Causes of bronchial asthma

Bronchial asthma is an inflammatory lung disease characterised by an obstructive disturbance of the ventilation in the respiratory passage way. Exposure to an environmental stimulant such as cold air, warm air, perfume, moist air, exercise or exertion or mental and emotional stress can trigger it.

The bronchial asthma attack usually occurs early morning. You wake up with a feeling of anxiety and it becomes very difficult to breathe. Sometimes, the attack can take days to subside to make it difficult for you to breathe properly.

Causes

• Allergies and viral infections: Allergies are linked to bronchial asthma and many other respiratory diseases. The allergens to cause bronchial asthma include food, pollen, mould, dust and pets. In children, the most common triggers are viral illnesses such as cold and flu.
• Family history
• Exertion or exercise
• Drugs and medication
• Food additives
• Chewing tobacco and smoking cigarettes
• Emotional or mental stress and anxiety
• Acid reflux
• Extreme weather conditions
• Air-borne bacteria

Symptoms

Wheezing with a whistling sound on exhalation, coughing continuously and difficulty in breathing, sweating, anxiety, dizziness and muscle cramping are the common symptoms of bronchial asthma. Other symptoms that are associated with the condition are rapid pulse rate, lips turning blue/pink, difficulty in hearing, airway inflammation and patient getting hyper.

Treatment

The treatment for bronchial asthma is symptomatic. You must avoid allergies causing the problem and use inhaler to ease airways.

Ayurveda for bronchial asthma recommends having food rich in vitamin C, avoiding heavy food such as curd, bananas, milk or fried food, not consuming sour substances and drinking a lot of water. Also, you must avoid exposure to cold or damp places.

The attacks are very rare and short-lived in the beginning, but become worse with time. They usually happen because of the inability of the lungs to exchange gases due to the narrowing, swelling or blockage of the respiratory track.

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