The airways into the lungs have a group of muscles surrounding them; these muscles function, is to press and close the airways when a foreign substance enters them. By closing the airway and producing a cough, the foreign substance is expelled and it does not enter into the lungs. The lung’s job is to replenish the blood with oxygen, which is then distributed to the rest of the body. This is Nature’s way to protect the lungs. This is how it works in all of us.
The airways in a person who has asthma are never completely open. They are always inflamed and are very sensitive to certain substances, which produce an allergic reaction. This allergic reaction triggers the muscles into pressing on the airways thus cutting down the air passage.
There is no cure for asthma, even when the person feels fine and is breathing normally, the disease is still there waiting to strike. There are many factors which provoke an asthma attack and they affect each person in a different way. Being that there are so many different substances and allergens in the air, it is impossible to avoid all of them. Asthma is provoked by innumerable factors; even a change in temperature during the night can trigger a reaction or an attack. So it is very hard to prevent it. Permanent medication is required for a person suffering from asthma.
More than twenty million people suffer asthma in the United States alone and out of these, six million are children. Modern technology and constant research in medication and treatments allows them to live normal almost asthma free lives. The disease is always present but it is controlled by the medication and the precautions the person takes in avoiding situations he or she know will trigger an asthma attack. Asthma medication is designed to prevent the attacks, not to cure them. When an asthma attack has started normal medication is useless, many times it is necessary for the person to go to a hospital to be put in a nebulizer and injected to reopen his air passages. Extreme cases require hospitalization and oxygen to be forced into the lungs.
Even though there is no cure for asthma it can be controlled and managed in a way that the person leads a completely normal life. Medication must be taken every day, usually a pill or an inhaler which administers the exact dose the person requires. Special care and precautions are needed during the winter months when seasonal flu shows up because a cold can be complicated for a person suffering from asthma; it could trigger an asthma attack even if the person is taking his medication properly.
Springtime is also dangerous for the asthma patient; it is time to watch his medication and pay special attention to his surroundings. During this time many flowers are blooming and releasing their pollen into the air. There is spring-cleaning and many other activities producing dust and other particles that fly away in the air and may provoke an asthmatic reaction.