Immune Disease- Asthma
Immune Disease- Asthma
The word ‘immunity’ is taken from the Latin word immunitas. The invention of the subject immunity in science happened to explain the fundamentals of microbiology. It is the resisting power of all the multicellular organisms from the harmful pathogens entering into the cells.
Moreover, there are two types of immunity, namely innate or inherited immunity and adaptive immunity. This entire system protects our body from all sorts of infections and disease conditions.
Any recurrent infections of the respiratory tract like the lungs, sinuses, ear, nose, and throat are quite common problems of patients who are referred to an immunologist for treatment. Asthma and other associated respiratory diseases are in link to the immune system and inflammation. It is mainly because our immune system is one of the regulators of asthma. Gradually asthma causes the damage of the lungs, which allows bacteria and viruses to enter into the body, causing other infections. Therefore, this leads to chronic infections in the body and, at the same time, losing the ability of our immune system to fight off.
Asthma is a heath condition that causes the airways to become narrowed. In extreme cases, the airways swell up and result up in producing mucus. It is an inflammatory disease that causes difficulty in breathing. Asthma mostly triggers some effects like coughing, whistling sound while talking or breathing, and shortness of breath (SOB). Asthma is never cured, but with medical treatment and proper guidance, the symptoms reduce. For some individuals, it is a minor issue, but for others, it can be a major health problem.
Signs And Symptoms Of Asthma
Asthma symptoms usually vary from person to person and depend at times on the climatic conditions. Attacks can happen once in a while or frequently all the time.
Symptoms are as follows:
- Shortness of breath (SOB)
- Chest pain
- Trouble during sleeping due to sneezing and coughing
- Coughing and cold caused due to a virus, influenza
- Wheezing while exhaling
For certain people, asthma attacks only occur in specific conditions. They are:
During exercise– the attack is worst when the air becomes cold and dry.
Occupational attacks- irritants of the workplace like chemical fumes, dirt, etc. leads to frequent attacks.
Allergy instigated- caused due to airborne substances like pollen, mold spores, or lizard wastes.
Causes Of Asthma
Not everyone gets asthma. So, the prime reason is probably a combination of environmental and inherited factors when it affects the functionality of your lungs. Some of the common triggers occurring to individuals worsening the symptoms of asthma are:
- Cold and cough
- Severe physical activity
- Intake of cold water
- Chain-smoking
- Stress and tension
- Allergens like pollens, cockroach waste, etc.
- Some medicines like beta-blockers, aspirin, and ibuprofen components
- Preserved agents added for fermentation of foods and beverages
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Prevention And Treatment Of Asthma
- There is no specific treatment for asthma. You can reach out to your pulmonologist to find a stepwise plan for combating the asthma attacks.
- Regular check-ups and taking medications on time is essential to control this ongoing condition.
- Keep yourself updated with all sorts of flu vaccinations to prevent pneumonia in the future.
- Keep measuring your breathing flow always whenever you find difficulty in inhalation or exhalation.
- When peak flow measurements decrease, giving you an alarm of an oncoming attack, immediately take your medications as told by your physician.
- For worst cases, keep an inhaler in hand to stop the situation from going beyond control.
- Homeopathy has excellent treatment for asthma.
