Bronchial asthma is on the list with serious diseases such as cancer or stroke. In recent years, the incidence curve has risen sharply. And what is most dangerous, small children began to get sick more often. Doctors sound the alarm, because not only are pulmonologists not enough, in addition to this, the population knows absolutely nothing about asthma.
The latter factor makes the situation critical. Because it is the patient’s responsible attitude to his health that is the main factor in his longevity, and not the discharge of a doctor.
Who is predisposed to asthma?
Asthma is contracted for various reasons. Firstly, in our world there are many industrial cities where the air is simply not suitable for life. Secondly, the immune system of children is rather weak due to the fact that there is no practice of hardening, and various irritants lead to allergic inflammation of the bronchi. There are many reasons. And with the disease it is quite possible to live 20, 30 or even more years, the main thing is to keep the situation under control.
But many parents whose children suffer from asthma attacks from time to time are afraid of the sudden death of the child. It's time to figure out: is sudden death possible with bronchial asthma? But let's start by analyzing the causes of the disease, and then back to the risks and statistics.
Causes of Attacks
The main reason is heredity. Those children whose parents had breathing problems are 3 times more likely to become asthmatics. If there is no genetic predisposition to the disease, then there are other reasons that provoke the development of asthma.
It can be:
- Chemical and food irritants;
- Protein secreted by the animal organism settles in the lungs and also often causes breathing problems;
- Agents such as cold air or secondhand smoke. If the child does not tolerate cold air, constantly coughs, then allergic asthma may develop over time.
But this disease is not contagious. Bronchospasms are caused by physical or chemical irritants. Those who worry about the contagiousness of asthma can calm down. It cannot be transmitted by air, like volatile infections.
Asthma is difficult to breathe because the pulmonary pathways are significantly narrowed. Sometimes, due to prolonged inflammation, mucus collects there, which further impedes the movement of air. This is called obstructive narrowing of the bronchi.
In order for a person to begin to suffocate, patency of the bronchi must be significantly reduced. Therefore, problems with the respiratory tract, such as coughing and shortness of breath, should be investigated immediately before they lead to severe asthma, as it is difficult to treat.
Can I die of asthma?
Deaths do occur. But this happens when a patient with asthma has already accumulated several serious complications.
The most dangerous complications are:
- Pulmonary heart.
- Hypoxia of the brain.
- Renal failure.
- Pulmonary failure and more.
Many of those who only recently found out about their illness are worried about whether it is possible to die from asthma. Is it contagious or not? As for infectivity, it has already been noted that this is a myth. It must be said that in the early stages of the disease, the risks of death are minimal. Concern for the patient's life comes when sudden attacks become stronger and longer.
When the lack of air lasts more than 3 minutes, certain changes in the body begin to occur. Some receptors are disconnected, organs suffer. Therefore, prolonged severe states of suffocation are, of course, dangerous. Especially for the elderly.
Nocturnal asthma attacks. The dangers
Separate conversation requires night attacks of suffocation. At night, breathing slows down in all people, like other aspects of life. But for asthmatics, this time of day is all the more dangerous. Scientists studying bronchial asthma noticed that at night, both in healthy individuals and in patients, the volume of forced expiration drops significantly.
Is it possible to die from asthma in a dream? Death in the early morning hours occurs in patients only slightly more often than in ordinary people.
But for asthmatics this problem is more pronounced, and most of them do not sleep well at night, experience acute oxygen deficiency. Why in the daytime their performance, memory and attention suffer.
However, seizures can be stopped. A qualified doctor finds the optimal dose of medication for each case. If an unexpectedly strong attack begins at night, you should not rely on an inhaler, but it is better to call an ambulance right away.
What to do with asthma attacks?
Often attacks provoke automobile exhausts in the streets or cigarette smoke from a passerby smoking. For all occasions, an asthmatic should have an inhaler in his pocket to facilitate breathing.
Is it possible to die of asthma without an inhaler? If the attack is very protracted, then the person may die from brain hypoxia or stroke. For normal heart function, you also need a lot of oxygen, as well as for the brain. But there is little oxygen in the blood of such a patient, and the asthmatic’s heart sometimes just stops. Therefore, a portable inhaler can not be left at home, it must always be taken with you. But you need to understand that, like all medicines, an inhaler cannot be used when there is no attack.
Mortality among asthmatics. Statistics
Today in Russia, about 6% of the population suffers from asthma, according to rough estimates. Moreover, 71% of patients have a severe form of the disease. And many, as you know, do not go to the therapist until the attacks become so strong that they cause fear of death. But in fact, asthma is not dangerous in the early stages of development. And although it is impossible to prevent new attacks, it is possible to extend the patient's life for many years, and to minimize the risks of complications.
If the patient is provided with good conditions, often wipe the dust in the apartment, ventilate and maintain the desired humidity level, then the patient may not experience attacks for a long time. It is especially useful to take the patient sometimes to special treatment and preventive recreation areas where speleotherapy is available. This treatment is by inhaling air in special caves, where it is clean and contains the necessary elements.
Is it possible to die of bronchial asthma? Mortality, according to some reports, is high among adults over 60 years of age, as well as among children under 8 years of age. Unfortunately, children are often misdiagnosed, and time is wasted.
Asthma in children
When a child begins to have an attack, he complains that it becomes more difficult to inhale and exhale, weakness builds up and shortness of breath appears. In young children who can not yet explain their symptoms with words, the main sign of pathology will be lethargy, uneven breathing and crying.
At the first suspicion of asthma, the child should be shown to the doctor. You should not choose the treatment yourself, as well as scare the child. Let him play normally with other children and run. If the child asks you whether it is possible to die from an asthma attack, say that nothing bad will happen to him, only you must carry an inhaler with you. If the baby suddenly has a protracted attack, he needs to be hospitalized and check if heart failure has appeared.
Which doctor should I go to?
First, a person should turn to a regular therapist and talk about complaints, give exhaustive information about relatives who may also have suffered such attacks. If someone close to you has experienced seizures, then you already know the answer to the painful question: is it possible to die from asthma? The risk is minimal if a person takes care of himself.
Next, the doctor will evaluate where to send you: to an allergist or pulmonologist. An allergist will work with those who respond by attacking an external stimulus. A pulmonologist treats asthma that has caused long-term ongoing bronchitis.
What makes seizures worse?
Attacks can become stronger if a person ignores the recommendations that the doctor gives him. If there is a child with asthma in the house, then parents should carefully monitor the air condition in the room. Be sure to buy a humidifier in the child’s room and do wet cleaning every day. Since city dust is also a strong allergen. And too dry or, conversely, frosty air is a provocateur for obstruction of the bronchi.
It is not recommended to keep any pets - neither parrots, nor even fish. The patient should not visit the bath, as hot and dry air is dangerous for obstruction of the bronchi. Do not breathe vapors from potatoes. And even more forbidden to put mustard plasters asthmatics. Otherwise, there is a risk of seriously harming a loved one with incorrect care.
Treatment
Proper treatment involves the constant use of drugs prescribed by the attending physician, and constant monitoring. Asthma is a disease that can never be cured, but which can not be triggered. Among the drugs, the doctor may prescribe:
- Intal.
- Tiled.
- Pulmicort.
- Flixotide.
Treatment should be comprehensive. It is important that the patient can move quite a lot, often travel to the sea or breathe in the mountain air. Immobility leads to stagnation in the body and worsens the general condition.
Food is also important. You can drink some of the medicines offered by traditional medicine. Infusions of oregano, ginger or aloe help with mild currents. But it is absolutely impossible to completely replace folk medicines with folk.
Prevention
Since allergic asthma is spreading rapidly, you need to know how to protect yourself from allergens. You need to walk a lot with children in the park area or ride a bike. Heavy smokers urgently need to quit this addiction, as their children unwittingly suffer from smoke - the strongest factor that provokes asthma. It is good to take vitamins and do breathing exercises.
If a person works in environmentally unfavorable conditions, he will have to change his profession. Otherwise, the disease will quickly turn into a serious form, and it will become impossible to treat it. Those who are diagnosed with bronchial obstructive syndrome should often examine their lungs to know when exactly the situation will become more complicated.
conclusions
Asthma, as we see, is a very serious lung disease. We answered questions about whether it is possible to die from asthma; reasons, ways to combat the disease are also discussed. The main thing in the treatment is constant monitoring of the patient's condition.