How do Asthma
Triggers Aggravate the Disease?
Asthma is a disease that is caused by the
dysfunction of the lungs and the airway. In a normal person, when one
inhales any irritant, the airway constricts to prevent it from going
any further. After a brief moment, it relaxes and expels it. In this
way it gets rid the irritant without much trouble.
In an asthmatic person the reaction would be
very
different. The airway constricts here also, as a direct reaction to the
irritant. However, after that, instead of relaxing and expelling the
irritant that troubles the airway, it will further constrict cutting
the air and causing breathlessness. At this time, the immediate use of
an inhaler or nebulizer can again relax the airway, allowing the asthma
patient to breathe easy again.
As explained above, an attack of asthma has
to be
triggered by an irritant. This irritant can be anything –
cold,
exercise, sudden fright, sudden emotion, pollen, dust, animal dander,
dust mites, food smell, powder, cigarette smoke, mold, cockroaches, and
the like. When the patient encounters any such asthma trigger, the
asthma flares up and provokes an attack.
Hence, it is always advisable to be very
careful
if you are an asthma patient and you feel that you are about to get
into contact with any such asthma trigger. Prevention is always better
than cure. While an attack can be pacified with the help of an inhaler
or any other prescribed medicine, the best would be to avoid the attack
altogether. This is possible only when you would be very attentive
regarding your surroundings and try to keep away as much as possible
from any asthma triggers present in your environment.
Prevention Measures In the Home
The patient should make his or her home as
dust
free as possible because this is one of the major asthma triggers
known. There are dust proof mattresses and pillows as well as dust
proof covers available which can be very beneficial. The home should be
cleaned as much as possible every day so that dust is not accumulated
in the house. An asthmatic person should not keep any pets –
especially dogs, cats or birds since these may cause allergy with their
hair, feathers, etc.
Asthmatic patients should not smoke or stay
in the
company of people smoking around them. As long as they take care to
stay away from any asthma trigger, the asthmatic person can lead a
close to normal life.
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