Asthma symptoms are familiar to many - the disease occurs in a frighteningly large percentage of the world's population. Asthma is a severe pathology, with some of its manifestations resembling other problems of the respiratory system. The ability to recognize it in time, consult a doctor and choose an adequate treatment is the key to a fulfilling life. It should be remembered that more often the first symptoms of asthma are recorded in young children, but there are also cases when a respiratory disease first appeared in an adult. Medical statistics say that asthma, which first appeared in childhood, is curable on average in every second patient.
Where did the trouble come from?
Before dealing with the symptoms of asthma, you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the disease and the causes that provoke it. The disease belongs to the category of chronic, expressed in bronchial obstruction, that is, the airways are narrowed. The first manifestation of the pathological condition is a cough. Asthma symptoms include wheezing and shortness of breath. Patients are worried about shortness of breath,time comes a feeling as if everything is squeezed in the chest. According to statistics, about 10% of the world's population suffer from asthma in various forms. Obstruction can be partially or completely reversible. More often, this requires medical intervention, but in a small percentage of cases, the disease resolves spontaneously, on its own.
Asthma symptoms and treatment of the disease are interrelated, and therefore therapy is based on the essence of the disease, namely its main root cause, which causes specific manifestations and dictates measures for their relief. The fact is that in patients with asthma, the tissues of the bronchial tree are highly sensitive to any stimuli, they are reactive, so a severe response occurs in the most unpredictable situations if the patient meets with an aggressive factor. In some cases, such features are explained by heredity, but sometimes such a formidable symptom as an asthma attack can be provoked by the conditions of the environment in which a person is located. Sometimes asthma is explained by frequent infectious diseases of the respiratory system, an allergic reaction.
Appearances: key features
Asthma symptoms are explained by inflammatory processes, blockage of the airways with mucous secretions, spasm and narrowing of the paths through which air must pass. As a rule, the patient notes:
- dyspnea;
- lack of air;
- cough more disturbing during night rest;
- whistling when exhaling, inhaling;
- heaviness inchest;
- pain in the respiratory area;
- feeling tight.
Doctors draw on a variety of manifestations. Symptoms of bronchial asthma vary, and not only in different people, but also in one patient at different times of the day. Much depends on the conditions of the surrounding space. Perhaps the appearance of only a part of the listed list of symptoms, there is a possibility of the simultaneous arrival of all of them. The level of severity of sensations, the degree of exacerbation also vary significantly. Sometimes asthma manifests itself only with mild, minor troubles, and in other cases, urgent help is needed and even hospitalization of the patient, otherwise the risk of death is high.
If the symptoms escalate sharply, they talk about an attack. In some cases, they are rare, with long periods of calm, while others are faced with attacks almost every day. It is known that physical activity, viral diseases can provoke an asthmatic attack.
Disease: how to recognize from the very beginning?
Knowing the very first symptoms of bronchial asthma in adults and children, you can understand in time that you need to see a doctor for the selection of a therapeutic course. The main task is to prevent the progress of the disease, to control the state of the respiratory system. Early signs are not seizures, such severe manifestations come much later. Unfortunately, primary asthmatic events are often overlooked as they are quite minor.
The first symptoms of bronchial asthma in adults and children lookas follows:
- being outdoors, cleaning indoors provoke cough, runny nose, itching, sore throat, chest tightness;
- in summer, especially on sunny days and with strong wind, breathing is accompanied by wheezing, cough and runny nose are disturbing, noticeably weakening if it rains;
- in summer the general condition of the body is worse than in winter, and all diseases are aggravated;
- weakening due to physical activity.
With asthma, a person gets tired quickly and very much, even doing everyday, familiar things.
Higher risk of learning for yourself what the symptoms of incipient asthma are in people whose close relatives suffer from allergies of various kinds.
It is known that asthma can go away on its own if a person changes their place of residence for a long time. This is due to the exclusion of the allergen from his daily routine. If after a while you return to the previous location, the symptoms will probably worsen again.
Stages and signs: how asthma starts
Symptoms in adults and children at the primary stage are relatively subtle, they indicate the body's response to the allergen. A person is worried about coughing, rhinitis, itching in the nose or throat. More often this happens during the period of spring flowering, house cleaning.
The next stage manifests itself as an increase in respiratory diseases, from simple colds to rather severe bronchitis. Asthma may be indicated by the increased frequency of SARS. Such a state inmedical classification is called pre-asthma.
The third stage is the first attack of the disease.
Kids get sick
Asthma symptoms in children are quite common. Doctors say that on average every tenth child is sick, and over the years the frequency of occurrence only grows. Up to 60% of all patients of a pediatric pulmonologist have a burdened family history, that is, among close relatives there are those suffering from allergic reactions. A child who is both affected by a genetic factor and a negative, aggressive environment is most likely to develop asthma symptoms.
It is very difficult to suspect that asthma is starting: even those children who are not threatened with the disease often have a cold, so it is impossible to focus on this manifestation. Ecology in our time also leaves much to be desired, therefore, an increasing number of people suffer from allergies, and to a large extent, such reactions are characteristic of a fragile child's body.
Modern parents need to know what are the symptoms and treatment of asthma in a child. It is possible to suspect that it is time to go to the doctor if the baby complains of squeezing in the chest and feeling as if he does not have enough air. Usually asthmatics do not sleep well, are restless and capricious. You can notice something is wrong by a dry cough, which is very difficult to get rid of. At night and in the morning, a runny nose appears, the nose is blocked, and rashes appear on the skin - these areas are usually very itchy. Shortness of breath also belongs to the signs - symptoms - of asthma. On exhalation, the air comes out with a whistle, the duration of the exhalation is often twice as long as the inhalation.
Types, groups and manifestations
Symptoms and treatment of asthma in adults are directly determined by the specifics of the case, the severity of the course of the disease. There are three levels - easy, medium, heavy. The simplest option is slightly labored breathing. In case of relapses, drugs are used to stop the inflammatory reaction. Theophylline preparations are quite popular. Additionally, the doctor may recommend inhalation products - they are effective against coughing and quickly stop attacks.
If it was not possible to notice in time that asthma begins, and the symptoms in adults and children progress, the disease becomes moderate in severity. Breathing is difficult and wheezing is frequent. With continued progress, severe bouts of coughing are bothering me every day.
One of the rather severe types of illness is aspirin asthma. It occurs in different age groups, it is difficult. An allergic reaction to aspirin can provoke it. Aspirin asthma threatens allergy sufferers who have polyps in the nasal cavity.
Allergic reaction manifests itself as bronchial asthma. In addition to coughing, runny nose and dermatitis are of concern.
A hot topic for modern medicine is the symptoms and treatment of cardiac asthma. This is a form of the disease when blood stagnates in the veins that feed the lungs, which leads to severe attacks. In addition to the manifestations described above, which are characteristic of all types of asthma, with a heart form, the veins swell in the neck, the patient is afraid to die, and the skin turns pale and even blue.
The most severe form,considered more difficult even than cardiac asthma, the symptoms and treatment of which are a difficult task for modern medicine - status asthmaticus. In the absence of timely adequate treatment, it is highly likely to provoke a fatal outcome.
Bronchial asthma: features of manifestations
Cough, characteristic of asthmatics, is considered the main pathological phenomenon. The patient's breathing is hoarse, from time to time the condition worsens. The transition of the form to the chronicle is possible, accompanied by severe attacks. Atopic bronchial asthma is usually observed against the background of interaction with an allergen.
It is known that the symptoms of asthma in adults can provoke emotional stress, strain, stress. In this case, the cough is accompanied by a feeling of tightness of the organs inside the chest, the nose is blocked, the skin itches. The patient feels anxious, it hurts in the chest, and it becomes difficult to breathe. The asthmatic wheezes dryly, the sounds are quite loud and can be heard from afar. One of the symptoms of asthma in adults and children is the reaction of the airways so strong that it is impossible to take a breath. At the same time, blood vessels swell in the neck. The duration of the attack is often long.
Coughing may produce sputum. One of the symptoms indicating the need for treatment of bronchial asthma is the retraction of the skin between the ribs when trying to inhale. Dark circles appear under the eyes.
Provoke an attack can:
- load;
- cold;
- time of day (night, early morning).
With these symptoms, asthma treatment is usuallyinvolves taking drugs that expand the lumen of the respiratory tract.
What to do?
Asthma attack is quite violent and severe, shortness of breath appears in just a few seconds, and the patient's wheezing can be heard from afar. To make it easier, you need to sit down and grab the back of a chair, calm down and try to bring your breathing back to normal. Try to exhale all the air in your lungs. To make it easier, you should open the window - this will give an influx of fresh air.
When symptoms of bronchial asthma appear in adults, treatment involves the use of special inhalers that quickly alleviate the patient's condition. The active components of drugs that have proven themselves recently are fenoterol, salbutamol, terbutaline. Any asthmatic should have aerosols with such substances on hand. A couple of breaths are usually enough to stop an attack, as the condition improves, a couple more injections are made.
Medicines
Asthma symptoms in adults should be treated without delay. However, it is equally important for children. Several types of drugs are known to be effective in this disease. The basic program usually includes such compounds that can prevent an attack, as well as "emergency aid", that is, substances that effectively stop an attack in a particular patient. In pharmacies, the choice of drugs for such cases is quite large, but not all are suitable: a lot depends on the individual characteristics of the patient. The choice is best left to the doctor.
MoreOne important group of asthma medications is oral steroids. Usually, funds are prescribed in long courses, and the main idea of their use is the prevention of seizures. Steroids are available in different forms: capsules, tablets, solutions and syrups. If corticosteroids are prescribed, the duration of the therapeutic course is usually 11 days. Long-term treatment can prevent the development of seizures in the future, reduce the frequency of their occurrence.
Inhaled steroids are drugs designed to relieve swelling in the respiratory system. Help with asthma and beta-antagonists, preventing another attack. A distinctive feature is the duration of the effect. It is wise to combine beta-antagonists and steroids in the form of aerosols for the most pronounced effect.
Leukotriene inhibitors are drugs that inhibit the activity of these structures and other chemical components that can provoke inflammation in case of allergies. Finally, asthmatics are shown sodium cromoglycate, an anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drug that does not have a systemic effect on the body.
Backfire
Asthma can cause status asthmaticus; possible consequences also include:
- bettolepsy;
- lack of respiratory function;
- pneumothorax;
- very bad cough;
- fractured ribs;
- delayed development.
Asthma is known to cause mental problems in some cases. To a greater extent, this is typicaljuvenile patients.
Because the lungs inflate from time to time in asthma, this can cause a bulging chest - "chicken breast". If the disease is severe, there is a risk of blockage of the paths for air to pass into the lungs. There are also cases when, against the background of a strong cough, the patient lost consciousness.
Symptoms and their clarification
If the symptoms suggest bronchial asthma, the patient is referred for a special examination. The disease is characterized by a rather specific clinical picture, however, additional clarifications are also important, since certain manifestations of asthma are also characteristic of a number of other pathologies.
First of all, the patient is prescribed instrumental studies. To do this, check the external breathing. Forced exhalation indicators are analyzed in the first second and, in general, these two parameters are correlated. If the ratio is less than 70%, you can talk about asthma.
To clarify the condition, it is recommended to do a sputum and blood test. In the secret produced by the bronchi, sputum in an asthmatic, eosinophils are found. The substance itself is viscous, difficult to separate, has two layers. The elements of Charcot-Leiden, Kurshman are possible in the composition of organic matter. In laboratory conditions, blood eosinophilia is detected.
To establish an allergic reaction, various types of tests are carried out, including inhalation. The patient is prescribed a radioallergosorbent test, IgE is analyzed.
The final stage of diagnosis is X-ray or tomography. This allows you to identifyfeatures of pathological processes occurring in the lung structures. Doctors detect emphysema, if present, can diagnose chronic bronchitis.
Asthmatic status
The initial stage is relatively compensated, so there are no pronounced manifestations of pulmonary ventilation insufficiency, while dyspnea is prolonged. Inhalation remains normal, and exhalation is significantly more difficult. Inhalation and exhalation are related to 1:2 or 1:2, 5. The patient notes:
- dyspnea;
- cyanosis;
- bronchospasm;
- pulmonary congestion;
- unproductive cough.
Blood tests show changes in the ratio of gases, acids and bases. Hyperventilation is noted. Sputum separation is given with great difficulty.
During the examination, the doctor notes that breathing is hard, carried out in all lung departments, while the patient emits a variety of wheezing and buzzing. The ratio of ventilation and perfusion is disturbed, the air velocity at the moment of expiration (maximum) is almost twice as low as the norm, but in the best cases - up to 80%. The patient is faced with more pronounced manifestations of pulmonary emphysema, cardiac tones are muffled, the rhythm and speed of the heart is lost. Asthmatic status manifests itself as high blood pressure and general dehydration.
Broncholytics, sympathomimetics in status asthmaticus do not bring relief, suffocation does not go away.
Status Progress
At the second stage, obstructive disorders increase, lung ventilation is disturbed even more, respiratory decompensation is recorded. Bronchial spasm is severe, exhalation is significantly difficult, and muscle activity is ineffective despite hyperventilation, so hypoxia cannot be prevented. On exhalation, the maximum air velocity is less than half of the norm.
For some, the second step of status asthmaticus is accompanied by convulsions, twitches, and arousal is gradually replaced by drowsiness. The respiratory rate is more than 30 breaths per minute, while the process is noisy, audible to people who are several meters away from the patient. Possible pulmonary obstruction. The heart rate exceeds 120 beats per minute. Dehydration expressed. Gradually, hyperventilation turns into underventilation.
Third stage
In medicine, it is called hypoxic coma. The patient's pupils dilate, they practically do not react to light, the rhythm of breathing is knocked down, the breathing itself is superficial, the frequency is more than 60 cycles per minute, bradypnea is possible. Extreme hypoxia, hypercapnia is extremely pronounced. Bronchial spasm is total, the bronchi are completely clogged with a viscous secret produced by the glands. Auscultatory murmurs cannot be heard. The work of the heart is disturbed, fibrillation of the heart ventricles is observed.
Appearances
At the first stage of asthmatic status are noted:
- frequent bouts of coughing not controlled by medication;
- orthopnea;
- rapid breathing;
- sputum is separated with great difficulty, the substance is very viscous;
- strong breathing noise heard from afar;
- skin is pale, with bluishshade;
- tachycardia;
- arrhythmia;
- tendency to get irritated for any reason;
- excited state;
- hallucinations.
To clarify the condition, they do a blood test for gases, as well as a biochemical one, and take an electrocardiogram.
Manifestations of the second stage:
- the patient's condition is serious;
- severe shortness of breath;
- orthopnea;
- shallow breathing, convulsive act of air capture;
- swelling of the blood vessels in the neck;
- excitation turning into apathy and back again;
- grey skin tone;
- sweating;
- rapid heart rate;
- low blood pressure.
To clarify the condition, you need to analyze the blood, do an analysis to determine the balance of acids and alkalis, take an electrocardiogram.
Manifestations of the third stage:
- coma;
- red cyanosis;
- loss of consciousness;
- convulsiveness;
- rare, out of breath;
- filamentous pulse;
- pressure is low or not measured at all.
