Asthma and Allergy

Asthma and allergies often go hand-in-hand. Asthma is a disease of the branches of the windpipe (bronchial tubes), which carry air in and out of the lungs. There are several different types of asthma. Allergic asthma is a type of asthma that is triggered by an allergy (for example, pollen or mold spores). Air is normally taken into the body through the nose and windpipe and into the bronchial tubes.

At the end of the tubes are tiny air sacs called alveoli that deliver fresh air (oxygen) to the blood. The air sacs also collect stale air (carbon dioxide), which is exhaled out of the body. During normal breathing, the bands of muscle surrounding the airways are relaxed and air moves freely.

But during an asthma episode or “attack,” there are three main changes that stop air from moving freely into the airways: The bands of muscle that surround the airways tighten, causing them to narrow in what is called “bronchospasm.”The lining of the airways becomes swollen or inflamed. The cells that line the airways produce more mucus, which is thicker than normal.

The narrowed airway makes it more difficult for air to move in and out of the lungs. As a result, people with asthma feel they cannot get enough air. All of these changes make breathing difficult.

Not every person with asthma has the same symptoms in the same way. You may not have all of these asthma symptoms, or you may have different symptoms at different times.

Your symptoms may also vary from one asthma episode to the next. Symptoms may be mild during one asthma episode and severe during another. Mild asthma episodes are generally more common. Usually, the airways open up within a few minutes to a few hours. Severe episodes are less common, but last longer and require immediate medical help.

It is important to recognize and treat even mild symptoms to help prevent severe episodes and keep asthma in control. If you suffer from allergies and asthma, a reaction to any offending allergy-causing substance can worsen asthma symptoms.

Jeevan Rekha Hospital’s Asthma & Allergy Unit is part of the Centre for Chest & Respiratory Diseases. Various complicated conditions related to Asthma and Allergies are treated by it. There is a team of specialists at the Unit who specialize in evaluating, diagnosing, treating, and managing various lung diseases, including asthma, shortness of breath, etc. The Unit follows a multidisciplinary treatment approach that covers everything from environmental controls to immunotherapy and offers comprehensive care for patients of all ages in a patient-friendly environment using state-of-the-art facilities.