Asthma nearby: why the disease can appear suddenly and how to protect yourself

Bronchial asthma is a disease that can go unnoticed for years, but one day manifest itself with a sudden and dangerous attack. Ukrainians today are increasingly exposed to factors that harm the respiratory system, and that is why understanding the symptoms, triggers, and rules of assistance are critically important. Rostyslav Liubevych, a pulmonologist at the Dobrobut medical network, told UNN journalist about how asthma develops, how to help a person with an attack, and what everyone should know about this disease.

Details

Bronchial asthma can occur even in a person who considers themselves absolutely healthy. According to the pulmonologist, the disease often proceeds latently, and the first attack can catch a person at any age. Rostyslav Liubevych emphasizes that the combination of heredity and the action of external factors, in particular air pollution, is important. Modern realities in Ukraine only amplify these risks and make the problem more widespread.

A person can live half their life without knowing they have asthma. But bronchospasm, characterized by an attack of shortness of breath, can happen for the first time at any age. The cause of chronic inflammation is a combination of heredity and environmental factors (e.g., allergens), including air pollutants that appear in the air during mass shelling.

One of the most dangerous situations is a sudden asthma attack. To help a person with an attack, it is important to act quickly and calmly, because panic only worsens the patient's condition, says Rostyslav Liubevych. And the correct algorithm of actions will help support the person until the medics arrive, and sometimes even avoid serious consequences.

If a person has an attack, it is important to calm them down, seat them with support on their arms, help them use an inhaler (a patient with bronchial asthma always carries it with them, usually it is a special turbuhaler device or a classic salbutamol canister ("puffer")) and take 1-2 slow deep breaths after a full exhalation and try to hold their breath for a few seconds. In addition, it is necessary to provide the patient with access to fresh air. If the symptoms do not disappear within 10-15 minutes, the person is unable to speak, has blue lips or begins to lose consciousness - you need to call an ambulance immediately.

What to pay attention to

Timely and correct diagnosis is no less important, because many patients ignore the first signals. Often people get used to a prolonged cough or periodic shortness of breath and do not associate it with a possible disease, thinking that it is a consequence of infection or fatigue, although in fact, it may be a manifestation of asthma.

Shortness of breath, wheezing during breathing are classic symptoms. Few people pay attention to a cough, which can also be a sign of bronchial asthma. Also, a characteristic sign is a prolonged and complicated course of respiratory infections, meaning a person gets sick with ARVI very often and for a long time with prolonged symptoms of cough or shortness of breath. It should be noted that symptoms may have seasonality, for example, worsen in summer and occur in response to contact with a trigger.

Triggers

A separate topic is asthma triggers, which can be both obvious and almost imperceptible. The most common provocateurs are animal allergens, pollen, mold, house dust mites, as well as polluted air, the doctor emphasizes. However, some factors are related to lifestyle: stress, smoking, physical overexertion. And even if it is impossible to completely avoid triggers, it is realistic to reduce their impact.

"I always talk about the sweetest and most aggressive allergen - the cat. There are allergies to epidermal, household, pollen, food allergens, to medicines. But triggers can also be polluted air, perfumes, household chemicals, infections, stress or excessive physical exertion," says Rostyslav Liubevych.

Prevention

Asthma prevention and control include a number of important daily actions. Regular use of inhaled drugs is the basis of treatment, which cannot be interrupted even in the absence of symptoms, emphasizes Rostyslav Liubevych. Additionally, the doctor recommends vaccination, healthy eating, physical activity, and quitting smoking. In addition, mental health plays a special role, because stress is one of the most common and underestimated triggers.

The first recommendation for every patient is to avoid triggers and constantly use an inhaler daily, even if no symptoms are felt. The second is vaccination against influenza, COVID-19, and pneumococcus, because these pathogens most often cause respiratory infections, which can become a trigger. The third is rational nutrition and moderate physical activity, quitting smoking. The fourth is working with mental health, given the current situation in the country, including self-calming techniques and stress management, consultations with a psychologist, psychotherapist, or psychiatrist if necessary. And the last fifth is periodic visits to a family doctor or pulmonologist.

Asthma is a disease that is not always noticeable, but always requires attention. Timely recognition of symptoms, control of triggers, and proper help during an attack can save lives and ensure a high quality of daily existence even for people with a diagnosis.

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