Asthma

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Written by Guo Xiao Yun
Pulmonology
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What are the symptoms of asthma?

Asthma is a chronic airway disease that clinically manifests as noticeable chest tightness and shortness of breath during acute attacks, especially when exposed to allergens such as cold air, pollen, animal dander, or consuming foods that are likely to cause allergies, such as eggs, milk, and seafood. This leads to high reactivity of the airways, causing spasms, and thus a range of clinical symptoms. In some patients, typical wheezing sounds can also be heard in the lungs. Asthma is a chronic disease that cannot be completely cured. During acute attacks, it is recommended to quickly remove oneself from allergens and actively administer antispasmodic and asthma-relieving medications to significantly improve symptoms of chest tightness and shortness of breath.

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Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
1min 6sec home-news-image

What should people with asthma avoid eating?

If you have asthma, it is essential to pay attention to your diet and eat bland foods. Avoid spicy, greasy, cold, and irritating foods such as chili peppers, black pepper, onions, ginger, and garlic. These should be strictly avoided. Also, be cautious with carbonated drinks and alcoholic beverages. Additionally, foods like mangoes or items like shrimp, crabs, seafood, and any allergy-triggering foods should ideally not be consumed. Furthermore, it is advised to identify the underlying cause of asthma and then treat it accordingly. If allergies are causing the asthma, antiallergenic medication should be taken, along with asthma medication to treat and alleviate symptoms. Maintain a light diet, drink plenty of water, promote excretion, and enhance your immune system. Also, avoid coffee, strong tea, alcoholic beverages, fried and grilled foods, and pickled products.

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Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
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Causes of asthma

Asthma is a common respiratory disease, with typical symptoms including episodic coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and difficulty breathing, among others. The exact causes of asthma are not entirely clear at present, but it is generally believed to be related to genetic factors and environmental factors. Genetically, the closer the familial relation to an asthma patient, the greater the likelihood of developing the disease. Environmentally, elements such as allergens, pollen, dust mites, infections from certain bacteria or viruses, certain seafood, and medications, among others, can all trigger asthma attacks.

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Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
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Asthma cough symptoms

Asthma is a chronic airway inflammation involving multiple inflammatory cells. After being diagnosed with asthma, a patient may exhibit airway hyperresponsiveness. Upon exposure to allergens or cold stimuli, the patient often experiences wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. These coughing symptoms generally worsen during the early morning and night, especially after exposure to odors or cold air, which can easily trigger coughing. The cough is primarily dry, without phlegm or with a small amount of white sticky phlegm, accompanied by symptoms like nasal itchiness, throat itchiness, and itchiness in the voice box. Treatment can involve the use of bronchial asthma medications or warm water, which can also lead to improvement. This describes some unique aspects of cough-variant asthma.

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Written by Wang Xiang Yu
Pulmonology
1min 22sec home-news-image

What department should I go to for asthma?

What department should you visit for asthma? First, we need to clarify the definition of asthma. The term "asthma" most commonly refers to bronchial asthma, but also to cardiac asthma. Starting with bronchial asthma, it is a respiratory system disease, and the most appropriate department to visit is the Department of Respiratory Medicine. Of course, in the case of an acute attack of bronchial asthma, if the condition of the patient is very severe, then they may choose to visit the emergency department. Additionally, in some areas where there is no Department of Respiratory Medicine available, such as in rural areas or community health centers, patients can only visit a general internal medicine department. As for cardiac asthma, it is a concept that is gradually being phased out. Cardiac asthma, as the name suggests, is associated with cardiovascular system diseases. Under these circumstances, the most fitting department to visit is the Department of Cardiology. Of course, if the patient's condition is critical, then the most suitable choice is still the emergency department, where emergency physicians will decide how to handle the patient's condition based on their specific medical needs.

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Written by Wang Xiang Yu
Pulmonology
53sec home-news-image

Do people with asthma cough?

The asthma commonly referred to is bronchial asthma, which is primarily characterized by recurrent episodes of breathing difficulty. This difficulty in breathing is mainly manifested as chest tightness and shortness of breath. Additionally, asthma is often triggered by upper respiratory tract infections. Therefore, most asthma patients experience coughing and expectoration during acute attacks. There is also a special type of asthma known as cough variant asthma, which, as the name suggests, is primarily characterized by coughing. This type of cough is generally dry with little to no sputum, or it involves a small amount of mucous sputum. The coughing can occur during the day but is generally more pronounced at night.

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Written by Xia Bao Jun
Pulmonology
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Can asthma be cured?

Patients with bronchial asthma, if treated properly, can be cured. Although the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma is not very clear at present, it is currently believed that bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways involving multiple cells. This chronic inflammation leads to increased airway reactivity, manifesting as reversible airflow limitation. It is different from chronic bronchitis, which involves irreversible airflow limitation. Therefore, through proper treatment, the condition can be improved, controlled, and cured. Patients should regularly and properly use their medications, including inhaled corticosteroids such as budesonide, taken twice daily. It should be used for more than three months before any reduction in dosage can be considered. The medication can be stopped only if no asthma occurs for a year.

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Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
55sec home-news-image

Can people with asthma run?

Patients with asthma are advised not to run, whether it is cardiac asthma or bronchial asthma, as running is considered a vigorous exercise. Running consumes a significant amount of body heat, which could potentially lower the patient's resistance to illness, leading to other symptoms and worsening the condition. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid running and instead engage in gentler aerobic exercises, such as Tai Chi, Tai Chi sword, or yoga. These exercises can help enhance physical fitness and improve resistance, aiding in disease recovery. Additionally, it is important to maintain a light diet, avoiding spicy, greasy, cold, and irritating foods, drink plenty of water to promote excretion, and avoid exposure to cold air to prevent asthma symptoms from worsening.

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Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
1min 5sec home-news-image

How is asthma treated?

Asthma generally requires long-term anti-inflammatory treatment, which primarily involves the use of corticosteroid medications to alleviate symptoms. Additionally, medications that dilate the bronchial tubes can be used to relieve symptoms. For allergic asthma, it is advisable for patients to identify and avoid allergens, while also taking anti-allergy medications to alleviate symptoms. Preventative medication to control attacks is also recommended. Attention should be paid to regulating indoor temperatures to prevent colds, ensuring warmth, and avoiding exposure to cold winds. Furthermore, indoor temperatures in winter should not be too high to avoid large temperature differences with the outside, which can lead to colds and decrease the chances of influenza infection. Additionally, if symptoms of coughing and asthma are severe, medications to stop coughing and relieve asthma should be taken to alleviate symptoms.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
40sec home-news-image

Can people with asthma smoke?

Asthma patients should certainly not smoke. Additionally, attention should be paid to dietary and hygiene habits, avoiding foods such as seafood that may trigger allergies. Smoking and alcohol should be abstained from, and water intake should be increased. Exposure to irritating chemical gases should also be avoided. Asthma is directly related to genetic factors and an individual's allergic constitution. It is necessary to strengthen exercise, boost immune capabilities, and prevent colds, especially in the spring when it is advisable to avoid going out to prevent contact with pollen that could trigger an asthma attack.