Almost everyone knows about the existence of bronchial asthma. And it is for people with this disease that the instructions for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provide a separate item warning about possible side effects. This is due to the fact that there is aspirin bronchial asthma, and taking such drugs can not only not bring benefits, but also significantly harm he alth.
Let's talk more about this disease, its symptoms, as well as methods of treatment and prevention.
What is aspirin asthma
So, what is the disease in question? Aspirin asthma is one of the forms of bronchial asthma. It appears as a result of intolerance by the body of drugs containing aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid and other NSAIDs).
As a rule, the disease begins to manifest itself after suffering atopic bronchial asthma,therefore, it does not occur among children. The disease usually affects people between the ages of 30 and 50. At the same time, as statistics show, women suffer from it more often than men.
Mechanism of disease progression
The appearance of aspirin asthma is associated with metabolic disorders of certain types of acids in the body. Hereditary predisposition or viral infections can contribute to this.
In he althy people, under the influence of the enzyme cyclooxygenase, arachidonic acid is converted into substances that contribute to the appearance of an inflammatory reaction (thromboxane, prostaglandin). The principle of action of acetylsalicylic acid and other NSAIDs is that aspirin, which is in their composition, blocks this enzyme, and the development of the inflammatory reaction stops.
In patients with aspirin bronchial asthma, there are some differences in the functioning of the body. Instead of cyclooxygenase, it uses lipoxygenase to process arachidonic acid. This provokes the formation of leukotrienes, which contribute to swelling of the bronchi, as well as the appearance of viscous sputum and severe spasm. The result of this is the development of an attack of severe suffocation.
What drugs can trigger aspirin asthma
As mentioned above, aspirin is found not only in acetylsalicylic acid, but also in many other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The most famous of them are the following:
- "Diclofenac".
- "Indomethacin".
- "Ketorolac".
- "Meloxicam".
- "Phenylbutazone".
- "Ibuprofen".
- "Ketoprofen".
- "Lornoxicam".
- "Nimesulide".
- "Phenylbutazone.
In addition, be especially careful when taking yellow-coated tablets. They may contain tartazine, the use of which is strictly prohibited in aspirin bronchial asthma.
Painkillers for illness
Everyone knows that NSAIDs have excellent antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. What to do if their use is simply necessary? What pain reliever can I take for aspirin asthma?
Very effective means is "Paracetamol". It is fast-acting and causes little or no symptoms of aspirin intolerance. But before using it, it is imperative to consult a doctor to determine the maximum allowable dose in order to avoid the manifestation of adverse reactions.
Aspirin asthma symptoms
How does aspirin asthma manifest itself? Symptoms may vary depending on the severity of the disease. Consider those options that are accurate indicators of the pathological process.
Firstly, aspirin asthma is characterized by the development of rhinitis. It is accompanied by nasal congestion, the appearance ofsecretions and decreased sense of smell. There may be pain in the frontal part of the head. In addition, polyps may appear in the nose and sinuses.
Secondly, aspirin asthma provokes a severe asthma attack. Sometimes this leads to loss of consciousness. In some cases, the disease can cause hives, severe itching, gastrointestinal upset, and conjunctivitis.
Urgent measures for signs of illness
Aspirin asthma is not a congenital disease, so up to a certain point you may not even know about it. Symptoms appear as early as 5-10 minutes after taking NSAIDs, so it is important to take all necessary measures if they are detected:
- Gastric lavage. To do this, the patient needs to drink about one liter of boiled water and press the root of the tongue to provoke the appearance of a gag reflex. If, after the action taken, the tablet fell out, no further special measures need to be taken. If not, then go to the second paragraph.
- Prevent poisoning of the body and the continuation of the development of allergic reactions. To do this, you need to drink 10 tablets of activated charcoal and one tablet of any antihistamine drug ("Claritin", "Tavegil", "Suprastin", etc.).
At the same time, after the attack is over, you must definitely contact an allergist. He will conduct special tests to identify the disease and prescribe the necessary treatment. This will take into account all possiblebody features.
Treatment of aspirin asthma
Treatment of aspirin asthma takes place only in a hospital under the constant supervision of specialists. This will help to avoid or eliminate the appearance of possible reactions and side effects in time.
One of the treatments is desensitization. The essence of the process is that the patient is given drugs that contain aspirin. This happens at regular intervals with a constant increase in the dose of the active substance. The method is quite harsh and can often end in asthma attacks. That is why it is recommended to increase the dose of aspirin once a day, and not during each dose.
There are some contraindications to the use of this method of treatment: pregnancy, stomach or duodenal ulcer, bleeding. In these cases, aspirin is given by inhalation.
If the patient has poor tolerance to desensitization, hemosorption is first prescribed. With mild symptoms of the disease, this process is enough for a complete cure. If not, then a week later, desensitization is carried out again.
At the end of the course of treatment, the patient is prescribed aspirin for a year already on an outpatient basis. This should be done after meals, drinking plenty of alkaline mineral water. As a result, the body gets used to the action of the drug, and allergic reactions no longer occur.
To reduce the production of leukotrienes, which are provocateurs of the development of the disease, the use of antagonists is practiced. The use of these drugs is possible in the form of tablets or by inhalation. It is important to remember that these funds should only be used in combination with other components of therapy, since they are not able to defeat the disease on their own. Although the total number of seizures after their use is noticeably reduced.
In parallel with the treatment of aspirin asthma, there is also relief from concomitant diseases: sinusitis, rhinitis, and so on. For this, symptomatic therapy is used.
Aspirin Asthma Diet
Medication is not enough for successful treatment. Another prerequisite is the observance of the diet. What can and cannot be eaten with a diagnosis of aspirin asthma? The diet, developed by experts, prohibits the following foods:
- Meat: sausages and sausages, boiled pork, ham.
- Fruits and berries: apricots, oranges, apples, peaches, grapes, plums, raisins, melons, prunes, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, cherries.
- Vegetables: cucumbers, potatoes, peppers (sweet and bitter), tomatoes, zucchini.
- Seafood: shrimp.
- Grains: corn and popcorn.
- Sweets: chewing gum, caramel, honey, jam, mint, liquorice, fruit and berry flavored sweets.
- Semi-finished and canned food.
- Alcohol: dry wine, champagne,beer.
Despite a considerable number of prohibitions, patients can safely consume cereals, eggs, dairy products, domestic meat (in small quantities), fish, etc. The main thing to pay attention to when buying is the composition of the product. It should not contain salicylates, even in the smallest amounts.
Prevention Methods
How to protect yourself from the appearance of signs of a disease such as aspirin asthma? First of all, it is necessary to exclude from use all drugs that contain aspirin, salicyllate, tartazine. In the previous section, we reviewed the list of prohibited foods, so we will not revisit this issue.
Those who do not yet know about the presence of a possible disease should be careful when taking aspirin-containing drugs and NSAIDs, strictly adhere to the instructions and the maximum permitted dosage, do not use them for other purposes.
Also, everyone needs to know what to do during an asthma attack. As they say, forewarned is forearmed.
Be he althy!
