Asthma is a common respiratory condition which can be controlled easily, if the patient receives correct guidance and treatment. If you or a loved one is suffering from Asthma which isn't getting controlled, read on to find out why?
Asthma is a common respiratory condition which leads to symptoms such as breathlessness on exertion, early morning cough, whitish sputum expectoration, chest tightness and noisy breathing which is called wheezing.
In most cases once a person is diagnosed with Asthma, his or her doctor would start them on inhalers and sometimes oral medicines. The symptoms gradually subside and the person is fit to carry out routine activities.
In some patients however, the symptoms persist despite being on treatment. There can be a number of reasons why this might be happening.
Most of these factors are modifiable and so if corrected can improve your Asthma control.
Find out more
1. Are you using your inhaler correctly?
About 80% people don’t use their inhalers correctly and this is one of the most common reasons why patients don’t respond to asthma treatment. It could be because you weren’t explained correctly or because you dint understand the technique. A certain amount of coordination is required while breathing and inhaling the medicine. These days there are a variety of devices available, some which require minimum effort on your part. You can ask your doctor about them. It is a good idea to watch videos on the inhaler technique and follow but please be cautious that the source of video is reliable. Your doctor will be able to confirm.
2. Do you take your medicines regularly?
It is has been researched that around two thirds of the patients don’t take the prescribed dose of their medicine. Some patients reduce the number of times they have to take the inhaler while some take it on a SOS basis. You might be tempted to modify your medicine dose or stop it completely because you feel well or because your neighbors son did a similar thing and is fine now.
Asthma medicines are individualized for every patient. What works for someone else may not work for you. If you face side effects from some of your medicines, contact a healthcare provider to alter your medications.
These medicines are not stopped abruptly, your doctor will reduce the dose gradually.
3. Do you have associated medical conditions?
Sometimes, patients have one or more than one medical condition associated with Asthma. You might be having thyroid disorders, allergic rhinosinusitis, reflux disease, sleep apnea or depression etc. Asthma control is poor unless all medical conditions are adequately controlled. It is prudent to get yourself checked for other symptoms, if any.
4. Are you a smoker?
Smoking causes irritation of the airway lining and can be a strong trigger factor in Asthmatics with already sensitized airways. The airways are lined with cells which have small hair like projections called ‘cilia’. Cilia help in clearing the airways of the mucus and foreign particles. Cigarette smoke causes the lungs to make more mucus than normal. The smoke causes the airway lining with cilia to be damaged As a result, when cilia don't work, mucus and other irritating substances build up in the airways. As a result smokers have more severe symptoms, rapid decline for their lung functions and lesser response to therapy
5. Are you overweight?
In adults, a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is defined as overweight and a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. Asthmatics who are obese have higher chances of hospitalization and poor control of their symptoms. This is because obese people have larger amount of adipose tissue which produces leptin, an inflammatory cytokine, and contributes to the chronic inflammation in Asthma.
6. Are you continuously exposed to dust and smoke?
Continuous exposure to irritant environmental agents like, dust , smoke and harmful gases at work or home leads to a continued inflammatory reaction and hypersensitivity of the airway, thereby leading to persistent symptoms.
7.You might have an incorrect diagnosis?
The symptoms of Asthma are common to a number of respiratory diseases. It is possible that your diagnosis needs to be revised. Additional tests may be required for this. Don't hesitate to take a second opinion if your symptoms persist after 6 to 12 months of the initial diagnosis.
Asthma can be controlled easily. If your symptoms aren't getting better, take the next step and consult a specialist.
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