The American Lung Association has named October as Healthy Lung Month. One of the more common lung diseases is asthma, which affects over 17 million Americans. And the numbers seem to be on the rise.
However, despite the increase in people diagnosed with asthma, many myths about the disease exist. Because the disease is so misunderstood, a diagnosis can be frightening and confusing.
Very basically, asthma is a chronic inflammation of the airways to the lungs. The narrowed airways can cause shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing and a feeling of tightness in the chest. Left untreated, asthma can progress and lead to hospitalization.
One of the big variables associated with asthma is what causes the inflammation. There could be many causes including an allergic reaction to one or a number of allergens, exercise or it symptoms may present themselves when someone is sick with a cold or flu. Because of this diagnosing asthma properly can be difficult.
If your primary care doctors suspects that asthma is at the root of your problems, she will most likely refer you to a specialist. This may be an asthma/allergy specialist who will help you determine what triggers your asthma and how to deal with it. The specialist will run tests to determine lung function, test for allergies and in some cases may conduct an endoscopic exam of the lungs. During an endocscopic exam, a small, lighted tube with a camera on the end is gently glided into the airways so the doctor can see inside.
Once the diagnosis is made, treatment centers on reducing the inflammation in the lungs. There are many effective medications to control the inflammation called anti-inflammatory medicines. Though some of these medications are steroids, the inhaled versions are very safe, with little side effects. Recent studies show that inhaled steroids, or corticosteroids, are safe and are not found to stunt children's growth. Which medicine you take will be determined by your doctor and herein lies another variable. The type and dose of medicine prescribed is different for every patient. For this reason, it is important to have a good line of communication with your doctor so that you can both track your progress. Also, it is important to continue taking your anti-inflammatory medications according to your doctor's instructions even if you don't have any asthma symptoms.
The second component to treating asthma is to control asthma attacks, or a sudden onset of coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath. For this, your doctor will prescribe medications that will open or dilate your airways to restore free breathing. While these bronchodilators are very effective, they do not address the underlying, chronic inflammation of the lungs.
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