Asthma Important Characteristics

Once the asthma attack starts the lack of air and shortness of breath the asthma sufferer feels must be one of the worst experiences someone can experiment, as oxygen is our vital lifeline that keeps the body functioning. The lack of this vital gas in our body, even for short periods of time can have devastating consequences. The lack of oxygen affects the brain in just a few minutes and a continuos lack of this gas can cause an irreversible damage in the brain after just five minutes. An asthma attack is similar to living on the edge constantly, with just the minimum amount of oxygen needed to survive.

Asthma is an extended disease that affects the respiratory system of the individual, in which the airways constrict, become inflamed, and there are excessive amounts of mucus, often in response to a number of "triggers," for example, exposure to an environmental allergen, cold air, exercise, or even emotional stress. In children, the most common triggers are viral illnesses such as those that cause the common cold. This airway narrowing causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing, which fortunately respond to substances known as bronchodilators. Though this condition may become chronic, between episodes, most patients feel in good shape.

As mentioned above, this disorder is a chronic or recurring inflammatory condition in which the airways develop increased responsiveness to various stimuli, characterized by bronchial hyper-responsiveness, increased mucus production, inflammation, and intermittent airway obstruction. The symptoms of asthma have different degrees of gravity and can range from mild to even life threatening symptoms in the worst conditions, thankfully these symptoms can usually be controlled with a combination of drugs and some environmental changes.

It is important to notice that most public health systems in the developed world have recently focused on asthma because there has been a rapidly increasing prevalence among the population, affecting up to one in four urban children. Susceptibility to asthma doesn't depend only on the environment but it can also be explained in part by genetic factors, though no clear pattern of inheritance has been found.