Living with asthma

Not only the drugs are important for therapeutic success in asthma. It is also crucial that Berezovsky is doing something against asthma bronchial. The most important: the schedule of therapy to keep the doctor has drawn up. Affected parties should deal with their disease.

This includes visiting an asthma training. There, right dealing with asthma be bronchial asthma and the medications declared self-measurement using peak flow meters and the best breathing technique (breath school) and important to life with asthma generally discussed. The doctor will explain in particular the therapy and what to do in case of an emergency during an acute asthma attack. The person concerned can facilitate "Monitoring" of therapy, when he leads an asthma diary, in which he carries his regular measurements.

Prevent asthma

To prevent asthma attacks, it is particularly important to avoid triggers. Triggers and irritants are known, this should be - off where whenever possible no matter whether it is cigarette smoke, pet dander, or foggy, damp cold weather. For parents of children with asthma: especially on the smoking in the vicinity of the child is to forego - smoking is one of the most important risk factors for asthma bronchial.

It is also important in asthma to prevent infection of the respiratory tract and the teeth. Sufficient drinking is important to keep the mucus in the respiratory tract as possible thin. Relaxation methods help many sufferers with asthma bronchiale better to deal.

Asthma and sports

Also seizures can often be weaken and reduce. Asthma is neither a reason nor an excuse for an absence from sport. On the contrary, through sports and regular physical exercise such as swimming or cycling, the bronchi are trained. If such an effort caused signs of asthma in sports, a muscle entkrampfendes asthma medication can be taken - after consultation with the doctor - shortly before the sport before.

Often recommend asthmatics that are vaccinated against certain diseases of the air passages to let (pneumococcal, influenza). Applies also here: it should be sought the opinion of the attending physician.

Peak flow meters and asthma diary

To come as his own asthma Manager well through the day, the patient must check his lung function four times a day, the best at set times, with the peak flow meter. The respiratory peak flow is measured with this instrument, so the strongest air flow ejected from the lungs at the beginning of a strong exhalation. The measured values are documented in an asthma diary along with the medication. In this way, affected parties can develop a better sense of it whether and to what extent changed the State of their own. The diary supports the treatment by the doctor and should be taken at each visit to the doctor. The term "traffic light scheme" is used to better organize the readings.

Green stands for a reach of 80-100% of the personal optimum, previously identified in several measurements. Thus, the patient is correctly positioned.

Yellow corresponds to 60-80% of the personal optimum. Here, the doctor should adjust the medication and discuss further steps with the patient.

Red means that the 60% mark of the personal optimum was fallen, and the patient should immediately consult the doctor or clinic. The corresponding emergency medication must be available. Panic is not appropriate, but draining breathing techniques should be practised.

So does the peak-flow measurement

For the measurement to be successful, should be taken as follows:

1. Slide the indicator mark on the scale to zero.
2. Breathe in as deeply as possible and hold my breath.
3. Take the mouth pipe in his mouth. Wrap tightly with your lips! The tube must be kept just on each case and the scale on the page should not be covered with your fingers.
4. Exhale as quickly and forcefully as possible. The value can be read on the sliding indicator.
5. To prepare the next measurement, display brand is again pushed back to zero.
6. The subsequent cleaning is important. The mouth tube can be removed and rinsed with warm water. Then it must be dried well.

Asthma and obesity

Overall, the following rules for everyday dealing with asthma have proven:

1. Take medication regularly and according to the instructions of the physician
2. a structured, balanced daily routine without hassle and stress
3. Allergen avoidance by current pollen flight forecast
4. immediate visit to the doctor for infections
5. strict smoking ban
6. Practice respiratory gymnastics
7. Running endurance
8. Keep asthma diary.

And finally like for many other people in Germany applies for asthma sufferers: less is more. Finnish scientists have shown in a study that obese asthmatics could work with their disease worse than normal weight?

This not only the perception and your own sense of well-being was improved with a strict diet, but in particular the lung function has been demonstrably strengthened. The asthmatics were one with much more force - air and exhale. The leaner asthmatics did better what was also in and out breathing volume. Patients who had taken off, suffered less acute attacks of asthma as a result, and they needed fewer drugs.

Asthma - therapy and medications

The therapy of asthma distinguish bronchial between basic preventive therapy (medication) and of acute therapy in the asthma attack (rescue medication). While the basic therapy is characterized by chronic medication, the acute therapy in asthma attacks characterised by a medication of need for.

General objectives - bronchial asthma following in the treatment of asthma:

1. Reduce symptoms or at best to the disappearance
2. Acute attacks decrease, at best completely prevent
3. Keep or reduce chronic inflammation of the Airways in chess
4. Lung function stabilize or improve
5. Get quality of life and reduce or completely avoid restrictions in everyday life by the asthma
6. Allow a normal physical and mental development of children and young people
7. During therapy, a balance must be struck between the effectiveness of the drugs and their side effects.

Treatment: Medicines for asthma

Almost always the treatment comprises requirements and preventive medications. It is important to take preventive therapy in particular - it is more conducive, health consistently and regularly to take the medication, as always to react during an acute attack. Preventive therapy is well placed, necessary medications are only occasionally (at best, not at all) need. Most drugs are inhaled during therapy — so, they quickly reach the scene. In case of an emergency, including infusions for the treatment of asthma be given bronchial asthma.

The drugs for treatment are put together individually depending on the severity of asthma by a doctor and must, if necessary, in the course of therapy again on the current situation of the adjusted by asthma sufferers. In principle a distinction to the therapy of asthma bronchial anticonvulsant agents (betamimetic drugs such as salbutamol, terbutaline and formoterol), anti-inflammatory medication (cortisone, Leukotrienhemmer) and Atemwegserweiterer (theophylline). These medicines are today partly offered as combination drugs for the treatment of asthma.

Alternative treatment for asthma bronchial

Procedure can of alternative medicine be used concomitantly. You can reduce the symptoms of asthma bronchiale, the frequency of asthma attacks and therefore the consumption of drugs. Methods include acupuncture or a homeopathic therapy of the Constitution to strengthen the immune system (water therapy, microbiological).

Asthma - symptoms and diagnosis

Most asthma begins bronchial asthma in childhood. Typical symptoms include recurrent attacks of dry cough without apparent reason or persistent cough of bronchitis or an other respiratory tract infection - first signs of hypersensitivity bronchi. The cough occur especially at night; may, a glassy, tough phlegm is coughed off it. Sometimes you hear a whistling noise (wheezing) already on the exhale, if the person concerned has a tightness across the chest.

Asthma: Symptoms and typical complaints
Often these first symptoms are relatively low, so the diagnosis is made only after an acute asthma attack. While the above signs are more pronounced. Symptoms of acute asthma attack include:

1. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath (i.e. faster respiration) are symptoms of asthma
2. Complicated and prolonged exhalation
3. No air more talk is a sign of asthma
4. Breathing appears lighter, the person concerned if he sits hunched forward, relying on the arms and pulls up the shoulders
5. Whistling breathing noises (wheezing) on the chest
6. Bluish coloring of the lips, later of the skin due to the lack of oxygen in the blood
7. Tightness in the chest is regarded as one of the symptoms of asthma
8. Heartbeat is also among the Group of symptoms in asthma
9. Exhaustion, anxiety, restlessness, all represent symptoms of asthma

Are these symptoms not or not adequately treated, the incidence of asthma can be life-threatening--a so-called status asthmaticus, which itself can go on for an hour until days. This status asthmaticus requires intensive medical care.

Diagnosis asthma
The diagnosis only serves for one to do so, any diagnosis to bronchial asthma. On the other hand is checked with her, whether and how is the therapy for asthma.
At the initial diagnosis, the doctor will first ask a detailed description of the symptoms, signs, and symptoms. These include for example also possible trigger or dependence on the environment situation, the depiction of personal fitness, the question for pre-existing conditions, allergies, smoking habits and family burdens. Then, the physical examination in particular with listening to the lung joins, to ultimately make a diagnosis.

Asthma: Investigations necessary
Any other tests are done especially for children; also to exclude other diseases such as the cystic fibrosis and to distinguish asthma from a spastic bronchitis. X-ray belonging to the examinations, blood tests, lung function test (spirometry, Bodyplethysmographie) and allergy tests.
The maximum velocity of the exhaled air can be measured with the peak flow meter. This is a good parameter to verify the expression of asthma and hence the effectiveness of therapy. Also, this investigation with the little device can be easily carried. That's why she suitable for self-measurement at home.

Asthma bronchial

In children, asthma is the most common chronic bronchial asthma. But adults also suffer from this seizure-like occurring respiratory complaints. Trigger is a hypersensitivity of airway - with different causes. Recurrent attacks of coughing, wheezing breath sounds, the feeling, to get enough air - now almost every tenth child knows these typical symptoms of asthma bronchial asthma from his own experience. About half of them will have to live as an adult with this chronic inflammation of the Airways (bronchi).

Asthma: Chronic inflammation of the bronchi

The asthma begins later in childhood, the probability that it continues is the greater. Symptoms are not always present in asthma bronchial, but always suddenly appear and are quickly verschlechternd. Such a bout of asthma can be life-threatening.

The rate of disease grew in recent years, especially in the Western industrialized nations. We still don't know exactly why this is so, even if there are numerous studies and theories. The therapy of asthma depends on bronchial asthma by the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.

Various forms of asthma bronchial

In principle, two types are distinguished - non-allergic asthma and allergic asthma; a hybrid occurs frequently:

1. Non-allergic asthma (endogenous asthma): the acute asthma attacks are triggered by non-specific stimuli, without having an allergy is detectable. This can be for example, infections (infectious asthma), dust, tobacco smoke, or cold air; but also psychological factors such as stress or excitement can be relevant to non-allergic asthma. Rather, particularly infectious asthma occurs when a baby or toddler.
2. Allergic asthma (ex-trinisches asthma): the asthma attacks is a hypersensitivity or Allergy to certain substances based, in the case of allergic asthma. often, other allergic diseases such as eczema or hay fever are present before or in parallel. Often, the allergy in allergic asthma aimed against dust mites and animal dander. Asthma occurs more in school age and young adults.
3. Combination: This form of asthma bronchiale occurs mostly in adults. At the same time an allergic asthma and a lowered threshold for respiratory infections to triggering asthma there are. There is often also a sensitivity to certain medications such as acetylsalicylic acid.