Risks of Asthma Attack

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One of the incurable illnesses is asthma which has many symptoms to be taken care of. You must know different risk of asthma attack can increase the chances of getting an attack. Many of the asthma risk factors can be avoided like exposure to smoking and eating certain foods. However, there are other risk factors which are unavoidable like family history. But there are some protective factors which you should consider to lessen the risk of asthma.

Risks of Asthma Attack

During asthma attack, symptoms of asthma gets worsen making the muscles tightened around your airways. The airways lining becomes inflamed and mucus becomes thick as compared to the normal production. All such factors cause signs of asthma attack like sneezing, coughing, shortness of breathing and difficulty in performing daily routine activities. There are many different risks of asthma attack that can increase the chances of asthma. One of the protective risk factors like breast feeding decreases asthma risk.

Symptoms of an Asthma Attack

  • Feelings of panic or anxiety
  • Coughing with asthma that won't stop
  • Severe wheezing when breathing, both in and out
  • Worsening symptoms in spite of using medications
  • Chest pressure or pain
  • Fast breathing
  • Difficulty in talking
  • Pale, sweaty face
  • Tightened neck and chest muscles called retractions
  • Blue lips or fingernails

People with asthma can face this problem for extended periods without having any attack or severe symptoms, interrupted by worsening of these symptoms due to exposure to asthma risk factors or overdoing any exercise.

When the person faces any risk factors, the body starts releasing histamine and other agents causing inflammation in airways. The body releases other factors like contraction of the muscles in airways, making it smaller. One can also experience exercise-induced asthma, caused when a person indulges in different degrees of exercise. Symptoms can occur during or shortly after exercise.

The actual asthma cause is not known so far. However, it is believed that it is partially inherited, though it includes many environmental, chemical and infectious factors.

Anybody having an asthma attack will show common occurrence of symptoms among them:

  • Adults in their 30s
  • Children by the age of 5
  • People living in urban communities
  • Adults older than 65

The short-term risks which are involved with asthma are many. It depends on the seriousness of asthma; where an average asthma sufferer gets the attack once a week to many times per day. These attacks can come any time. Asthma patients must avoid smoking. This can help in protecting the symptoms from getting worse. Activities that can make you tired quickly must be avoided as this can often increase the problem.

Risk Factors

Long-term risk can be lung damage which will increase the chances of asthma attacks. Other diseases like heart disease, irregular breathing or breath shortness can cause the heart to beat irregularly. Everlasting damages can be caused to the lungs and heart because of asthma attack. If such damages are not treated in a proper way and at right time, then it can definitely make the cycle of frequent asthma attacks. It has been noticed that, though rarely death has occurred in asthma attacks due to long intensity of the attack. It has been found out that even children are susceptible to such attacks. Children can be prone to asthma attacks due to the following causes:

  • Many allergies
  • Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke
  • Personal medical history of allergies
  • Family history of asthma

Some attacks that take place get worse than the one before. When you face any severe asthma attack, you will notice that the air passages begin to tighten to the point where enough oxygen cannot get to necessary parts of body or organs. When such situation comes, then make sure you visit the doctor immediately and ask for medical emergency. The rate of death is increasing due to the increasing risk of asthma attacks. Taking preventive measure will definitely lessen the occurrence of asthma attacks, though it is incurable.