Is asthma a respiratory condition, what are the symptoms and is it an allergy?
ASTHMA is a common lung condition that causes breathing difficulties - but it can have devastating consequences.
With around 1,400 Brits dying from the condition each year, it's vital you know the symptoms and causes. Here's the latest.
What is asthma, what are the symptoms and what causes asthma attacks?
Asthma is a respiratory condition caused by inflammation of the breathing tubes that carry air to and from our lungs, and it currently affects over 5 million people across the UK.
According to the, the main symptoms of asthma are:
- Wheezing (a whistling sound when breathing)
- Breathlessness
- A tight chest
- Coughing
Although the above symptoms can have a number of causes, they are likely signs of asthma if they happen regularly and keep coming back, are worse at night or early morning, or seem to be in response to an allergen.
The severity of the above symptoms can vary between different people.
When these symptoms suddenly worsen temporarily, it is known as an asthma attack.
Asthma attacks can be caused by allergens, such as animal fur or pollen, cold air, exercise, chest infections or other irritants - such as cigarette smoke.
Allergies and asthma often go together.
Asthma caused by an allergic reaction is known as "allergic asthma".
Is asthma different for children and adults?
In children, asthma sometimes disappears or improves during the teenage years, but it can come back later in life.
If asthma in childhood is poorly controlled - treatment plans are not followed correctly and symptoms are ignored, for example - it can lead to delays in growth or puberty, as well as pneumonia.
Allergens mostly trigger asthma in children.
About 90 per cent of kids with childhood asthma have allergies, compared with about 50 per cent of asthmatic adults.
Is there treatment available for asthma?
While there are various treatments available for asthma, there is currently no cure - although scientists are working on it.
Treatment is based around two goals: relieving symptoms and preventing future attacks.
Treatment involves taking occasional or daily medications - usually via an inhaler.
In 2016/17 there were 77,124 admissions to hospital for asthma in the UK.
In 2017 1,484 people in the UK died from an asthma attack.
What to do in an asthma attack?
- Sit up straight - try to keep calm
- Take one puff of your reliever inhaler (usually blue) every 30-60 seconds up to 10 puffs
- If you feel worse at any point OR you don't feel better after 10 puffs call 999 for an ambulance
- Repeat step 2 after 15 minutes while you're waiting for an ambulance
Source:
What are the latest guidelines around asthma?
According to the latest , asthma can affect people of any age, but often starts in childhood and can change throughout a person's life.
Patients exhibiting symptoms of asthma should undergo an initial clinical assessment and possible physical examinations and "objective tests" - but it can be hard to diagnose.
If the patient is acutely unwell when they visit their doctor, they should be treated immediately.
The patient should also be checked for possible occupational asthma, by asking employed people with suspected new-onset asthma if their symptoms seem to ease away from the work place.
The guidance also tells doctors to run spirometry and breath tests, to improve accuracy of diagnosis and treatment and that better testing could avoid patients being needlessly prescribed medication - saving the NHS up to £15million a year.
The guidance advises GPs to carry out a series of tests to ensure that other conditions, such as allergies, are not mistaken for asthma.
They added that as many as one in three people diagnosed with asthma may not have it.
The Royal College of Nursing has reminded parents that children with asthma need to be using their inhalers regularly before returning to school.
In the past few years, asthma-related hospital admissions have significantly increased in the month of September as children become out of practice with using their inhaler.
LATEST ASTHMA NEWS
The Royal College of Nursing's professional lead for children and young people said: "Changes in routine during the holidays, the stress and excitement of going back to school as well as being exposed to a new virus or cold can leave children more vulnerable to asthma attacks."
Head of services for Asthma UK Sonia Munde said that attacks "could be avoided if parents know how to spot their child's asthma getting worse."