Asthma | CLINIC TEN

Content Supervision

KOMAI TSUBASA

Physician / Board-Certified Internist (Japanese Society of Internal Medicine) / Board-Certified Interventional Cardiologist (Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics) / ECG Certification Level 1

I have worked diligently as a young physician on the front lines of cardiovascular emergency medicine. While I feel an “immense sense of fulfillment” when patients brought in by ambulance successfully return to their normal lives, I have also witnessed many cases of “the ultimate consequences of lifestyle diseases” that could not be saved. I aspire to be a family doctor whom patients can consult as casually as they would a friend, with the goal of helping people before it’s too late. I am also involved in medical education to improve health literacy among the Japanese public.

What is asthma?

Asthma is a disease in which chronic inflammation of the bronchi narrows the airways, causing difficulty in breathing. Approximately 8-14% of children and 9-10% of adults suffer from asthma, and it is known that the onset of the disease is due to a variety of factors, including genetics, allergy history, and viral respiratory infections.

Asthma symptoms and characteristics

When there are no attacks, there are no symptoms, but if there is some trigger, such as a cold, dust, weather, fatigue, stress, smoking, or contact with pets, the symptoms will appear and an attack will occur. The initial symptoms of an attack are a sore throat, cough, and phlegm, which gradually worsen. Gradually, wheezing and whistling sounds appear when exhaling, and breathing becomes difficult.

In mild attacks, the patient can lie down even if it is painful, but in moderate attacks, it becomes too painful to lie down and walking becomes difficult. In severe attacks, the patient becomes unable to move and has difficulty speaking. If the condition worsens further, the patient may become completely unable to speak, lose consciousness, lose incontinence, and have weak breathing, eventually ceasing breathing and dying.

Asthma treatment and precautions

Treatment involves prescribing the type and amount of medication appropriate to the severity of the condition. The basic medications are divided into two categories: long-term control medications to prevent attacks, and anti-seizure medications to relieve acute attacks.

Long-term control medications are primarily steroid inhalers, combined with long-acting bronchodilators (typical example: anti-leukotrienes). To completely prevent attacks, it is important to continue daily use even when there are no symptoms. When an attack occurs, fast-acting inhaled bronchodilators or oral steroids are used.

If you don’t use inhaled steroids on a regular basis and only use them when you have an asthma attack, your asthma may actually get worse. As your symptoms improve, you can reduce the amount of medication you take.

What to look out for if you are diagnosed with asthma

It is important to adhere to medication regimens even when there are no symptoms and to avoid exposure to asthma triggers. A good living environment includes flooring, cleaning at least three times a week, and maintaining hygienic bedding. Smoking can also cause attacks, so quitting smoking is also effective.

summary

Asthma is a disease that causes difficulty breathing due to chronic inflammation in the bronchi.
The key to treatment is long-term control medication to prevent attacks and anti-seizure medication to relieve acute attacks.
Avoiding exposure to asthma triggers is also important.

Doctor’s comment

I also used to suffer from asthma.

Asthma symptoms can worsen especially on cold days, at night, or after exercise.
While it is important to avoid the causes, it is most important to use inhaled steroid medications properly to prevent attacks.

Repeated attacks cause damage to the lungs, which can affect respiratory function. If you have any symptoms, we recommend that you see a doctor as soon as possible.