create more phlegm in your chest. You might, in such a case, experience frequent chest constrictions and breathing difficulties, especially at night.
• Even yoga is considered to be one of the best therapeutic treatments for curing asthma.

If you feel the probability of an asthma attack while you are exercising, stop immediately. Return to the exercise routine only if you are comfortable.

Read more »

12 Natural Remedies for Asthma

Asthma is a common disease which affects the airways of the people. Airways carry air to and from the lungs. When the walls of the airways get inflamed or swollen it becomes narrower and allows the less amount of air to pass through it. This will cause a wheezing sound and chest tightness. The person will experience difficulty in breathing and also starts to cough. The symptoms of asthma will be more visible during night and during early morning. Inflammation of the bronchial tubes or airways cause increased production of sticky mucus.  Some people may not show the symptoms for extended periods and some people will have the symptoms every day.

The Causes Of Asthma

The real cause of asthma is not known. It is believed that heredity has a great role in the expression of asthma in people. Allergies also are an important reason for the asthma. Some of the major triggers for asthma attack are
•    Allergies to dust, smoke and pollen
•    Sinusitis
•    Exercise
•    Food allergies caused by wheat, eggs, soy, shellfish, etc
•    Smoking
•    Heartburn
•    Respiratory tract infections
•    Certain medications like aspirin

Symptoms Of Asthma

Asthma attacks can last for a few minutes to days.
The important symptoms include
•    Cough with or without sputum production
•    Chest tightness
•    Shortness of breath which becomes worse after exercise or any other activity.
•    Wheezing which becomes worse during night and gets better  by using bronchodialators
The Emergency Symptoms Of Asthma Include
•    Blue lips, face or nails
•    Drowsiness or confusion
•    Extreme difficulty in breathing
•    Increased pulse
•    Breathing get stopped temporarily
•    Chest pain
It is possible to control the frequency and severity of asthma episodes with proper medicines. The natural home remedies are also capable of relieving the symptoms of asthma.
The following are some of the home remedies that you can try to get rid of symptoms associated with asthma.

1. Eucalyptus Oil

Pure eucalyptus oil is found to be a very effective natural remedy to treat asthma problems. It has medicinal properties that will help in clearing blocked nose and lungs and also reduce mucus and phlegm formation in the nose and the throat.

•   Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil in a paper towel or a cotton handkerchief and keep it close to your head when you are sleeping at night. You will be able to breathe the aroma of the oil all through the night and this will help you to get sound sleep.
•   You can also consider taking eucalyptus oil steam therapy. Add three to four drops of pure eucalyptus oil in a bowl of water and bring this water to boil. Now, breathe the steam coming out of the bowl by covering your head with cotton towel. Repeat this several times a day to get good relief from asthma symptoms.

2. Mustard Oil

If you are suffering from an asthma attack, you can immediately massage with mustard oil to get relief from breathing problems and to clear the respiratory passages.

•   Add a little bit of camphor in a tablespoon of mustard oil. Heat this oil and then gently massage it on the chest and the upper back.
•   You need to massage for about 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat this process several times a day until you feel relief from asthma symptoms.

3. Ginger

Ginger is a very effective natural home remedy that you can think of for treating asthma ailments.

•   Add one teaspoon of ground ginger in a small cup and add half a cup of water. Mix it well and drink one teaspoon of this mixture every night before going to bed to get relief from asthma at night.
•   Cut a few pieces of ginger and add it in a bowl of water. Boil this water for five minutes. Now cool this water and bring it to room temperature. Drink it twice daily to get effective results.
•   Mix a tablespoon of fresh ginger juice, one tablespoon of honey and two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds in water and leave it overnight.
•   Strain the contents of this solution and drink it every day once in the morning and in the evening to detoxify your lungs.
•   Eating raw ginger by mixing it with a little bit of salt everyday is also an effective remedy to treat asthma problems.

4. Garlic

Garlic is a natural ingredient that will help in clearing lung congestion effectively and thereby will provide you with quick relief from asthma symptoms.

•   Add two to three cloves of garlic in a bowl of water. Boil it and let is steep for about 5 minutes. Now, strain the mixture and allow it to cool to room temperature. Drink this garlic water or tea every day to see a reduction in asthma symptoms.
•   Add 10 to 15 pieces of garlic cloves in half a cup of milk. Boil this for a few minutes and drink it once every day to get relief from asthma symptoms.

5. Figs

Figs is another effective home remedy used to reduce the symptoms of asthma as it helps in reducing breathing difficulties and is also effective in promoting respiratory health. It will work effectively in draining out phlegm.

•   Wash three to four dried figs in water and then soak the in a cup of water overnight.
•   Eat these soaked figs the first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and also drink this fig water.
•   The nutrients in the figs will enter your bloodstream and offer you quick relief from asthma.

6. Onions

Onions are an abundant source of anti-inflammatory properties and are very effective in clearing the constriction of the airways of the people suffering from asthma symptoms. Onions have rich sulfur contents which will help in reducing the lung inflammation.

•   Eat three or four pieces of raw shallots or small onions to clear your blocked airways and to breathe easily.
•   You can also try mixing onions in your regular vegetable salad to get instant relief from blocked lungs.

7. Salmon

Salmon fish is a rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids that will help in treating a free of the asthma symptoms. It will help in reducing lung inflammation as well as reduce the narrowing of the airways. Some of the other fishes that will help in getting rid of the symptoms associated with asthma are:
• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Tuna
• Koi
• Cod

8. Honey

Pure honey is an age old tried and tested home remedy to treat asthma symptoms. It is found to be very effective in reducing asthma symptoms due to the presence of ethereal oils and alcohol.

•   Add a tablespoon of honey in a glass of hot boiling water. Mix it well and sip it slowly everyday on an empty stomach. You can also take it two to three times a day to get relief from asthma symptoms.
•   Inhaling the smell of pure and organic honey will produce a lot of positive results in people suffering from asthma.
•   You can also mix one teaspoon of honey with half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Swallow this mixture before going to bed. It will help in reducing phlegm around your throat and also allow you to sleep better.

9. Lemon

Lemon is another natural home remedy that is used to treat asthma symptoms. Normally, people with asthma will have lower levels of Vitamin C. As lemon is rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants it will easily help in reducing symptoms associated with asthma.

•   Squeeze out the juice of one lemon into a glass of drinking water. Add sugar and mix the ingredients well to get relief from asthma symptoms. You can drink this whenever you suffer from an asthma attack.
•   You can also add a teaspoon of lemon juice with a teaspoon of honey. Mix it well and take this solution every day at night to get good night’s sleep.

10. Coffee

Coffee is an effective ingredient to treat asthma. The caffeine in the coffee will help prevent and control asthma attacks. Drinking hot coffee will help in relaxing your airways and hence you will be able to breathe easily. The stronger the coffee that you drink; the better will be the result.

•   Make sure that you drink a maximum of three cups of black coffee every day. It will help in easing asthma symptoms.
•   But, only limit to three black coffees and not more.
•   You can also drink black tea as a substitute for coffee. But, coffee gives you better results.

11. Gooseberry Powder And Honey

• You can either mix 2 teaspoons of gooseberry powder or use a teaspoon of gooseberry juice in a tablespoon of honey.
• Drink this mixture everyday in the morning for reducing the symptoms associated with asthma.

12. Other Home Remedies

• Drinking ginkgo biloba herbal tea every day in the morning will be effective in reducing asthma symptoms.
• Using mullein oil while preparing an herbal tea is very effective in reducing the congestion in the lungs.
• Shuan Huang Lian is a powerful herb mixture that is used in China to treat respiratory problems.
• Drinking herbal tea made from a teaspoon of chamomile flower, mullein leaves, passionflower leaves and Echinacea root and boiling it in water is very effective to get rid of asthma symptoms.

Do you suffer from asthma attacks regularly? Are you interested to know about a few effective home remedies that you can try out to reduce the symptoms associated with asthma attacks? Well, all you need to do is to try out a combination of the above mentioned home remedies for asthma to see which one works for you effectively.

Read more »

home remedies for asthma

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by a decreased ability to breathe easily. The flow of air in and out of the lungs is obstructed in the airways that carry air to the air sacs deep inside the lung. The larger airways (bronchi), branches into smaller airways (bronchioles), which may be obstructed by tightening of muscles, irritation or swelling in the airways, and accumulation of mucous thereby resulting in asthma. Asthma can either be acute or chronic. Symptoms associated with asthma are coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. 

Common Causes of Asthma 

• • Allergy to pollen, dust mites
• • Air pollution
• • Respiratory infections
• • Non-specific hyperirritability
• • Sulfites in food
• • Certain medications

Home Remedies for Asthma
Tip 1:

Mix 1 tsp honey with ½ tsp cinnamon powder. Consume just before sleeping.

Tip 2:

Boil 8-10 cloves of garlic in ½ cup of milk. Have at night. Good for early stages of asthma.

Tip 3:

Figs are good for draining phlegm. Wash 3-4 dry figs with water. Soak in 1 cup of water. Eat these on an empty stomach and drink the water that the figs were soaked in also. Do not eat anything else for an hour at least. Do this for 2 months.

Tip 4:

Add 1 tsp of honey in very hot water and sip slowly. Take this just before sleeping to remove phlegm from the throat.

Tip 5:

In 1 cup of water soak 1 tspn of Fenugreek seeds overnight. Strain. Add 1 tspn of Ginger juice and 1 tspn of honey to this. This should be taken morning and evening.

Tip 6:

Regular exercise will give you a better health and you may feel cure.

Read more »