SHORTNESS OF BREATH, CHEST TIGHTNESS, WHEEZING MAY INDICATE ASTHMA ATTACK - EXPERT

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- An individual may experience cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, or wheezing when they are fatigued, but these symptoms may also indicate a more serious problem, such as asthma.

Sunway Medical Centre (SMC), Sunway City, in a statement today said asthma is a condition characterised by inflammation that narrows the airways and this chronic inflammation can lead to symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing, a whistling sound during breathing.

Dr Lim Eu Jack, SMC Consultant Emergency Physician explained that asthma is not a congenital disease but it may develop later in life.

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“Asthma attacks can occur in children or teenagers, and even in adulthood.

“For example, individuals with a family history of asthma or has allergic rhinitis, eczema or atopic dermatitis, is at higher risk of developing asthma in their lifetime,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

The statement said the types of asthma one has would depend on how it presents and what triggers its symptoms, which may include allergies, for example, to pollen or animal fur.

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Other factors are environmental (such as extreme cold weather, air pollution with dust and smoke, or infection); occupational (prolonged exposure to inhaled irritants at the workplace such as smoke, chemicals, debris, or waste products like sawdust or iron powder); physical activity that is too strenuous; respiratory infection; and pregnancy.

 If exposed to certain trigger factors, a person at risk may show symptoms of an asthma attack such as breathing difficulty, productive cough, wheezing, bluish lips, or if worse, can result in altered mental consciousness.

In order to diagnose asthma and differentiate it from other respiratory conditions, a respiratory specialist can identify asthma with a spirometry test on the patient by assessing the lung function and identifying the condition of their airways.

According to Dr Lim, an asthma attack can last from several minutes to hours or even days and the severity of the attack depends on the extent of continuous exposure to triggers.

“If the patient remains in an environment that can trigger symptoms, such as a construction site where there is a lot of dust, then the symptoms will persist or may become more severe,” he said.

For treatment, Dr Lim said there are two types of inhalers available for asthma patients, namely the controller/preventer for ongoing asthma control which needs to be taken consistently according to the scheduled time even when there are no symptoms; and the reliever/rescue which is taken to relieve symptoms when an asthma attack occurs.

“The reliever inhaler, usually available in blue, contains short-acting beta agonist containing Salbutamol which is also known as Ventolin. It is a bronchodilator-type inhaler that is used to widen the airways during an attack.

“Meanwhile, preventive inhalers are usually orange or brown in colour with corticosteroid content and its function is to reduce inflammation in the respiratory tract. Both types of inhalers are also available with metered doses to make it easier to monitor the volume of the content,” Dr Lim explained.

For prevention and in order to improve the quality of life of asthma patients, Dr Lim advises adopting a healthy lifestyle and avoiding factors that trigger symptoms to reduce the risk of asthma attack.

“The misconception that asthma patients cannot exercise is incorrect. In fact, they are even highly encouraged to exercise provided it is done properly. 

“Also practice a balanced diet and consume food which are rich in antioxidants, vitamin D and omega 3 oils such as salmon, chia seeds or flaxseeds to improve overall health,” he added.

-- BERNAMA