Do you have asthma? Then you know that your lungs react very sensitively to stimuli, such as smoke, exhaust fumes, dust mites or pets. It can make you very short of breath or cause you to cough. If this comes on suddenly, it is called an asthma attack. Fortunately, this is not the case for everyone. How bad the asthma is varies from person to person. But what exactly is asthma? And did you know that there are different types of asthma? And how can you learn to manage it better? In this article, you will find the answers to these questions.
What is asthma?
Asthma is an inflammation of the lungs which causes various symptoms. During an asthma attack, the mucous membranes in the nose, throat and lungs swell. At such times, more fluid and mucus are produced than usual, causing the muscles around the airways to cramp and contract. This narrows the airways, making breathing more difficult. Asthma can be hereditary. In one family, more people often have asthma or another allergy. Asthma usually starts as a child. It can also start in adulthood, sometimes not until after the age of 50.
What forms of asthma are there?
Asthma can be divided into several forms. The forms differ from each other in the way symptoms are caused. It is common for a person to have several forms. You may be hypersensitive to one or more stimuli. Usually the lungs react immediately after the stimulus, sometimes after hours.
- Allergic asthma: In this common form, the allergic reaction may be triggered by: pollen from trees, grasses or weeds, pollen, moulds, house dust mites, animal dander, certain nutrients or ingredients from medicines, etc. Which stimulus(s) a person reacts to and to what extent varies greatly from person to person.
- Non-allergic asthma (intrinsic): In this form, symptoms are caused by non-allergic substances. Examples include: exhaust fumes, smoke (smoking or second-hand smoke), air pollution, fine dust (from wood stoves or fireworks), petrol, perfume, the smell of cleaning products or paint and certain weather conditions, such as cold, fog or damp air.
- Exercise asthma: Here, the cause of tightness lies in making effort, in moving quickly. Movement, stress and emotions can be very strenuous for the body. Cold and humid air can also play a role in this.
- Severe asthma: This form is difficult to treat with medication. As a result, many symptoms can occur. Fortunately, this form of asthma is the least common.
How do you recognise asthma?
Below is a list of symptoms you may experience with asthma. You will often experience one or more of the symptoms below:
- Coughing, especially at night
- Tightness
- Squeaky breathing
- Periods of a lot of coughing and phlegm
- Less fit: exercising and/or moving takes effort and you do not sustain it for long
- Developing an attack due to breathing too high and too fast during exercise
Do you recognise yourself in this and do not yet know if it is asthma? If so, contact your GP. These symptoms alone cannot diagnose asthma. This requires further examination by a specialist (lung specialist).
What can you do yourself to make coping with asthma easier?
Most people with asthma can lead a normal life with the right treatment. Because you have to live with asthma 24 hours a day, it is important that you try to find a good balance. Focus on what you can still do and take into account what you can no longer do. Here are some tips.
Tip 1: Get moving
Find a way of exercising that suits you. There are plenty of sporting opportunities to work on good fitness and breathing technique. Don't look for it in extreme sports, but go walking, cycling or visit a sports centre where you can exercise under supervision. A specialised physiotherapist can also help you with this. Endurance sports such as running, cycling or ball sports can improve your oxygen uptake. Yoga or pilates exercises improve your breathing technique and help you get strong abdominal and back muscles that improve your posture and give your lungs more space. If you have exertional asthma, talk to your doctor first to discuss how you can stay active while limiting your asthma symptoms.
Tip 2: Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
If you smoke, it is important that you try to quit. Smoking not only taxes your lungs, but can also damage your lungs. Nutrition also plays a role in asthma. There are nutrients that are associated with asthma, such as allergy to cow's milk, peanuts and nuts. But there are also nutrients that can benefit you such as Omega 3. This is mainly found in certain types of fish. It is a fat with anti-inflammatory properties. Caffeine can even relieve asthmatic symptoms because it stimulates heart rate and breathing. Vitamin B6 and vitamin C play an important role in resistance. Sufficient intake with the diet can reduce inflammation in lungs. It also helps fight infections.
Tip 3: Avoid your asthma triggers
Do you know where your stimuli come from? Do you suffer from house dust mites, for example? If so, daily vacuuming can help! Once you know what causes your shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing, it becomes easier to avoid that stimulus. Also pay attention to the stress factor in your life. Prolonged stress can make asthma worse.
Tip 4: Know your medicine
There are two types of asthma medicines: medicines to prevent and to relieve symptoms. To reduce inflammation in the lungs and prevent an asthma attack, you need to take the medicine faithfully every day. It helps keep your asthma under control. The medicine for relief helps you at the times when the symptoms strike and causes your airways to open further quickly. Make sure you know how to use the medicine correctly and keep it in your pocket in case the asthma worsens. Proper use of your asthma inhaler and good inhalation technique make a big difference for better breathing.
Tip 5: Get guidance from a specialist physiotherapist
Living with asthma is not easy. It can stress you a lot and make you insecure and even anxious. If you find it difficult to live a normal life with asthma, a specialised physiotherapist can help you along the way.
At our practice, we offer the following specialisations that can help you manage your asthma better:
Our pulmonary physiotherapist
Focus particularly on your breathing. Providing breathing exercises will give you more control over your breathing and this can ensure that an attack can be less violent. The right exercises can possibly even prevent an attack. Our pulmonary physiotherapist can also help you learn to cough up phlegm. Do you smoke? Our pulmonary physiotherapist will support you in quitting smoking and work with you to see which sport suits you best.
Our sports physiotherapist
Do you experience a barrier to exercise because of your asthma? Or do you suffer from exertional asthma? Then our sports physiotherapist can offer support in choosing and sustaining a sport. Together, you can make a plan to get and keep moving. He or she can help you build muscles, including respiratory muscles, so that less oxygen and energy are needed for the same performance.
Our psychosomatic physiotherapist
This physiotherapy treatment focuses more on factors of stress. Together, we look at your daily schedule and how you manage your energy during the day. Asthma can do a lot to you. You may continue to worry about it, you may have to deal with a social environment that doesn't quite get it or an employer that doesn't give you the space you need. Is this the case? Then a psychosomatic physiotherapist is the right person to help you with this.
Do you have asthma and could use some support?
Then make a quick appointment by calling 085-5000333, send an e-mail to info@friskfysio.nl or us contact form fill in.
.
