Asma

Asthma
Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways, which causes attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.
Causes
Asthma is caused by inflammation in theairways. When an asthma attack occurs, the muscles surrounding the airways become tight and the lining of the air passages swells. This reduces the amount of air that can pass by.
In sensitive people,asthma symptoms can be triggered by breathing in allergy-causing substances (called allergens or triggers).
Common asthma triggers include:
* Animals (pet hair or dander)
* Dust
* Changesin weather (most often cold weather)
* Chemicals in the air or in food
* Exercise
* Mold
* Pollen
* Respiratory infections, such as the common cold
* Strong emotions(stress)
* Tobacco smoke
Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provoke asthma in some patients.
Many people with asthma have a personal or family history of allergies,such as hay fever (allergic rhinitis) or eczema. Others have no history of allergies.
Symptoms
Most people with asthma have attacks separated by symptom-free periods. Some people have long-termshortness of breath with episodes of increased shortness of breath. Either wheezing or a cough may be the main symptom.
Asthma attacks can last for minutes to days, and can become dangerous if the airflowis severely restricted.
Symptoms include:
* Cough with or without sputum (phlegm) production
* Pulling in of the skin between the ribs when breathing (intercostal retractions)
*Shortness of breath that gets worse with exercise or activity
* Wheezing, which:
* Comes in episodes with symptom-free periods in between
* May be worse at night or in early morning* May go away on its own
* Gets better when using drugs that open the airways (bronchodilators)
* Gets worse when breathing in cold air
* Gets worse with exercise...