Many people suffer from various pathologies of the respiratory tract, which sometimes flows into a chronic form. Intermittent asthma, also called episodic asthma, is one of these pathologies. The main reason for the onset of the disease is that a person may have too high sensitivity of the bronchi to various stimuli. Against this background, inflammatory processes occur, due to which patients suffer from asthma attacks.
If you do not treat this pathology in a timely manner, then serious edema can occur, due to which the bronchi will increase significantly in size. In addition, people have other breathing problems that require the attention of specialists.
Assessment of disease severity
In order to understand how serious the degree of this pathology is, experts pay attention to several indicators. First of all, it is taken into account how often the symptoms manifest themselves in a person during the week at night. The data obtained must be correlated with the manifestations of the disease during the day.
Also takes into account the presence of lethargy and possible violationswith sleep. In addition, experts consider the absolute indicators of the so-called peak exit rate and the relative parameters of symptoms.
Classification
If we talk about the types of this pathology, then there is an infectious-dependent and atopic form of bronchial asthma. If we are talking about the first variety, then most often the cause of this disease is a viral infection. There is damage to the mucous membrane located in the bronchi. This leads to increased sensitivity of the receptors. Due to the activity of irritants that a person receives along with the inhaled air, strong contractions of the muscular walls of the bronchi occur. This causes bronchospasm.
In the atopic form of pathology, we are talking about a specific allergen that affects the body, leading to a more severe stage of the disease. Based on this, there are several types of severity of the disease.
At the initial stage, an intermittent form of bronchial asthma develops, which is episodic. This means that the symptoms of the disease bother a person less than 1 time in 7 days. Typically, patients complain of short exacerbations that cause problems with sleep. In the intervals when the attack stops, the person experiences relief, and his lungs begin to function normally.
During the course of mild bronchial asthma of the intermittent type, the peak exit rate rarely exceeds 80% of the norm. In this case, daily fluctuations are of the order of 20% or less. This means that at this stage the disease willappear only if the patient is in direct contact with the allergen or provokes seizures with strong physical exertion.
At this stage of development of mild intermittent bronchial asthma, few people pay attention to unpleasant symptoms. If during this period a person seeks help, then it will be much easier to stop the attacks. If the disease continues to develop, it will lead to a new phase.
Bronchial intermittent asthma of a persistent course is characterized by the fact that the symptoms begin to appear more than twice a week. In this case, the person begins to suffer from seizures at night. Further, the development of pathology continues.
At the third stage persistent bronchial asthma of moderate severity appears. In this case, the patient complains of severe attacks of suffocation, which mainly occur during the daytime. There are problems with sleep and the inability to perform previously familiar physical activities. Sometimes seizures occur at night, more than once a week.
In this case, patients need to take drugs that can stop seizures. If such remedies are ineffective, then the ailments pass into a persistent severe stage. In this case, exacerbations begin to occur throughout the day. The person is suffering from symptoms of severe respiratory failure. One or more seizures occur during the night.
When it comes to manifestations of childhood asthma, in this case, babies most often have whistling duringbreathing time. As a rule, bronchial asthma in very young patients is most often caused by the appearance of viral infections in the lower respiratory tract. If this problem is ignored, it can provoke an exacerbation of the disease, which is why there is a risk of developing new pathologies.
Clinical picture
As a rule, among the main symptoms, experts distinguish severe shortness of breath, dry and unproductive cough. In some situations, a person even vomits. This intensifies the sound of breathing. Symptoms may occur predominantly at night or during the day.
With intermittent bronchial asthma, a person's condition can change during the day. It is very important to contact a specialist in a timely manner. If a patient has an atopic form of asthma, then in this case, in addition to the standard symptoms, allergic reactions will be added. As a rule, they disappear after contact with the irritant is excluded.
Symptoms in pregnancy
If we are talking about pregnant women, then in this case the clinical picture will be quite a bit different. Pregnant patients also complain of choking attacks, but at the same time they note that it becomes more difficult for them to take deep breaths, and the exhalation becomes difficult and long.
In some women, before the development of the classic symptoms of intermittent bronchial asthma, a strong cough, frequent sneezing, and skin rashes appear. In order to facilitate breathing, the fair sex needs to take the orthopnea position. It means,that the lady sits down, leans forward and raises her shoulders.
Speech becomes slurred during seizures. Coughing may produce phlegm, which sometimes leads to vomiting. There is also a rapid heartbeat, and in some situations, cyanosis of the skin.
As a rule, during breathing in a person suffering from bronchial asthma, there is an involvement of auxiliary muscles. This means that it also lifts the shoulder girdle and abdominals. On inhalation, the wings of the nose begin to swell strongly. Therefore, shortness of breath can be triggered even by things that are not allergens. For example, an asthmatic attack may be triggered by the smell of tobacco smoke, strong perfume, or the inhalation of exhaust fumes.
If the disease is severe, then in this case the patient complains of pain in the lower parts of the sternum. This is due to the fact that due to the constant choking cough, the diaphragm is forced to experience constant overvoltage. Such attacks end spontaneously or after taking medications.
Diagnosis
In the course of mild bronchial asthma of the atopic form of the intermittent type, standard measures are primarily performed to establish this disease. At the first stage, the patient needs to donate blood for tests. Urine and sputum are also studied.
After that, a chest x-ray is taken. External respiration is examined. Additionally, it is recommended to visit an allergist. He must take skin samples and determine if there is any in the bloodhuman specific immunoglobulin. If the disease does not require emergency treatment, then there is time to conduct special provocative events in order to test various substances that can cause allergic reactions. However, you need to understand that such studies cannot be called safe, so they should be carried out exclusively in stationary conditions.
Also, when atopic bronchial asthma of the intermittent type occurs, it is very important to talk in detail about the symptoms when communicating with the doctor. Sometimes diagnostic studies become powerless if a person forgets to clarify that during the day or night the characteristics of his breathing change.
Indicators of diurnal fluctuations are very important in the study of the function of the respiratory tract. Only when full information is provided, the doctor will be able to assess the sensitivity of the human body to possible allergens. Also, in the process of diagnosis, the symptoms of bronchial asthma are also evaluated. Treatment depends on forced expiratory volume and peak velocity.
Additionally, special inhalations are carried out, after which the indicators are measured again, and the specialist determines how much they correspond to each other. You need to understand that it is impossible to get rid of bronchial asthma. This pathology remains with a person for life. However, thanks to therapeutic measures, seizures can be stopped and the existence of a person can be greatly facilitated. In addition, today on sale you can find special devices that helpmonitor the patient's condition at home. However, it is best to have x-rays in a timely manner and note any changes in the medical facility.
Treatment of intermittent asthma
As a rule, when this type of ailment occurs, patients are rarely left in the hospital. This is explained by the fact that it makes no sense to keep the patient in a medical institution, since at this stage of the development of the pathology, he can carry out most of the therapeutic measures at home.
Treatment of patients with intermittent bronchial asthma includes a set of measures aimed at finding out the main causes that influenced the development of inflammatory processes. As a rule, corticosteroids are most often used as therapeutic measures. Preparations of this type can be used for a long period. However, even in spite of this, caution should be exercised in relation to these medications. If a person has episodic asthma, then taking these medications is not always advisable.
If spasms occur against the background of exposure to a particular allergen, then help with bronchial asthma will be provided by such remedies as Nedocromil and preparations based on sodium cromglycate. These drugs are highly effective even if spasms are caused by physical exertion, exposure to cold air and other factors. When shortness of breath occurs at night, the doctor prescribes b2-agonists.
Intermittent bronchial asthma does not require the use of serious drugs. However, the patient should always have short-acting b2-agonists on hand. This tool is indispensable in a situation of severe suffocation, which is caused by an allergen or strong physical exertion. In the treatment of this pathology, the stage is necessarily taken into account. If we are talking about an episodic manifestation, then the treatment is more prophylactic. This means that the person is taking steps to help avoid serious seizures.
Accordingly, the patient can help himself with bronchial asthma. However, this does not mean that the patient can forget the way to the medical facility. It is imperative to undergo examinations and monitor the development of the disease.
Disease control
It is very important to monitor the course of the development of pathology, since bronchial asthma cannot be completely cured. Recently, more and more specialists prefer to use heavy drugs even at the 1st stage of the manifestation of pathology. However, in this case, the dosage of drugs should be minimal.
It is believed that thanks to this, you can get complete control over the development of mild atopic bronchial asthma of an intermittent course. This approach really has the right to exist, but you need to understand that more aggressive drugs can adversely affect the work of other organs and systems. Therefore, you must first undergo a full examination and make sure that this therapy is relatively safe forhuman.
How to stop an attack
If we talk about recommendations, bronchial asthma at this stage is characterized by a slight malaise. You can get rid of it if you take 3-4 times short-acting b2-agonists. These activities must be completed within an hour. If the peak output strength is more than 80% of normal values, then it is recommended to use a special device called a peak flowmeter.
Thanks to this device, it is much easier to determine the effectiveness of a drug. The reduction in seizures should occur within a few hours. If the patient's condition has stabilized, then in this case it is recommended to continue taking medications at intervals of 1 every 4 hours for the next 2 days.
Complications
When considering the symptoms and treatment of bronchial asthma, it is worth paying attention to its acute and chronic stages. In the first case, against the background of the disease, status asthmaticus may develop. This means that the attacks of shortness of breath will be longer, and it is impossible to remove them with the help of inhalation procedures. There is a severe obstruction of the bronchi with thick mucus, which makes respiratory failure more serious. There is even a risk that the person will suffocate.
Also, with the development of the chronic stage of the disease, the patient may experience resistance to beta-agonists. This is often provoked by the patients themselves. This is due to the fact that after one inhalation, they do not wait for a positive effect,and start using additional medications. This leads to the fact that the body quickly develops resistance to them. Instead of stimulating receptors, drugs cause a backlash.
There is also a risk of developing an asthmatic coma. This is due to the fact that due to the fact that there are sharp violations of the gas composition, the condition can develop into a more severe form. If we talk about acute complications, then spontaneous pneumothorax should be attributed to them. This means that during an attack, air does not leave the lung tissues. Additionally, there is a strong pressure, which leads to its release into the pleural region. In this case, the patient feels a strong pain syndrome in the sternum. In addition, symptoms of lung failure will appear.
Bronchial asthma. Recommendations and prevention
The main goal of these activities is to control the disease. It is very important that the patient adheres to the prescribed therapy and does not self-medicate. An overdose of drugs should not be allowed. With timely treatment and relief of seizures, the patient will be able to avoid complications.
If we talk about general preventive measures, then to prevent intermittent bronchial asthma, you should try to avoid any contact with allergens. Also, the patient should stop smoking and drinking strong drinks.
Since stress has a negative effect and causes rapid breathing and heart rate, it is worth trying to avoid situations inwhich a person will experience nervous tension.
In the room where the patient is located, wet cleaning should be constantly carried out. Dust has a negative effect, especially in asthma attacks. If the patient has an allergic reaction to animal hair, then you should not have pets. It is also important that the room is periodically ventilated. Avoid air fresheners and various deodorants. If a person lives in an area with poor ecology, then you should think about moving to a more favorable place.
Eating right is also important. It is worth eliminating junk food from the diet and giving preference to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are not recommended. This is especially true for aspirin. Nevertheless, it is important to monitor your he alth and treat respiratory viral infections in time. Patients with a similar diagnosis should be periodically examined. If possible, it is recommended to undergo a spa treatment course.
