Asthma 101
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic disease involving the airways in the lungs. These airways, or bronchial tubes, allow air to come in and out of the lungs.
People with a family history of allergies or asthma are more prone to developing asthma. Many people with asthma also have allergies. This is called allergic asthma.
Common symptoms of Asthma
· Cough may be dry or with sputum
· Breathlessness
· Chest tightness
Types of Asthma
· Adult Onset Asthma
· Allergic Asthma
· Asthma COPD Overlap
· Exercise Induced Bronchoconstrinction (EIB)
· Non-allergic Asthma
· Occupational Asthma
Adult Onset Asthma: Signs of having asthma do not show up in some people until they are adult. This is called adult onset asthma.
Allergic Asthma: Allergic asthma is the most common form of asthma. Many of the symptoms of allergic and non-allergic asthma are the same. However, allergic asthma is triggered by inhaling allergens. An allergen is a typically harmless substance such as dust mites, pet dander, pollen or mold.
Asthma COPD Overlap: It is a long standing disease. Symptoms are present throughout the year. The patient may have increased symptom when they come in contact with different allergens in the environment. Such patients usually have a good response to medicine.
Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction: Such patients are asymptomatic generally, and only have asthma after starting an exercise.
Nonallergic Asthma: Where allergic asthma is triggered by allergies such as food, pollen and other allergens. Non-allergic asthma does not involve an immune-system response (like intrinsic asthma) but is triggered by other factors.
Occupational Asthma: Occupational Ashtma caused by, or worsened by, exposure to substances in the workplace. Symptoms of occupational asthma include general symptoms of an asthma attack, such as coughing,wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulty.
Things to keep in mind while travelling with Asthma
· Follow up with your doctor before planning a travel
· Get your medications
· Check your devices
· Plan for an emergency
· Take a buddy with you while you are travel
· Plan your diet
· Check the medical care at your destination
Before you plan your trip ensure:
· Meet your doctor and get a proper health check-up before travelling, to ensure that you’re physically fit for the trip. Make sure your immunisations are upto date as well.
· Check your health insurance policy. Know in advance if your plan will cover doctor or emergency visits in other states.
· Check your inhalers before going on a trip, and take some extra ones in case of an emergency
· If travelling by train and If meals are served onboard, ask if they can accommodate food allergies. If not, make sure you can bring your own food.
· If you are travelling by car and the route is through areas with pollen and molds, be sure to close the windows and turn on the air conditioner.
· In case of air travel - If you use oxygen, discuss this with the airline when you make the reservation. Some airlines provide oxygen, but others require you to arrange your own.
When you are packing for your trip, keep in mind the following tips:
· Always carry your emergency medicines with you everywhere you go.
· Take all medicine with you which you use.
· Take a peak flow meter, or other devices that you normally need.
· To protect against dust mites, pack your own allergy-proof mask.
