Bronchial asthma is a serious chronic disease that threatens the patient’s life. This disease occurs with pronounced symptoms. With timely and competent treatment, bronchial asthma goes into remission.
During this period, the patient can lead an almost normal life. The amount of medication taken is kept to a minimum. The therapeutic goal of AD treatment is the longest possible stay of the disease in remission.
What is bronchial asthma
The name “bronchial asthma” comes from the Greek word for “suffocation”. It is a common chronic noncommunicable disease. Due to significant swelling of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, muscle spasm, and also due to the accumulation of exudate, a person’s respiratory activity may be disturbed.
According to existing statistics, about 10% of adults and 15% of children suffer from AD.
Due to the aggravated reaction of the bronchi to stimuli, the inflammatory process can begin both under the influence of external factors and due to the influence of internal ones.
Features of the course of the disease
Bronchial asthma can develop under the influence of the following factors:
- Hypersensitivity to allergens such as pollen, dust, wool and many others.
- Individual intolerance to certain medications.
- Hereditary factors.
- Postponed respiratory diseases.
- Bad habits such as smoking.
- Increased emotional and physical stress.
There are several stages in the development of bronchial asthma.
- A practically healthy person. There are no clinical signs of the disease. However, there are already a number of disorders that determine the predisposition to this disease.
- Predastma . This stage is characterized by a set of signs that appear in a person, which indicate an increased risk of developing the disease. It has been established that asthma can develop in about 20-40% of these patients. There are a number of diseases of the respiratory system that can trigger the onset of asthma. According to statistics, in 38% of patients with symptoms of pre-asthma, relatives suffered from asthma. Extrapulmonary manifestations of allergies, such as urticaria, Quincke’s edema, vasomotor rhinitis, also give reason to suspect the patient has a predisposition to asthma. Also at risk are patients with an increased content of eosinophils in the blood and sputum.
- Severe bronchial asthma, in which the almost asymptomatic course of the disease alternates with periodic attacks. This stage of the disease is characterized by typical signs of the disease, such as choking, coughing fits, and so on. This stage is divided into several periods, based on the intensity of the manifestations of the disease.
In the absence of clinical symptoms in case of bronchial asthma, as well as if there have been no exacerbations and attacks of asthma for a long time, we can talk about the onset of a period of remission.
Remission phase in asthma
For bronchial asthma, like any other chronic disease, alternating periods of exacerbation and remission are characteristic.
Remission of bronchial asthma is a period when the disease does not manifest itself in any way, there are no clinical symptoms.
It is customary to distinguish several stages in asthma:
- Exacerbation phase. For such a period of the course of the disease, an increase in the frequency of attacks of suffocation or the manifestation of other signs of respiratory failure is characteristic. Significant deterioration is possible several times a day. Attacks are poorly relieved by drugs that are familiar to the patient.
- The phase of unstable remission. This is a transitional state in which the patient’s condition is stabilized, and the disease from an exacerbation goes to remission. Symptoms of impaired respiratory function are much weaker than in the exacerbation stage, but are not completely stopped.
- Remission phase. It is characterized by a complete absence of symptoms.
- Stable remission phase. Symptoms do not appear for more than two years.
Treatment measures during remission
The duration of remission primarily depends on the therapeutic and preventive measures in this period.
Treatment during this period is aimed at increasing the body’s resistance to allergens, as well as general improvement.
If asthma is allergic in nature, then it is important to both increase resistance to specific allergens and reduce overall sensitivity.
For this, the following measures are applied:
- Taking medications. The patient takes bronchodilators and hormonal drugs without fail . Their goal is to reduce inflammation and prevent the onset of an attack. The inhalation route of administration is preferred.
- Allergen-specific immunotherapy – the introduction of an allergen in small doses to develop resistance to them in the body. The concentration of the allergen is gradually increased.
- The use of medicinal herbs in the form of decoctions for inhalation.
- Physiotherapy. It is used to improve blood circulation in the bronchi. Each patient is assigned individually.
- Exercise therapy. It is prescribed for general health improvement.
- Halotherapy . During treatment, the patient breathes in salt suspensions.
- Endoscopic intervention is the latest therapy. Cauterization of the muscle tissue of the bronchi helps prevent reflex spasms.
Despite the fact that bronchial asthma does not manifest itself in remission, this does not mean that the disease has receded. It is important for the patient not to stop the prescribed treatment and try to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Rehabilitation for bronchial asthma
During the period of bronchial asthma rehabilitation, it is desirable that the patient is in a specialized medical institution. In extreme cases, it is possible to carry out appropriate activities at home. But in this case, constant supervision by a specialist is mandatory. This is important for obtaining long-term remission, as well as for the complete elimination of all factors provoking a new exacerbation.
The most important component of rehabilitation is avoiding contact with the allergen. If necessary, you should wear special masks, take antihistamines, often do wet cleaning and take other similar measures.
If an allergy is not an asthma provocateur, the following measures are recommended:
- Performing breathing exercises;
- Regular work with a psychologist to normalize the psychological state. It is important to learn how to cope with stress and nervous strain.
- Eliminate contact with toxic and harmful substances.
- Plan your day correctly so that you have enough time for rest and sleep.
In addition, you should strengthen the immune system, lead a healthy lifestyle and give up bad habits.
During epidemics of respiratory diseases, people suffering from bronchial asthma should take additional measures to protect themselves from viruses. They are advised to wear special masks.
Finally
Bronchial asthma is a serious illness that significantly impairs the patient’s quality of life. Exacerbations endanger the patient’s life. The right treatment and lifestyle can help patients with asthma bring the disease into remission.
However, the absence of clinical symptoms should not be a reason for refusing asthma treatment. Only a set of measures aimed at maintaining health can make the period of remission longer.
Bronchial asthma is not a sentence. If all the instructions and prescriptions of the doctor are followed, a person suffering from asthma is able to lead a full life without life-threatening seizures.