A lung disorder characterized by narrowing of the airways, the tubes which carry air into the lungs, that are inflamed and constricted, causing shortness of breath, wheezing and cough.

Symptoms of asthma vary from person to person. There could be sudden outbursts of symptoms. Most common symptoms of asthma are:

• Dyspnea or difficult breathing
• Wheezing
• Chest tightness
• Persistent coughing, more commonly at night. Most commonly cough with mucus or phlegm

During Asthma attack, the patient presents below symptoms:

• Very low blood pressure
• Abnormally rapid breathing
• Wheezing sounds may accompany both inspiration and expiration or expiration alone

If the person is suffering from asthma for a prolonged period, Respiratory failure, a syndrome when the blood vessels around the air sacs fail to exchange gases of carbon dioxide and oxygen efficiently, may occur. The symptoms of Respiratory failure include:

• Hyperinflation: Patients with long standing uncontrolled asthma may have a barrelshaped chest caused by hyperinflation of lungs
• Loss of consciousness
• Skin and mucous membrane turning to blue in color
• Low blood pressure, which could lead to heart attack
• Oxygen saturation dropping less than 90%

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The causes of asthma are unknown, but it is most probably due to either genetic or environmental factors. Certain factors are known to trigger asthmatic symptoms they are:

• Allergens like dust mites, animal dander, pollen, molds, cigarette smoke, chemical pollutants, and cold air
• Sinusitis
• Extreme emotional responses and physical exercise
• Medications like aspirin, betablockers or NSAIDs
• Gastro esophageal reflux disease
• Other factors like dietary insufficiencies in vitamins C and E, and omega3 fatty acids
• Foods with sulfites and preservatives may also trigger symptoms

Few factors are associated with the development of asthma, they are

• Motherhood at a young age
• Poor maternal nutrition
• Lack of breastfeeding
• Premature birth
• Low birth weight
• Smoking
• Overweight

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