The Effects of Asthma on the Body?

Answer 1

Asthma in children may spontaneously resolve without any long-term issues or complications. However, there are instances of both immediate (acute) and chronic effects of asthma that vary in degree depending on the person suffering from the disease, its cause, what treatments are used and for how long and the age of the person suffering with asthma. Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airway and lungs. Inflammation persists even when an attack is not in progress.

The Physiological Effects Of An Acute Attack

A rapid-onset asthma attack is measured from mild to severe. Mild symptoms include wheezing and coughing. This may be the extent of a mild attack. Moderate asthma attacks require the sufferer to use an inhaled medication to relieve symptoms. Severe asthma attacks are ones that can be life threatening. An attack that does not respond to treatment with prescribed inhaled medications is called status asthmaticus. Direct medical intervention is needed for anyone at this stage. Whether mild or severe, the problem is the same. The airways go from a perpetual yet manageable state of inflammation to an acute state of being inflamed to the point that respiration is uncomfortably impeded. Both the flow of air in and out of the lungs becomes restricted, and the gas exchange needed to get oxygen into the blood and carbon dioxide out is impeded. Fatal asphyxiation can occur.

Chronic Asthma Effects

The long-term effects of asthma on the body of the sufferer include a perpetual release of inflammation producing proteins called cytokines in the lungs. Inflammation attracts more cytokines, and more cytokines create more inflammation in an endless cycle. Tissue scarring, which is referred to as airway fibrosis in asthma, is another concern. The scar tissue builds up over time, making it harder to breathe thus making acute attacks of asthma even worse.

The key to success is actively managing asthma to minimize attacks. Whether it is adjusting medications or reducing exposure to triggers, it needs to involve active participation from the asthmatic. Data indicates that those who suffer asthma can have the same life expectancy as those who do not have it.