What Causes Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic airway disorder that occurs due to inflammation and hyperresponsiveness of the airway. As a result, a patient will experience repeated shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing that can negatively impact their quality of life. Fortunately, specialists at Live Urgent Care provide comprehensive diagnosis and management of asthma in Bellmawr, helping patients eliminate their symptoms and breathe comfortably.

Children are at a higher risk of developing the condition. Also, if you are male, you are more likely to develop asthma than a woman. Although age and gender contribute to a person’s risk of getting asthma, other host factors like genetics, specifically having atopy, may make you more vulnerable to developing this allergic disease.

Pathophysiology of asthma

It is crucial to conduct thorough research on the root cause of asthma to help you appreciate diagnosis and understand the proper management protocol. There is plenty of information on asthma pathogenesis that groups the condition into distinct phenotypes; atopic and nonatopic.

The respiratory system parts likely to manifest asthma symptoms include the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles. The first cause of asthma is inflammation in the airway. Consequently, the patient with the condition will have airway constriction and resistance. For this reason, the disease will manifest as shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing.

Adverse effects of asthma include bronchospasms with oedema and excess mucus secretion that will add to the bronchoconstriction. The airways will continue narrowing, and there may be a blockage if thick mucus is released. Unfortunately, amid all these symptoms, an injury to the epithelium may occur, causing peeling. At this point, airway impairment is extreme. Peeling of the epithelial barrier will allow penetration of allergens. Subsequently, the airways become hyperresponsive.

It is essential to seek medical help when you notice you have problems breathing and suspect that your condition has an allergic background. Early diagnosis and management are necessary to prevent permanent fibrotic damage that may progressively lead to loss of lung function. Fibrotic damage occurs when your asthma causes loss of critical enzymes that help break down inflammatory mediators, an impairment that may cause unresponsive therapy.

What are the classifications of asthma?

•         Atopic

This classification of asthma starts in childhood. Exposure to a specific allergen like pollen, smoke or grass is what triggers wheezing. Upon exposure to the allergen, the patient’s body will release excess IgE, an action that triggers the release of inflammatory mediators like histamine. Consequently, since asthma inhibits enzymes that break down inflammatory enzymes, airway inflammation and bronchoconstriction occurs. Pregnant women should not smoke because this habit may predispose their unborn children to this class of asthma.

•         Nonatopic

This class is popular among adult patients and does not involve IgE response. Triggers are hardly the usual allergens, and the patient may have developed the condition following a viral infection in the airway.

Contact Live Urgent Care if you exhibit asthma-like symptoms to get an accurate diagnosis of your condition and receive personalized care that will manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.