What causes asthma?

 What causes asthma is a one of the main questions that is interesting for people who has this illness. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways main symptoms of which are repetitive attacks of breathlessness. This breathlessness attacks are caused by bronchial obstruction which develops from different reasons. This condition can not be treated, but with good management and treatment person can live normal active life. There are many types of asthma:

• Child-onset asthma begins during childhood because a child becomes to be sensitized to common allergens; often child has other atopic diseases as dermatitis.
• Adult-onset asthma also can be caused some allergens, but begins after 20 years.
• Exercise-induced asthma attacks develop after physical training.
• Occupational asthma develops from chemicals that irritate person during work time. It can be pollutants, viruses, gases, smoke or dust that present in production where person works.
• Nocturnal asthma attacks occur during night time, more often it happens between 2 and 4 am
• Steroid-resistant asthma it is a severe type of asthma which can not be controlled by steroids.

What is a mechanism of asthma attack development?

The classic signs of asthma attack are breathlessness, chest tightness and wheezing. Hypoxia can develop so then skin and nails have blue color. At the end of asthma attack person expectorate clear sputum.

After contact with trigger factor inflamed bronchi become narrowed because muscles that around them contracts. Airways contraction and mucus in bronchi causes dyspnea and breathlessness.

What causes asthma?

Asthma caused both genetically and environmental factors. It is impossible to say than some one certain factor caused asthma in this or that person. All these causes of asthma work in complex.

There are many environmental triggers that can cause the disease; they are pollutants, viral or bacterial respiratory infections, psychological stress, chemicals, and tobacco. If asthma is allergic, these triggers are dust mites, pollen, pets and mold. Tobacco smoking including “passive smoking” can be the reason of asthma. You have not allow your child to be near people who smoke. Exercises, especially at the cold air can cause asthma attack. Some drugs like aspirin, naproxen, ibuprofen and other NSAIDs can cause asthma in people who are sensitive to this medication. Individual can also react on perfumes, strong smells. Climate changes are strong asthma triggers. Windy, cold weather can cause asthma attack.

People react on triggers in different way. Some of them have many triggers, some – only one. It is possible that asthma attack will not develop after contact with trigger. But sometimes it can occur just after expressing strong emotions.

Often all these trigger factors acts only with genetics. Approximately 25 genes are associated with asthma. Some genes can work with certain trigger factors from environment. Children with atopy are very susceptible to have bronchial asthma.

Atopy is a genetically determined state when individual is hypersensitive to common allergens which not cause allergy in healthy people. In infants atopy looks like atopic dermatitis or it can be a food allergy.