A Slice of range V o l u m e
R
E
F
R
4
E
I s s u e
S
H
I
N
G
1 0
Y
O c t o b e r
O
U
R
H
E
A
2 0 1 0
L
T
H
ABC’s of asthma
THE TOPIC OF ASTHMA OCCUPIES A WHOLE CHAPTER IN MEDICAL BOOKS, SO THERE’S NO WAY FOR US TO FIT EVERYTHING INTO THREE PAGES OF A SLICE OF ORANGE. BUT REST ASSURED THAT AFTER READING, YOU WOULD KNOW ENOUGH FOR YOU TO BREATHE EASY.
A
sthma is a chronic (long-term) disease of the respiratory system, presenting as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. These symptoms are caused by constrictions of the airways that transport air from the nose to the lungs. This is called bronchoconstriction.
One in 10 people have asthma, although many may not know that they have it For these symptoms to be called asthma, the condition has to be reversible, which means that in between symptoms, the person is completely normal. It is only in very severe asthma where the person has symptoms all the time. One in 10 people have asthma, although many may not know that they have it, because their symptoms are mild, or they think it is just an ordinary cough. In fact, there is a special kind of asthma called cough-variant asthma, where the only symptom is cough (there is no wheezing or shortness of breath).
A Slice of Orange is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes-Delfin Ivan Olegario, MD
V o l u m e
4
I s s u e
O c t o b e r
2 0 1 0
What’s pulling your
Do you have asthma? Try to answer these questions: 1. Do you experience cough, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath that goes away after a minutes or hours? 2. Do your symptoms appear after exposure to certain substances, or after eating certain foods (see What’s Pulling Your Asthma Trigger?)? 3. Do your symptoms appear during exercise? 4. Do you have symptoms, and your father or mother has similar symptoms? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you may have asthma. Visit a doctor for the right medications for you.
Preventing an attack
A
1 0
crucial part of asthma prevention is avoiding exposure to triggers (read What’s Pulling Your Asthma Trigger?). Now this may be easy for some triggers such as food or pets: just stop eating foods containing your triggers, and do not keep pets. However, how do you avoid triggers such as dust, pollution, weather changes, exercise, and emotions? Do you lock yourself up inside a plastic bubble? Of course not!
So now, even doctors are realizing that medications are just as much a part of asthma control as the avoidance of triggers. Asthma maintenance medications are meant to be taken every day, even (or especially) when you do not have symptoms. Some kinds of maintenance medicines are taken orally (as tablets, capsules, or syrups), while some are inhaled (as mist or powder). The goal of these maintenance medicines is to prevent asthma attacks from happening.
Asthma maintenance medications are meant to be taken every day, even (or especially) when you do not have symptoms.
Many people do not like taking maintenance medications because either they are afraid of the side effects, or they are afraid of becoming dependent on these medicines. These are both poor reasons. First of all, these medicines are very safe and do not have any long-term side effects. Secondly, these medicines are not habit-forming. Thirdly, untreated asthma can lead to permanent damage to the airways, leading to lifetime complications. Lastly, they fail to realize that an asthma attack can lead to costly and distressing hospitalization, and that an asthma attack is harder to control once it has begun. So if you have asthma (or know someone who has asthma), remember that maintenance medications are now routine parts of the treatment plan.
asthma trigger? The following can trigger asthma symptoms. Observe if any of these can cause asthma symptoms, and learn to avoid them. • Pollen (symptoms happen when flowers or grasses blossom) • Dust • Mold • Pet dander • Decaying insects • Foods, such as fish, egg, peanuts, nuts, cow’s milk, and soy. • Processed foods (additives) • Latex • Drugs, such as aspirin, painkillers, or high blood pres- sure medications • Tobacco smoke • Smog and exhaust • Weather changes • Chemical fumes (from paint, deter gents, deodorants, chemicals, and perfumes) • Nighttime • Exercise, especially under cold dry conditions • Emotional factors, such as laughing, crying, yelling, and distress
V o l u m e
4
I s s u e
Stopping an attack Once an asthma attack has begun, the first treatment usually given is medications called fast-acting bronchodilators. These are inhaled medicines that need doctor’s supervision. These medicines should be taken once you feel the slightest asthma symptoms starting. Do not wait for the asthma attack to worsen before taking your reliever medicine, or else they may no longer work.
1 0
O c t o b e r
2 0 1 0
Running breathless Up to 1 in every 5 people may suffer from exercise-induced asthma (EIA). This is when you develop asthma symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing and cough shortly after you begin exercise.
Sometimes, the asthma attack is so severe that you will need to rush to the emergency room. These are the signs that you should already go to the hospital: • Your nailbeds, fingertips, lips, or • • •
tongue have turned bluish or gray. You are having difficulty talking. The areas below the ribs, in between the ribs, and in the neck visibly pull in during inhalation. Your symptoms do not work after 10 minutes, or return again quickly.
Every one knows how much of a hassle it is to go to the emergency room. So you should make every effort to avoid this trip. The only way to do this is to avoid getting severe asthma attack in the first place. Do this by 1) avoiding your triggers; 2) taking your maintenance medications every day; and 3) taking your reliever medications as soon as the slightest symptoms appear.
Looking to enhance your corporate healthcare benefits? E-mail us at benefits@activelink-consult.com. The information in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a doctor for all matters relating to your health, particularly for symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. © 2010 ActiveLink
Benefits Made Better
ActiveLink 7/F Electra House Building 115-117 Esteban St., Legaspi Village, Makati City www.activelink-consult.com
Symptoms usually go away after resting for 30 to 60 minutes. However, if you are athletic (or want to be more physically fit through exercise), it is not practical to just rest to make the symptoms go away. Instead, there are inhaled medications that can either prevent or relieve symptoms. But all these medications are prescription medications, and some asthma medications may be more effective for EIA than others. Furthermore, there are diseases other than asthma that cause breathlessness or cough upon exercising. So it is always best to consult your doctor.
The Orange wants to he ar from you! Dying to ask us your health related questio ns? Itching to share your pe rsonal health tips? Want to sugg est topics for future issues? Feel free to contac t us. You can e-m ail our team at orange@activ elink-consult.c om.