Contents:
- Medical Video: Diagnosing Adult Asthma
- Get to know an asthma attack
- What is the difference between having asthma as a child and as an adult?
- Why did I just get asthma as an adult?
- Risk factors for asthma as adults
- Overcome and treat asthma as adults
Medical Video: Diagnosing Adult Asthma
Many people think that asthma must have been infected since childhood. Either you have had an asthma attack when you were little or you have not fully recovered from an asthma that has been diagnosed since childhood. In fact, asthma also turns out to be able to attack someone first in adulthood. To find complete information, see the explanation of asthma as adults below.
Get to know an asthma attack
When you are attacked by asthma for the first time in adulthood, you and those closest to you may feel doubtful, lest a heart attack or panic attack. For that, recognize the following symptoms of an asthma attack.
- Coughing, especially at night
- Breathless
- Breath sounds
- Panting
- The chest feels tight and sore, especially when breathing
What is the difference between having asthma as a child and as an adult?
Asthma as adults is known as adult-onset asthma. This disease is often difficult to detect because as you get older, your lung capacity becomes lower. This is because there are changes in the muscles and flexibility of the walls of the chest cavity of adults. So, your doctor may consider your breathing problem to be normal. In fact, you might have it adult-onset asthma.
Why did I just get asthma as an adult?
Until now, the cause of asthma is unknown. This disease can affect anyone, even adults in their 30s or 40s. Indeed, most cases of asthma are known since a person is a baby or a child. However, approximately 25% of people with asthma have experienced attacks for the first time in adulthood.
Risk factors for asthma as adults
Although the cause of this disease is unknown, many triggers and risk factors make a person more susceptible to asthma as an adult. These risk factors include:
- Work environment or residence that is full of dust, powdered building materials, the smell of stinging chemicals, animal hair, cigarette smoke, vehicle fumes, incense smoke, or fine air materials such as flour and powder
- History of allergies, such as allergies to animal hair or flower pollen (pollen)
- History of gastric acid (GERD)
- Women who experience hormonal changes, for example during pregnancy or menopause
- Just recovered from a disease such as influenza or sinusitis
- Family history of asthma
- Family history of allergies
Overcome and treat asthma as adults
Asthma symptoms can be controlled. However, no specific drug or treatment has been found to cure asthma completely. The most important thing if you have asthma as an adult is to find out exactly what your triggers are. Then, make sure you can stay away from the trigger.
Consult your doctor directly to treat asthma as an adult. You may need special medicines to treat an asthma attack. Asthma medications are available in the form of tablets, syrup and inhalation. Usually you will be given anti-inflammatory drugs from steroids to facilitate your respiratory system.
To prevent recurrent asthma, you need to make some adjustments at home and at work. Housing and workplaces must be cleaned regularly to prevent accumulation of dust and fine materials in the air. Make sure you get enough rest and start living a healthy lifestyle, for example by exercising and maintaining a balanced diet.
