No one really knows what causes asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways in the lungs. The consensus is that a mix of hereditary and environmental factors cause it, but the scientific community is still to crack the ‘how exactly’.
What every asthma patient knows too well though, is that it causes recurring attacks of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing.
Tightening Airways:
Asthma makes the airways become extra-sensitive, when the inflammation lasts a while. Various triggers like allergens, viruses, dust, smoke, stress, etc. can then cause faster and impacting damage, by:- Swelling up the airways, making them narrower, limiting the airflow.
- Tightening the muscles that surround the airways, making them even narrower
- Producing too much mucus, which blocks the airways
- Making the airways extra-sensitive to irritants
Sitting Ducks:
- Blame it on the genes, but you are more likely to get asthma if it’s been already running in your family.
- Children with eczema or food allergy are more likely than other children to develop asthma.
- If you have an existing allergy to pollen, house dust mites or pets, your chances for developing this illness go up.
- Exposure to tobacco smoke, air pollution or other inhaled irritants can also cause asthma symptoms.
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