What Causes asthma? The exact cause of asthma is unknown. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website, "Researchers think some genetic and environmental factors interact to cause asthma, most often early in life". These environmental factors are usually reffered to as asthma triggers. Asthma triggers are such things as: indoor allergens, outdoor allergens, air pollution, weather changes, smoking, occupational sensitisers, chemicals, dust, etc.
|
What Is Asthma? Just like other diseases there is no golden definition of asthma. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Asthma is a chronic (long-term) lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma presents itself differently with each person. The symptons can be from mild all the way to life threating. How the symptons present themselves within a person also helps classify the type of asthma the person has.
What are the symptons of asthma?- Wheezing
- Coughing - Tightness of Chest - Shortness of Breath - Variable Airflow Obstruction - Abnormal Breathing Pattern - Rapid Pulse |
Types of severity
![Picture](/uploads/1/8/3/2/18329803/6438531.jpg?451)
(4) Different severities of asthma
Most doctors once you have been diagnosed with asthma will rate or type your symptons by severity. The severity of asthma varies widely among different people. By knowing the severity of your asthma, it will help your caregivers to match a treatment. Most caregivers follow a similar chart, pictured on the left, to figure out the severity of your asthma. It is catagorized from mild, intermittent all the way to severe, persistent. Although the classifying of sympton severity can help your caregiver match a treatment it has been shown to be probamatic becuase the signs and symtons do not remain constant. From the severity we reach some types of asthma: Persistent Asthma, Current Asthma, Intermittent Asthma, Obstructed Asthma, Asthma in Remission, Potential Asthma, and Trivial Asthma. For more information on these types of asthma please see works cited page for the Manual of Asthma Management edited by Paul M O'Byrne and Neil C Thomson.