The Link Between Asthma And Coughing

One of the common symptoms of asthma is coughing, particularly during the night. It generally doesn't have the typical wheeziness most coughs product, however. This night cough has a particularly negative effect because it can affect the sleep of both the asthma sufferer and anyone else in the house.

This cough is often the first sign of asthma in children, so if their cough continues for any length of time it's best to let their doctor know. It's also often a warning sign that asthma is either getting worse or is not being controlled properly.

If someone who is asthmatic develops a persistent cough it is paramount that they follow their prescribed asthma treatment. These treatments - usually inhalers - contain medication that will usually relieve their cough.

It's important to understand that coughing is a symptom of asthma - not the condition itself. The underlying cause of the coughing needs to be addressed in order to eliminate the problem.

If any of the following symptoms accompany your cough, it's important that you consult with your doctor as soon as possible:

- Fever and/or sweating
- Whooping cough or croup
- Coughing up discolored phlegm
- Sudden weight loss
- Chest pain
- Swelling and pain in the calves
- Recurring night-time cough
- Shortness of breath and/or wheezing

Treating asthma that is characterized by coughing spells is no different than any other symptoms. Inhaled corticosteroids are generally the most helpful, with inhaled beta2-agonists also helping.

If the symptoms of asthma are particularly severe, oral corticosteroids are often used as an initial treatment, followed by the inhaled version.

Jackson Sperry writes about asthma symptoms, asthma and childhood and other related topics on the Asthma Explained website. Read more at http://www.asthmaexplained.net

How Altitude Affect Asthma

Asthma is a chronic condition where people have trouble breathing. These breathing problems are brought on by hyper-responsive airways, which become irritated during an asthma attack and constrict in response. This increases the resistance to airflow and allows less air to reach the lungs.

Some people who suffer from asthma will be affected by altitude, whether in an airplane or simply at a higher elevation. If you are in relatively good health and your asthma is under control, however, you shouldn't have any serious problems with altitude, provided the ascent is not too fast. In some cases, asthma medication may need to be adjusted to cope with the altitude change.

If the conditions are very cold, inhalers may not work properly because the pressurization can be affected. If this is the case, warm them somehow prior to using them.

One of the reasons that higher altitudes can aggravate asthma is because the air is quite often drier and colder. If your asthma is often triggered by cold, higher altitudes could contribute to that.

If the higher altitude is reached by climbing - say hiking up a mountain - the exercise may also trigger asthma for some people. This is not exactly due to altitude, but this can add to the problem when combined with the changes in air and temperature at higher altitudes.

Some people may find that higher altitudes can actually improve their asthma. If a person's asthma is triggered by dust mites, altitude may help because dust mites are not able to survive in the colder temperatures.

If you are flying somewhere that is at a higher elevation, keep in mind that you won't have a chance to acclimatize yourself for the change. If this is the case, you should discuss it with your doctor to be sure you are prepared.

Jackson Sperry writes about adult asthma and childhood asthma problems on the Asthma Explained website. For more helpful information about dealing with asthma, visit http://www.asthmaexplained.net

Asthma Attacks - What You Can Do

When a person with asthma experiences a sudden worsening of his or her asthma symptoms it is called an asthma attack. During an asthma attack, the smooth muscles around the bronchial tubes in the lungs contract, making the airway openings more narrow. Less air can flow through these openings and inflammation of the lungs is a result. This inflammation quickly increases and the airways become more swollen. Mucus production by the cells in the airways increases more than usual and this narrows the airways even further. These changes to the airways cause the symptoms of asthma, notably wheezing and difficulty in breathing.

When you are with someone who is having an asthma attack there are things you can do to help them. First of all you should remove the victim from the cause of the asthma attack. This will be a certain allergen such as pollen in the air or on the skin, smoke, or other strong odors. Keep the victim calm, comfortable, and sitting upright.

If the asthma attack victim has not already used a rescue inhaler, ask the person if he or she has an inhaler and assist the victim with the inhaler, if necessary. A rescue inhaler is the best first aid for asthma attacks. It is important that you use the rescue inhaler prescribed to the asthma attack victim and not use someone else's inhaler.

In the event that there is no rescue inhaler to use or if the asthma symptoms do not improve after administering the inhaler, you can also use steam to help the victim. Run very hot water from a faucet and have the person inhale the steam being careful not to touch the scalding water. Help the victim focus on their breathing and pucker their lips when he or she exhales.

If an asthma attack is severe then it may be possible that all of the preceding steps will not decrease the asthma symptoms. In this event, or when a rescue inhaler is not present, you may need to call for emergency medical help. The information given here is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. If someone you know or love has asthma it is important to learn all you can about this condition so that you can help the person in the event of an asthma attack.

Daniel Lanicek is an life long sufferer of asthma on a mission to heighten world awareness of asthma. Over 14 million people in the United States alone suffer from asthma and there are ways you can help. Learn more about asthma at Asthma Explained.

Do You Suffer From Adult Onset Asthma?

If you discover that you have asthma after your twenty-first birthday, you have adult onset asthma. Almost half of all asthma cases are diagnosed before the age of ten years. Another 30% are discovered before the age of forty, and the rest occur in later life. There is a slight increase in womens' diagnosis after menopause. Whatever age you are when you find you have asthma, this diagnosis will change your life.

Asthma is a condition that causes the airways of your lungs to narrow, restricting the airflow and leaving you short of breath. This can happen because of inflammation from an allergen, an inhaled irritant or because of a spasm of the muscles around the bronchi- the small airways in the lungs.

The most well known symptom of asthma is a sudden onset of wheezing and difficulty getting your breath. These attacks can be very severe, causing hospitalization, or mild and well controlled by medications.

Once the initial diagnosis of adult onset asthma is made, the next step is to discover what type of asthma you have. Allergic asthma is caused by sensitivity to specific substances in your environment. Eliminating these substances is the first step to controlling your asthma.

Idiopathic asthma has no specific cause, but factors such as stress, cold weather and strenuous work or exercise could be factors that influence the frequency of attacks.

You could also discover that you have a combination of both types.

You can keep an ongoing list of things that trigger your attacks. Also, keep a diary of your symptoms and medications to assist your health care professional to develop an effective asthma management plan for you.

Good nutrition plays an important role in the management of adult onset asthma symptoms. A good multivitamin and mineral supplement, in addition to eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables will help your body resist asthma attacks. Researchers have found that low levels of Vitamin C and zinc can cause increased bronchial spasms and wheezing.

Working with your health care professional to develop an asthma management program, and giving extra attention to nutrition will help you keep the symptoms of adult onset asthma under control.

Become Naturally Free From Asthma with a safe, fast-working and drug-free treatment proven in scientifically-controlled, clinical trials at a major hospital. Discover how at http://www.AsthmaCareTips.com

Asthma: A Respiratory Tract Infection

Asthma is a disease which affects the respiratory system of the human organism. Asthma makes the airways more constrained and makes it more narrowed down through certain symptoms like wheezing, lack of proper breath, tightness of the chest and coughing, prolonged termination of breath, fast heart beat, chest inflation etc. Asthma is generally caused due to environmental pollution. Asthma reduces and constricts the airways as a result of which the patient suffers from normal way of breathing. The term “Asthma’” is usually a Greek word which means “sharp breath.”

The symptoms of asthma can sometimes range from mild to severe life threatening. Moreover, it is to be estimated here that the symptoms of asthma can be solely controlled through the use of certain drugs and through changes in the life style. Asthma is generally caused by inflammation of breathing or the bronchial tubes which is present in the lungs. The most common cause of asthma is environmental pollution. Exposure to the environment of cotton and flour dust, smoke, smoke and to a wide range of chemicals further increases the risk of asthma. Generally, the most common symptom which is associated with asthma can be felt with the tightness sensation in the chest.

Asthma can be of two types. One is extrinsic and the other is intrinsic. Extrinsic is considered as the most common form of asthma which is usually caused due to allergies and also due to the use of certain allergens to diagnose the allergies. This form of asthma is very much prone during the early stage of one’s development which gradually gets reduced with the advancement of the age. The other form of asthma which is known as the intrinsic asthma can be traced out through certain infections in the respiratory tract.

Asthma as it is a chronic disease can be to a certain extent overcome through proper means of exercises. Sports like swimming can to a great extent help in overcoming asthma. This sport helps in exfoliating the humidity in the atmosphere and helps in overall toning of the body. Besides swimming, activities like long walks in the morning as well in the evening helps in reducing the effects of asthma. Along with these activities biking, cycling, skiing helps effectively in the process of inhaling the air. Along with them, football, basketball, golfing, wrestling, gymnastics etc all works quite effective in overcoming asthma.

All asthma patients need proper treatment and medical attention so that the intensity of the disease gets mild and also if possible are diagnosed forever and thus enable the patient to lead a healthy life.

Farzina Naznin has been greatly associated with sites like http://www.healthcenterassociation.com/, http://www.healthcentreworld.com/, and http://www.fitnessgoodhealth.net/ for writing articles. Her articles will help the readers to understand various health related concepts.

Allergies And Asthma

If you are troubled by both allergies and asthma you might thinking, "if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all". The fact is that it is estimated that as many as sixty percent of the asthma cases in the U.S. are allergy related. You are not alone. There are many people like yourself who are suffering from the same double barreled malady. The fact is that allergies can induce or agrivate asthma. Both the lining of the nose and throat are susceptible to allergic reactions to molds. pollen and whatever els it is you may be allergic to. You may be suffering from allergy induced asthma and not even know it.

There is hope however. Ongoing research has made en roads into the connection between allergies and asthma. Over the years people who were treating their asthma with strictly asthma medications might have been treating the symptom and not the cause all along. Allergen immunotherapy has been shown to work on people with allergy induced asthma in many cases. For these people desensidation shots have been a blessing and have been successful of relieving them of their suffering by enabling their body to have the allergic reactions that were causing their asthma.

There are a number of medicines available that can help to reduce the inflammation in the throat of the asthma sufferer. The come in all forms from inhalers to pill form to injections and if your type of asthma is allergy induced they can be helpful in bringing you relief from allergy induced asthma. It is possible to have allergies and have asthma be your only reaction. That is, you need not show any other allergic reactions other that your allergy induced asthma. So you may be one of the many people out there suffering from allergy induced asthma who don't even know that this is the cause of their suffering.

Who is at risk of having allergy induced asthma? If you have a family history of allergies and also have asthma than you are at a higher risk than normal that your asthma is allergy induced asthma. Studies have shown that up to seventy-two percent of people who have asthma also have hay fever. This is not to say that all asthma cases are allergy induced asthma. There are in fact several other forms of asthma that are not allergy induced asthma. Other forms of asthma are exercise induced asthma, and non allergic asthma, triggered by cold air or asthma triggered by gastroesophogeal reflux disease. It is important that you determine what type of asthma you have.

The fact is that there is hope for all asthma sufferers. Ongoing research is developing new treatments for both allergy induced asthma and non allergic asthma. Many research scientists believe that a cure is on the horizon. In the absence of a complete cure though, great strides have been made in the treatment of the symptoms that make those who suffer from the malady miserable. Some have found a combination of treatment strategies to be the answer to their problem. Finding and removing the source of their allergy symptoms is of course the first step if at all possible. Many times this is the solution. The important thing is that you not give up your hunt for help.

Article by Sven Ullmann, who runs Deserved Health - information on health for you and your family. Read more about popular asthma and allergies.

Asthma Treatment Reliefs : Did You Know There Are Other Ways Of Help?

This article is about finding other ways for help asthma treatment or relief?

Has asthma changed your lifestyle completely for many years? Suffering from asthma is obviously no fun and can have quite a negative affect on the daily lives of sufferers, especially to children.

Conventional treatments and remedies almost always help to a certain degree, but one must ask, are there any other effective methods to supplement my existing treatment?

Some "alternative" methods for asthma treatment reliefs include chiropractic manipulation of the spine and rib cage which is thought to improve lung function.

Another alternative non-conventional method for asthma treatment involves acupuncture which is thought to somehow improve breathing process, however there is no conclusive evidence on this method.

Though not right for everyone, many sufferers of asthma have found relief through the use of alternative herbal medicines in addition to their current asthma treatment. Herbal medicines can help treat a wide spectrum of conditions and can act as anything from a natural weight loss, to the treatment of insomnia.

Natural asthma formulas usually contain a range of ingredients including blood root, St. John's Wort, mullein, saw palmetto, wild cherry bark, amongst others. These natural ingredients work together to effectively aid the process of breathing. Besides the above, using traditional chinese medicine magnolia flower bud (essential oil) can really relieve asthma attacks on adults and children.

So now you're aware that there are other methods to help treat asthma. Keep in mind that you should never add to, or alter any component of your current asthma treatment without first consulting your physician. Ask your doctor about "alternative" treatments and become educated on all possible avenues of asthma treatment relief.

Eddy's website is about Asthma Cure for more information.