Diagnosing Asthma - The Common Inheritance

Are you one of many who suffer from asthma each year? Statistic say more than 400,000 Americans are hospitalized due to asthma complications each year with 5,000 of them being fatal. What is asthma? Asthma is a chronic condition that happens when the primary air passages of the lungs known as the bronchial tubes, become inflamed. The bronchial wall's muscles tighten and produce mucus, causing the airways to restrict or narrow. This condition leads to minor wheezing to extreme difficulty in breathing. Fortunately, asthma is a treatable disease with most deaths being preventable. Due to the latest advances in technology and treatment, many people with asthma live healthy lives.

People with a family history to asthma are more likely than others to develop the disease. Also people to experience high sensitivity to allergens and other environmental changes are at higher risk. Once the bronchial tubes become inflamed, it makes the air passages more sensitive to many environmental triggers. Asthma is not popular to any age group. However, most people with asthma below age 30 experience allergies that often trigger asthma. Allergy symptoms to airborne particles are common with people over the age 30. Older people with asthma usually don't suffer from upper respiratory allergies, but instead react to the exposure to irritants such as smoke, cold air and sometime stress. The number of asthma cases has been on the rise. Statistics say this is particularly true for those living in cities. Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children being most common in boys. Once children reach puberty, asthma becomes more common in females.

If you or your child experience wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, pain or tightening in the chest without flu symptoms, see your doctor. Because the symptoms of asthma are similar to any number of lung conditions, diagnosing asthma can be difficult. Diagnosing asthma begins with a physical exam, along with a complete medical history. It is also very common to be given a pulmonary function test, which measure the amount of air that moves in and out with each breathe. You will also be given a peak flow meter, which measures the rate at which you expel breathe. This common lung function test can be used at home to help patients detect airway obstructions before an asthma attack occur. Often, lung function tests will continue after taking medications used to open the airways, known as bronchodilators. If these medications cause your lung functions to improve, a diagnosis of asthma is likely.