Asthma: Signs to recognize and how to treat

When our body has a disease, we need to have a suitable diet for each type of disease to help the body stay healthy and avoid the recurrence of the disease. Asthma is no exception, we need to pay attention to our diet and some other things to avoid an asthma attack. Here are some notes that Tnhelearning.edu.vn would like to share with you. Let’s see!

What is Asthma?

Asthma, also known as bronchial asthma, is a condition in which the airways narrow and swell, producing a lot of mucus that makes you feel short of breath or provokes a cough . Some cases of asthma are just an inconvenience. But in some severe cases, asthma interferes with life and even affects life.

What is Asthma?

An asthma attack will recur when the patient is exposed to environmental factors such as mold, humidity, and certain allergens (dust mites, cigarette smoke, etc.). Air pollution and viral lung infections also cause this disease.

Asthma is largely divided into the following common types: Allergic asthma, exercise-induced asthma, cough asthma, nocturnal asthma, seasonal asthma, …

Who can get asthma?

Asthma is known to be a common chronic disease in children . However, adults can still get the disease , especially the elderly . Asthma is more likely to get sick in people who include:

• Suffer from respiratory infections.
• Eczema, allergies.
• Because a parent or family member has asthma.
• People who live in a polluted environment, with a lot of dust and chemicals.

Who can get asthma?

Signs and symptoms of asthma

Asthma has many different symptoms in each person. The following are some of the common symptoms seen in people with asthma:

• Breathe shallow, short, fast, quick.
• Chest pain or tenderness.
• Wheeze.
• Inability to sleep due to difficulty breathing, coughing or wheezing.
• With colds and flu, coughs and wheezing often get worse.

Symptoms of Asthma

If you have any of the following symptoms, you may have severe asthma:

• Symptoms are more frequent and bothersome.
• Difficulty breathing increased.
• Use your asthma inhaler more often.

Is Asthma Dangerous?

Asthma will largely affect the patient’s activities in daily life when recurrent. Prolonged coughs can make sufferers uncomfortable, tired during the day, and can’t sleep at night.

Although it is a chronic disease, asthma can also cause a low mortality rate. Therefore, you should also be careful and have the right treatment method so as not to lead to other complications such as: respiratory failure, atelectasis, emphysema, bronchitis, …

Is Asthma Dangerous?

Pregnant women are often prone to asthma at 24-36 weeks of pregnancy, when the disease can easily lead to many dangerous complications for both mother and baby such as: premature birth, vaginal bleeding, eclampsia, delivery underweight baby…

Reference: What to do with asthma, what to eat and what to avoid?

How to treat and prevent asthma

According to BSNT Nguyen Van Ngan said: Asthma cannot be cured completely , so one of the principles when treating and preventing asthma is to minimize exposure to these pathogens . However, if detected early and controlled, the disease will not be severe and can apply the following ways to reduce uncomfortable symptoms:

• Use medication as prescribed by your doctor: Asthma is easy to relapse if you are allergic to certain drugs, so you need to follow your doctor’s instructions when taking any medicine and avoid self-medication. buy medicine to use to treat disease.
• Minimize exposure to pathogens: Asthma is a disease that easily recurs if you are exposed to pets, smoke, chemicals, dust, cockroaches, certain foods, plants, pollen, moisture. Therefore, you should wear a mask when going out, clean your house regularly and abstain from allergic foods.

How to treat and prevent asthma

• Exercise and use foods that increase resistance: You need to exercise to improve your health as well as have a healthy and scientific diet and activities.
• Keep your body warm when the weather turns cold: When it’s cold, you need to equip yourself with a scarf, hat, thick coat, gloves, etc. to keep your body warm and prevent asthma from recurring.

Refer to 7 more effective home remedies for asthma at home. However, it is also advisable to consult experts before using these tips, especially if there are any unusual signs, you must immediately take them to a medical facility for examination.

Some frequently asked questions about asthma

Is asthma contagious?

Asthma is a non-communicable disease because it is not caused by a virus or bacteria, but it is hereditary.

What should asthma patients avoid, what to eat?

When you have asthma, you need to strengthen your nutrition, resistance, as well as vitamins and minerals such as: Vitamin C, vitamin D, Omega-3, magnesium, antioxidants, …

To improve your health when you have asthma, you need to pay attention to abstaining from certain foods that can trigger an asthma attack such as:

Foods to avoid when you have asthma

Bottled orange and lemon juices

In orange juice, bottled lemon has a high content of additives, flavorings and chemicals . These substances will adversely affect your health. You should use homemade fresh orange and lemon juice to limit chemicals and support the muscles in the airways to work better.

Wine

Alcohol has a negative effect on the nervous and respiratory systems, so you will always feel short of breath after drinking alcohol . Give up alcohol if you have asthma.

Dried fruit or vegetables

Dried fruits or vegetables often have preservatives called sulfites . Sulfites are chemicals that can make breathing difficult for people with asthma. You should avoid foods like raisins, pineapples, apricots, cherries and canned vegetables.

Pickled foods

There are also sulfites in pickled foods. Grape juice, wine and some other soft drinks also contain this substance. If you have a bad reaction to sulfites, avoid these foods.

What should asthma patients avoid?

Frozen food, prepackaged food

Frozen foods, prepackaged foods often contain sulfites and preservatives such as sodium bisulfite , which are not good for the respiratory tract, directly affecting people with asthma. You need to stay away from frozen foods such as frozen fish, frozen seafood, chips, snacks, etc.

Allergic foods

Some foods have the potential to cause allergies for people with asthma, triggering asthma attacks such as peanuts, cow’s milk, shrimp, crab, wheat, etc. So limit your intake of these foods if you allergic.

Salt

Foods containing a lot of salt, when absorbed into the trachea, will produce sputum , when met with toxic cold wind, it will cause sputum congestion and affect people with asthma.

Foods containing sulfites

As mentioned above, sulfites are a group of chemicals that have a high ability to cause breathing difficulties for people with asthma. Be wary of other foods that naturally contain sulfites, including asparagus, chives, corn, eggs, garlic, leeks, lettuce, salmon, soy products, and tomatoes.

What is the difference between asthma and bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis, if treated early, resolves in 5-10 days, but the cough can persist for weeks afterward. Acute bronchitis can turn chronic if the patient smokes and is exposed to dust and dust regularly. Bronchitis can occur in many subjects, all ages, all genders, especially those with poor resistance.

What is the difference between asthma and bronchitis?

Meanwhile, asthma is a chronic disease and sufferers will have to live with this disease for the rest of their lives . The disease also recurs with symptoms such as: Cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, … Asthma is most common in children, common in people with a history of allergies to atopic dermatitis. , eczema, allergic rhinitis or inherited from relatives.

Just now are answers about asthma and what to avoid and what to watch out for when you have asthma. Hopefully, the information that Tnhelearning.edu.vn has provided will help those suffering from asthma to take better care of themselves and be healthier.

Source: Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi

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