Asthma is characterized by a paroxysmal course: between exacerbations, bronchial obstruction disappears, but appears again during an attack. This disease is very serious, and the attack itself requires immediate help, therefore it is important to be able to recognize the first signs of asthma and take the necessary measures.
The initial stage of the disease
Usually asthmatic manifestations take place already in childhood (up to 10 years), and in time the treatment started helps to get rid of the disease of 50% of small patients.
Only in a third of cases the first signs of bronchial asthma appear in adults - at the age of up to 40 years.
At the earliest stage of the disease there are various allergic reactions, in particular - atopic dermatitis . There is a perspiration in the throat, itching in the nose, sneezing, runny nose, aggravating during house cleaning or flowering of plants.
At the next stage, called pre-asthma, a person begins to catch cold more often: ARVI and bronchitis are annoying even in the warm season.
Then the main sign of asthma - actually an attack - makes itself felt.
How to recognize an asthmatic attack?
A characteristic feature of suffocation is the position of the patient - he tries to sit, clasping his hands at the table and lifting his shoulder belt. This forced posture is accompanied by a swelling of the chest.
Other signs of starting asthma:
- short breaths and prolonged exhalations without a pause accompanied by wheezing;
- During breathing, the muscles of the shoulder belt, chest and press move;
- the patient's face starts to turn pale, and the lips and fingertips become blue (cyanosis);
- there is pain in the area of the diaphragm and panic (with a prolonged attack).
In this case, the patient literally suffocates. Often before the attack, cough, sneezing, urticaria, and a runny nose are fixed.
During an asthmatic attack or after it, a patient can cough up a little viscous sputum. At the hearing, the doctor discovers dry, scattered wheezing. After coughing, wheezing becomes more.
Such signs of asthma are usually observed in adults, while small patients may not have any clinical manifestations other than a persistent cough that intensifies at night. This is the so-called cough variant of asthma.
What triggers an attack?
Patients with asthma between exacerbations usually have no complaints, but the attack leads to the action:
- allergens - dust mites, spores, animal wool, food, pollen of plants; signs of allergenic asthma are expressed in a certain period of the year;
- irritants - tobacco smoke, exhaust gases, perfume;
- infections - signs of asthma can be caused by influenza, sinusitis, bronchitis , SARS;
- stress, constant experiences, fears.
Depending on the triggers (factors causing the attack), asthma is classified into the following forms:
- exogenous (allergic);
- endogenous (provoked by the above-described triggers, except allergens);
- mixed (the attack is caused by allergens and other factors).
Special forms of the disease
The attack of suffocation can be caused by the use of acetylsalicylic acid or drugs from a group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This is the so-called aspirin asthma.
There is also an asthma of physical effort, when a person starts to choke after 5 to 15 minutes after a load: running, playing sports. Especially the development of an attack is affected in this case by the inhalation of dry cold air.
Another specific form is reflux-induced asthma: its symptoms are caused by the release of stomach contents up the esophagus and the ingress of aggressive agents into the lumen of the bronchial tree.
If you witness an asthmatic attack, you should immediately call a doctor. Usually asthmatics carry inhalers and immediately use them. Otherwise, you can not do without calling an ambulance.