Asthma : Causative factors

 

Many factors are responsible for the manifestation of Asthma Genetic factors. Atmospheric pollution , excitement etc. can cause Asthma Individually or in combination with one another. Besides these, there are allergens and Asthma triggers that disturb the inner layer of the airways and cause inflammation, secretion of excessive phlegm and tightening of the muscles. They are :

 

  • Frequent attacks of cold, cough and sinus – infections.
  • Allergens like pollen, dust, cob-webs, hair of the pet, milk-powder, eggs, agens used to colour food –items, certain kinds of food.
  • Atmospheric pollution, cigarette-smoke, perfumes, chemicals, cement, coal, saw-dust and dust particles from quarry etc.
  • Aspirin (used in headaches) and Atenolol (used for hypertension).
  • Sudden changes in the climate, high humidity in atmosphere, cold wind, sudden fall in atmospheric temperature.
  • Psychological stress, excitement, domestic problems, financial troubles, fury, problems in one’s profession, exasperation, uncontrolled laughter, agony etc.
  • Indigestion, flatulence (gas-trouble).

Asthma in various ages- symptoms – ill effects:-

Asthma can attack a person of any age. Generally though, it starts in childhood.

 

In Infants:-

 

In some cases Asthmatic symptoms are seen at a very early age of 3 months. This is called infantile Asthma Once this begins the child becomes susceptible to frequent attacks of viral infections like cold, cough, fever and gasping etc. finally leading to Asthma., When there are changes in the climate suddenly, symptoms like gurgling sounds in the throat appear and child is unable to take up milk or ever sleep properly. Children get asthma, if either of the parents has allergy asthma, if anyone has the habit of smoking, if the house is dusty and dirty or if there are pets in the house. This is a major cause of anxiety and tension for the parents.

In School going children:

 

Some children do not grow as they should and they do not play with other children. Even if they play, there easily get tired. Frequently attacks of cold, visits to hospital and absence from school are very common. They cannot sleep properly at nights and as a result they cannot be active in the class the next day their learning also become slow. If this continues they become backward in their studies. Sometimes, some sensitive children keep their suffering to themselves and do not reveal their sufferings to their parents in order not to trouble them. When parents come to know about this, they feel more miserable

In the Youth:-

 

There is no physical growth proportionate to their age. Frequent cold, sneezing, breathlessness, blowing the nose etc. make them feel embarrassed and hence they cannot freely mingle with their peer group. They stay away from games and other strenuous activities. They lack the activeness and enthusiasm that is natural to their age and feel diffident. This will affect their career and future adversely. The parents hesitate to think about their ward’s marriage and even the wards are apprehensive about their married life and keep o postponing the proposal.

In The Adults:-

 

If the wife or the husband has Asthma, the lives of the both become miserable. They cannot fulfill the domestic commitments effectively. Ladies feel it difficult to attend to their domestic chores. They feel tired even with petty jobs in the house and suffer from cough and breathlessness. Their suffering is indescribable when why dust the house. The family members do not understand their problem and blame them that they are not able to do even simple jobs of the house.

Office-goers feel difficulty in discharging their duties at the office properly. If they are employed in factories and mills relate to chemicals, paint, dust, etc., they feel that it is a curse for them to work in the ambience. They lose many man-hours and thereby production gets affected. The higher officials blame them for being ineffective at work.

The couples, who suffer from Asthma, are afraid that their offspring may also get the disease. God forbid, if Asthma is transmitted to their kids genetically, they get agonized and lose mental peace because they know the miseries of Asthma, by experience.

In the aged:-

 

 

The suffering of the aged asthmatic patients is most distressing.  Having to suffer from Asthma in old age outweighs all the other troubles and miseries they faced in their lives.

Thus, Asthma affects people of any age and takes away the pleasures of life. They get depressed physically, psychologically socially and even financially. Millions of people in the world are suffering ever moment because of Asthma, many of them are not aware of the various modern ways of scientific treatment available today. Even those who know them, entertain many misconceptions and apprehensions about eh disease. Others have many blind –beliefs and are attracted to unscientific ways of treatment, the result is that, all of them are living miserable and distressing lives.

Keeping in view the ill-effects of Asthma on people, families and society at large, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) have declared the first Tuesday of every May as World Asthma Day and given clarion call “Right to Breath Equal to All”