What can trigger Asthma and How do I treat it?

What is Asthma? 

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lung airways. In an asthmatic patient, the air passages become inflamed and filled with mucus, and the muscles around the airway also thicken and become tighter. This results in narrowing of the airways and more difficult for movement of air into and out of the lungs. Due to the airway inflammation, the airways are also more sensitive when exposed to triggers, further worsening the airway narrowing. 

What can trigger Asthma symptoms? 

Asthma can affect patients of all ages. In Singapore, some common risk factors include respiratory allergies (the most common ones being house dust mite), respiratory infections, cigarette smoking, irritant exposure, having certain concomitant conditions such as allergic rhinitis, as well as certain medications (such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers). 

Other types of asthma can include exercise-induced asthma (asthma symptoms brought on specifically by a period of exercise) and occupational asthma (asthma occurring due to exposure to workplace irritants). 

What are the symptoms of Asthma, and why should I not ignore my Asthma symptoms? 

Asthma symptoms can include the following: wheezing sounds during breathing, cough particularly at night, difficulty in breathing, chest tightness. These symptoms tend to come and go, with patients feeling well in between. However, if the symptoms are not treated properly, they can become more frequent and severe. This also increases the risk of asthma attack (sudden and rapid worsening of asthma symptoms). This can have a significant impact on the quality of life of asthma sufferers. 

Fortunately, asthma can be effectively controlled with the right medications. The key to keeping asthma under control is the regular use of inhalers containing low doses of anti-inflammatory medications. These medications reduce the inflammation in the asthmatic lungs and help to reduce asthma symptoms. They also make the lungs less sensitive to triggers that provoke asthma attacks, such as allergies. 

Do you suspect yourself or your family member of having poorly controlled asthma? Get specialist care at Respiratory Medical Associates

Respiratory Medical Associates is an established specialist group that is recognised as one of Singapore's leading experts in the evaluation and management of asthma. Your asthma doctor will take a detailed history to determine the cause and severity of your asthma. A comprehensive range of investigations are available to ascertain the diagnosis and severity of asthma, including lung function testing (spirometry, exhaled nitric oxide testing), radiology and allergy tests. After obtaining the relevant information and results, your asthma doctor will discuss in detail with you and formulate an individualized treatment plan to optimize your asthma control. 

Advanced treatment options are also available at Respiratory Medical Associates such as: 

- combination inhaler therapy

- biologic therapy- these are injection medications that treats specific aspects of asthma inflammation in severe asthma patients

- bronchial thermoplasty- an endoscopic technique of delivering thermal energy to the asthmatic airway wall, thereby reducing the airway muscle bulk and relieving the airway narrowing. 

Your asthma doctor will discuss whether these treatments are suitable for you. Enquire now at https://www.respmed-associates.sg/