Every year on May 5 World Asthma Day is observed by the Global Initiative for Asthma. The aim is to raise asthma awareness. On this day let's discuss the symptoms, causes, management and other facts about the chronic lung condition. Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects respiration and therefore is also called chronic respiratory disease. More common in children, Asthama causes inflammation of the breathing passage. It also causes the airways to get narrow. The condition is often identified by breathing difficulties. Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, are some other common asthma symptoms. World Asthma Day 2020: How to Make Exercising Safer and Easier for People with This Respiratory Condition. 

Asthma Symptoms

Symptoms of asthma often include, frequent coughing spells, low energy, rapid or shallow breathing, chest pain, wheezing, retractions, loss of breath, weakness or tiredness

Asthma Causes

Asthma symptoms can be triggered by exposure to an allergen (such as ragweed, pollen, animal dander or dust mites), irritants in the air (such as smoke, chemical fumes or strong odours) or extreme weather conditions. Infections like sinusitis, colds, and flu, Allergens such as pollens, mould, pet dander, and dust mites, Irritants like strong odours from perfumes or cleaning solutions, Air pollution, Tobacco smoke, Exercise, Cold air or changes to the weather, such as changes in temperature or humidity.

Here are a few facts about Asthma: 

  • Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the lung airways that causes coughing, chest tightness, wheezing or shortness of breath.

  • Asthma prevalence is higher in children (9.4 percent) than in adults (7.7 percent), and higher in females (9.2 percent) than males (7.0 percent)

  • Effective asthma treatment includes monitoring the disease with a peak flow meter, identifying and avoiding allergen triggers, using drug therapies including bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory agents, and developing an emergency plan for severe attacks.

  • Asthma can be classified into mild intermittent asthma, mild persistent asthma, moderate persistent asthma and severe persistent asthma

Asthma affects an estimated 300 million individuals worldwide. Annually, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that 15 million disability-adjusted life-years are lost and 250,000 asthma deaths are reported worldwide.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 05, 2020 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).