Acute Bronchial Asthma: 5 Early Symptoms You Should Not Ignore

Severe asthma comes as a severe attack of or unstable asthma whicc is caused due to sudden exposure to dust, fumes, infection, viral fever, or trigger factors.

Asthma is a chronic disease that is characterised by attacks of breathlessness and tightness in the chest. This is a disease of medium-sized to small-sized airways in which the airways constrict. So that the passage for air becomes less and the patient becomes extremely breathless.

There are two types of asthma – childhood and chronic stable asthma.  Childhood asthma often progresses into adult asthma. About 30% of this childhood asthma progresses into adult asthma. Adult asthma is also sometimes sporadic; it comes once in a while or is seasonal, or it can come because of extreme irritation because of fumes or dust like sudden exposure or perfumes.

In chronic stable asthma, the patient takes a certain amount of medicines or inhalers once or twice a day. Severe asthma comes as a severe attack of or unstable asthma whicc is caused due to sudden exposure to dust, fumes, infection, viral fever, or trigger factors like inhalation fumes, change of weather etc.

So this can cause a lot of problems, and that is why they are called exacerbations of asthma. When such exacerbations of stable asthma occur, the patient has to be treated on an emergency basis.

4 Symptoms of Acute Asthma

Now, what are the signs that a patient was all right until suddenly he got some exposure or precipitating factors, such as severe laughter or severe exposure to smoke, dust fumes, or sudden severe acidity.

• Wheezing
• Breathlessness
• Viral Infection
• Pneumonia

In hospitals, the patient is provided with oxygen treatment, IV antibiotics, IV drugs, and a powerful steroid to control his asthma. Very few of these patients may require artificial ventilation or intubation, what we call “assisted ventilation. When such things occur, if the patient takes proper care, such exacerbations are not very common.

Sometimes viral fever can cause severe asthma exacerbations. This is a condition where, if you take proper precautions like avoiding dust fumes and not putting perfumes or body spray DEOs on the body directly, one might save from episodes of asthma attacks.

How to Prevent it?

Sudden exposure to smoke should be avoided. Going to too many crowded places or doing a sudden, unusual exercise or the sudden start of exercise can precipitate asthma.There are many asthmatics who are sportspeople. There are many asthmatics who have broken world records. So asthma is not a disease. It is a kind of symptom that the person has to control. Do not be afraid of asthma. Just take care of yourself and avoid trigger factors, and you’ll be safe.

( With inputs from Dr Amir Khoja , Chest Physician, Interventional Pulmonologist, Specialist in chest diseases and allergy, Ruby Hall Clinic.)