Asthma is a disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation. Clinical manifestations include recurrent episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and cough. In atypical cases, cough or chest tightness may be the primary clinical manifestation. Asthma often occurs or worsens at night or in the early morning, and is accompanied by widespread and variable airflow limitation. In recent years, the prevalence of asthma in my country has rapidly increased, reaching 4.2% among people aged 20 and above, with a total of 45.7 million people affected.
Ⅰ. Causes of Asthma
- Indoor Allergens: These include dust mites, animal allergens, cockroach allergens, and fungi. Indoor carpets, air conditioners, and humidifiers can serve as ideal habitats for allergens.
- Outdoor Allergens: These primarily include pollen and fungi.
- Ingested Allergens: The ingestion of foreign proteins, such as fish, shrimp, eggs, milk, and peanuts.
- Medication: Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are risk factors for asthma.
- Respiratory tract infection pathogens: Respiratory tract viral infection is an important cause of recurrent asthma in children.
- Exercise: Exercise can cause asthmatic children to have airflow limitation and short-term asthma symptoms, which is the most common trigger for asthma.
- Emotional excitement: Extreme emotional expressions such as crying, laughing, anger or panic can cause hyperventilation, which is a trigger for asthma attacks.
- Others: Cold, dry air, strong odors (passive smoking), chemicals, occupational dust and gas, respiratory diseases (sinusitis, nasal polyps), etc. are all related to asthma attacks.
Ⅱ. How to prevent asthma attacks
- Avoid contact with allergens
(1) Reduce contact with pollen and dust. It is recommended to wear a mask when going out and avoid staying in places with high pollen concentrations for a long time.
(2) Keep the room clean: Wash bedding, curtains, and carpets regularly to reduce the breeding of dust mites. Remember not to keep furry animals such as cats and dogs at home.
(3) Pay attention to food allergies: avoid seafood, milk and other allergenic foods, and reduce spicy foods, cold drinks and other irritating foods.
- Prevent respiratory infections
(1) Take good warming measures: The temperature difference between day and night in spring is large. Add or remove clothes in time according to weather changes to avoid colds and trigger asthma.
(2) Vaccination is crucial: Before the peak season for asthma, get a flu shot to greatly reduce the risk of respiratory infections and add a “protective shield” to the body.
(3) Maintain good hygiene habits: wash your hands frequently to wash off all germs on your hands; open windows frequently to ventilate and keep the indoor air fresh; minimize contact with people with respiratory infections to reduce the possibility of infection.
(4) Eat a reasonable diet: Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, especially those rich in vitamin C and vitamin E, which can help the body enhance resistance. Eat as little high-fat and high-sugar foods as possible.
Ⅲ. Improve living habits and environment
- Moderate exercise: Choose low-intensity exercise such as swimming, walking, and Tai Chi to enhance physical fitness, and avoid strenuous exercise that may cause airway spasms.
- Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke: Smoke can irritate the airways and aggravate inflammatory reactions. Strictly quit smoking and stay away from smoking environments.
- Control indoor humidity: Keep the humidity at around 50%. If conditions permit, use an air purifier to reduce mold and pollutants.
- Control weight: Fat tissue in obese people will release some inflammatory factors, irritate the airways, and induce asthma. Obese people also have lower immunity and weaker respiratory function, and are more likely to develop bronchial asthma.
Ⅳ. Standardize medication
Use medication under the guidance of a doctor. Asthma patients need to use asthma control drugs and emergency drugs regularly. Carry emergency drugs, such as salbutamol inhalers, with them in time for acute attacks. Use control drugs regularly for long-term treatment and do not stop taking them on your own.
Ⅴ. How to Prevent Asthma Attacks During Seasonal Changes
The temperature fluctuates dramatically during the seasons, especially during the peak season of spring pollen concentrations, which can have a significant impact on asthma sufferers.
To prevent asthma attacks during seasonal changes, it’s important to note the following:
Dress appropriately and keep warm to avoid sudden exposure to dry, cold air and colds caused by drastic changes in weather.
Wear a mask when in crowded places to avoid upper respiratory infections like influenza A. Get a flu shot annually to prevent the flu.