Many people suffer from various pathologies of the respiratory tract, which sometimes flows into a chronic form. Intermittent bronchial asthma, which is also called episodic, refers to one of these pathologies. The main reason for the appearance of the disease is that a person may have too high sensitivity of the bronchi to various irritants. Against this background, inflammatory processes occur, because of which patients suffer from asthma attacks.
If you do not deal with the treatment of this pathology in a timely manner, serious edema can occur, due to which the bronchi will significantly increase in size. In addition, people have other breathing problems that require the attention of specialists.
Assessment of the severity of the disease
In order to understand how serious the degree of this pathology is, experts pay attention to several indicators. First of all, it takes into account how often symptoms appear in a person during the week at night. The data obtained must be correlated with the manifestations of the disease during the day.
The presence of lethargy and possible sleep disturbances are also taken into account. In addition, specialists consider the absolute indicators of the so-called peak output rate and the relative parameters of the symptoms.
Classification
If we talk about the types of this pathology, then there is an infectious-dependent and atopic form of bronchial asthma. If we are talking about the first variety, then most often the cause of this ailment is a viral infection. Damage to the mucous membrane located in the bronchi occurs. This leads to increased sensitivity of the receptors. Due to the activity of irritants that a person receives along with the inhaled air, strong contractions of the muscular walls of the bronchi occur. It causes bronchospasm.
With the atopic form of pathology, we are talking about a specific allergen, which affects the body, leading to a more severe stage of the development of the disease. Based on this, there are several types of degrees of severity of the disease.
At the initial stage, an intermittent form of bronchial asthma develops, which is episodic in nature. This means that the symptoms of the disease bother a person less than 1 time in 7 days. Patients usually complain of short exacerbations that cause sleep problems. In between, when the attack stops, the person is relieved, and his lungs begin to function normally.
During the course of intermittent-type mild asthma, the peak output rate rarely exceeds 80% of the norm. In this case, daily fluctuations are about 20% or less. This means that at this stage, the disease will manifest itself only if the patient is in direct contact with the allergen or provokes attacks of intense physical exertion.
At this stage of development of mild intermittent bronchial asthma, few pay attention to unpleasant symptoms. If during this period a person seeks help, then stopping the attacks will be much easier. If the disease continues to develop, then this will lead to a new phase.
Persistent bronchial intermittent asthma is characterized by the fact that the symptoms begin to manifest more than twice a week. At the same time, a person begins to suffer from attacks at night. Further, the development of pathology continues.
In the third stage, persistent moderate asthma is manifested. In this case, the patient complains of severe asthma attacks, which mainly occur in the daytime. There are problems with sleep and the inability to perform previously familiar physical activities. Sometimes seizures occur at night, usually once a week.
In this case, patients need to take drugs that are able to stop attacks. If such funds turn out to be ineffective, then the ailments turn into a persistent severe stage. In this case, exacerbations begin to occur throughout the day. A person suffers from symptoms of severe respiratory failure. One or more seizures happen at night.
If we are talking about manifestations of childhood asthma, in this case, babies most often experience whistling during breathing. As a rule, bronchial asthma in very young patients is most often caused by the appearance of viral infections in the lower respiratory tract. If this problem is ignored, then this can provoke exacerbations of the disease, which is why there is a risk of developing new pathologies.
Clinical picture
As a rule, among the main symptoms, experts distinguish severe shortness of breath, dry and unproductive cough. In some situations, a person even experiences vomiting. This increases the noise of breathing. Symptoms may occur predominantly at night or in the daytime.
With intermittent bronchial asthma, a person's condition can change during the day. It is very important to consult a specialist in a timely manner. If the patient has an atopic form of AD, then in this case, in addition to the standard symptoms, allergic reactions will be added. As a rule, they pass after the exclusion of contact with the stimulus.
Symptoms in Pregnant Women
If we are talking about women in position, then in this case the clinical picture will be very slightly different. Pregnant patients also complain of asthma attacks, but at the same time they note that it becomes more difficult for them to take deep breaths, and the exhalation becomes difficult and long.
In some women, before the development of the classic symptoms of intermittent bronchial asthma, a strong cough manifests itself, frequent sneezing, and skin rashes. In order to facilitate breathing, women need to take an orthopnea pose. This means that the lady sits down, leans forward and lifts her shoulders.
With attacks, speech becomes intermittent. During coughing, sputum may go away, which sometimes leads to vomiting. Heart palpitations, and in some situations, skin cyanosis, are also noted.
As a rule, during breathing in a person suffering from bronchial asthma, the involvement of auxiliary muscles is observed. This means that it also lifts the shoulder girdle and abdominal muscles. On inhalation, the wings of the nose begin to swell greatly. Therefore, shortness of breath can be triggered even by things that are not allergens. For example, an asthmatic attack can start from the smell of tobacco smoke, due to a sharp perfume or inhalation of exhaust gases.
If the disease proceeds in a severe form, then in this case the patient complains of the appearance of pain in the lower parts of the sternum. This is due to the fact that due to the constant choking cough, the diaphragm is forced to experience constant overstrain. Such attacks end spontaneously or after taking medications.
Diagnostics
In the course of mild asthma of an atopic form of an intermittent type, standard measures are first performed to establish this ailment. At the first stage, the patient must donate blood for analysis. Urine and sputum are also studied.
After this, chest x-ray is performed. The external respiration is examined. It is also recommended to visit an allergist. He must take skin tests and determine if there is a specific immunoglobulin in the blood of a person. If the disease does not require emergency treatment, then there is time to conduct special provocative measures in order to test various substances that can cause allergic reactions. However, it must be understood that such studies cannot be called safe, therefore they should be carried out exclusively in stationary conditions.
Also, in the event of intermittent type of atopic asthma, it is very important to talk in detail about the symptoms during communication with the doctor. Sometimes diagnostic tests become powerless if a person forgets to clarify that the characteristics of his breathing change during the day or night.
Indices of daily fluctuations are very important in the study of respiratory function. Only by providing complete information will a doctor be able to assess the sensitivity of the human body to possible allergens. Also, in the process of diagnosis, the symptoms of asthma are also evaluated. Treatment depends on the forced expiratory volume and peak speed.
Additionally, special inhalations are carried out, after which the indicators are measured again, and the specialist determines how much they correspond to each other. You need to understand that it is impossible to get rid of bronchial asthma. This pathology remains with the person for life. However, thanks to therapeutic measures, it is possible to stop seizures and greatly facilitate the human existence. In addition, today on sale you can find special devices that help monitor the patient's condition at home. However, it is best to undergo a radiography in a timely manner and note any changes in the medical facility.
Treatment of intermittent bronchial asthma
As a rule, when this kind of ailment occurs, patients are rarely left in the hospital. This is due to the fact that there is no point in keeping the patient in a medical institution, since at this stage of the development of pathology, he can spend most of the therapeutic measures at home.
Treatment of patients with intermittent bronchial asthma includes a set of measures aimed at identifying the main causes that influenced the development of inflammatory processes. As a rule, corticosteroids are most often used as therapeutic measures. Preparations of this type can be used for a long period. However, even in spite of this, caution should be exercised with respect to these medications. If a person has episodic asthma, then it is not always advisable to take these medications.
If cramping occurs due to exposure to a particular allergen, then help with bronchial asthma will be provided by such drugs as Nedocromil and preparations based on sodium cromglicate. These drugs are highly effective in the event that spasms are caused by physical exertion, being in cold air and other factors. When shortness of breath occurs at night, the doctor prescribes b2-agonists.
Intermittent bronchial asthma does not require the use of serious medications. However, the patient should always have short-acting b2-agonists at hand. This tool is indispensable in a situation of severe suffocation, which is caused by an allergen or strong physical exertion. In the treatment of this pathology, the stage is necessarily taken into account. If we are talking about an episodic manifestation, then the treatment is more preventive. This means that a person performs activities that help to avoid serious attacks.
Accordingly, the patient can provide assistance with bronchial asthma on his own. However, this does not mean that the patient can forget the way to a medical facility. It is imperative to undergo examinations and monitor the development of the disease.
Disease control
It is very important to monitor the development of pathology, since bronchial asthma cannot be completely cured. Recently, more and more specialists prefer to use heavy drugs even at the 1st stage of the manifestation of pathology. However, in this case, the dosage of the drugs should be minimal.
It is believed that due to this it is possible to gain complete control over the development of mild atopic bronchial asthma with intermittent course. This approach really has a right to exist, but you need to understand that more aggressive drugs can adversely affect the work of other organs and systems. Therefore, you must first undergo a full examination and make sure that this therapy is relatively safe for humans.
How to stop an attack
If we talk about recommendations, bronchial asthma at this stage is characterized by mild malaise. You can get rid of it if you take 3-4 times b2-agonists of short action. These activities must be completed within an hour. If the peak output force is more than 80% of normal values, then in this case it is recommended to use a special device called a peak flow meter.
Thanks to this device, it is much easier to determine the effectiveness of a particular drug. Reducing seizures should occur within a few hours. If the patient's condition has stabilized, then in this case it is recommended to continue taking medications with a frequency of 1 time in 4 hours for the next 2 days.
Complications
Considering the symptoms and treatment of bronchial asthma, it is worth paying attention to its acute and chronic stages. In the first case, against the background of an ailment, an asthmatic status can develop. This means that shortness of breath attacks will be longer, and it is impossible to remove them with the help of inhalation procedures. Severe bronchial obstruction with thick mucus occurs, which causes respiratory failure to become more serious. There is even a risk that a person suffocates.
Also, with the development of the chronic stage of the disease, the patient may experience resistance to beta-adrenergic agonists. This is often provoked by the patients themselves. This is explained by the fact that after one inhalation, they do not wait for a positive effect, and begin to use additional drugs. This leads to the fact that resistance to them is formed in the body faster. Instead of stimulating receptors, drugs provoke a backlash.
There is also a risk of developing an asthmatic coma. This is because due to the fact that there are sharp violations of the gas composition, the condition can develop into a more severe form. If we talk about acute complications, then they should include spontaneous pneumothorax. This means that during an attack, air does not exit the lung tissue. Additionally, there is strong pressure, which leads to its exit into the pleural region. In this case, the patient feels a strong pain syndrome in the sternum. In addition, symptoms of pulmonary failure will appear.
Bronchial asthma. Recommendations and prevention
The main goal of these measures is to control the disease. It is very important that the patient adheres to the prescribed therapy and does not self-medicate. An overdose of drugs should not be allowed. With timely treatment and relief of attacks, the patient will be able to avoid complications.
If we talk about general preventive measures, then in order to prevent intermittent-type asthma, it is necessary to try to avoid any contact with allergens. Also, the patient should give up smoking and drinking strong drinks.
Since stress has a negative effect and causes rapid breathing and palpitations, you should try to avoid situations in which a person will experience nervous tension.
In the room where the patient is located, wet cleaning should be constantly carried out. Dust has a negative effect, especially with asthma attacks. If the patient has an allergic reaction to animal hair, then you should not start pets. It is also important that the room is periodically ventilated. Air fresheners and a variety of deodorants should be discarded. If a person lives in an area with poor ecology, then it is worth thinking about moving to a more favorable place.
It is also important to adhere to proper nutrition. Junk food should be excluded from the diet and preference should be given to fresh fruits and vegetables.
It is not recommended to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This is especially true for aspirin. Nevertheless, it is important to monitor your health and treat respiratory viral infections on time. Patients with a similar diagnosis should be examined periodically. If possible, it is recommended to undergo a spa treatment course.