Is bronchial asthma serious?

Written by Zeng Xiang Bo
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Updated on November 24, 2024
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The symptoms of bronchial asthma vary from person to person, as does its severity. Some patients may have very mild symptoms, only showing slight chest tightness and mild coughing. Other patients may experience very severe symptoms such as respiratory failure, loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest, and sudden death. The clinical presentations are completely different. Therefore, bronchial asthma can be considered a suppressive disease, meaning everyone's symptoms are different, and one cannot generalize; most patients are relatively mild.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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massage which part for bronchial asthma

Bronchial asthma is a very common disease in clinical practice. There are many and complex factors that trigger bronchial asthma. Therefore, treatments for bronchial asthma in clinical practice can only improve the condition to some extent but cannot completely cure it. Patients with mild bronchial asthma can also undergo acupoint massage, which has a good auxiliary conditioning effect. Commonly chosen acupoints for massage include Dazhui, Dingchuan, and Neiguan, which can appropriately alleviate bronchial asthma. The frequency of each massage is twice a day, with each session involving about 20 to 40 presses, which can achieve a certain degree of relief.

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Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
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Is bronchial asthma airflow limitation reversible?

The airflow limitation in bronchial asthma is completely reversible, which is related to the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the occurrence of bronchial asthma. Bronchial asthma is a chronic airway inflammation involving multiple inflammatory cells. When this airway inflammation occurs, there can be edema of the airway mucosa as well as spasm and contraction of the smooth muscles outside the bronchi. However, this inflammation and smooth muscle spasm are reversible through medication or spontaneous improvement. Thus, many patients with mild asthma can achieve symptom relief without medication. In the case of some severe patients, even though the airflow is restricted, it can be reversed with the use of medications, and generally, the recovery is very quick.

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Written by Zeng Xiang Bo
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
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How to check for bronchial asthma?

If there is a suspicion of having bronchial asthma, a series of tests will be carried out at the hospital, mainly including: First, complete blood count, especially focusing on whether there is an increase in eosinophils, to determine the presence of eosinophilic allergic inflammation. Second, imaging of the lungs, including chest X-ray or CT to determine whether there are any specific lesions in the lungs. Third, pulmonary ventilation function and bronchodilation tests, or bronchial provocation tests. Pulmonary function is a gold standard for diagnosing bronchial asthma, often indicating the presence of obstructive ventilation dysfunction. A positive bronchodilation test or provocation test can help in confirming bronchial asthma.

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Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
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What position should be taken for bronchial asthma?

The choice of lying position for bronchial asthma depends on the specific condition of the disease. During the remission phase of asthma, a free lying position is suitable. If it is a mild attack phase, a flat lying position can be taken. If symptoms such as chest tightness become prominent during an attack, a semi-sitting position is advisable. For asthma patients experiencing significant chest tightness and breathing difficulties during an attack, or if they are in a persistent state of asthma, then a sitting position is often required. Patients may experience severe sweating, be unable to speak, and even suffer from hypoxia during such times, which can be extremely distressing.

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Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
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Clinical symptoms of bronchial asthma

The incidence of bronchial asthma is increasing year by year and is attracting more and more attention. What are the clinical symptoms of bronchial asthma? The typical symptoms of bronchial asthma are episodic dyspnea, wheezing, chest tightness, coughing, etc., and a typical asthma attack often comes with wheezing sounds. Some patients have atypical symptoms, which may primarily present as just one symptom, such as cough or chest tightness alone, known as atypical asthma. However, whether it is typical or atypical asthma, the principles of treatment are the same. It is essential to cooperate with the doctor to control the disease, improve symptoms, and enhance the quality of life.