Symptoms And Dangers Of Nocturnal Asthma
The chances of having asthma symptoms is higher during sleep. Nocturnal asthma symptoms of a tight chest, shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing accompanied by sleep disturbance is commonplace, but serious. Most deaths related to asthma happen during the nighttime.
A child with nocturnal asthma is chronically sleepy during the daytime making them more susceptible to falling asleep at school, suffering from decreased concentration and performance. In addition, when a child is overtired, they can be cranky and misbehave.
Parents are likely sleep deprived too, so speak with Kids First Pediatrics of Raeford and Fayetteville about specific treatments for nocturnal asthma.
No one knows exactly why it is worse during sleep, but there are some known triggers.
Am Fam Physician. 1998 Jul 1 58:109-113.
See related article on asthma.
To keep your asthma under control, you need to know what to do when you have a flare-up of symptoms . First, you need to know the symptoms that tell you your asthma is getting worse . Second, you need to know how to treat your asthma when it gets worse. Early treatment of flare-ups works the best and will help get your asthma under control quickly.
Dont Ignore Asthma Triggers
Sometimes we dont know what the triggers are, but with alittle extra attention, you and your provider can usually identify what leadsto an asthma attack, says Dr. Latifi. Whenever possible, your asthma actionplan will identify your triggers.
Common triggers include:
Allergens. Anallergic reaction may lead to an asthma attack. Common allergens include:
- Mold.
- Use dust mite covers on bedding and furniture.
- Convert to hardwood floors, if thats doable.
- Try over-the-counter or prescription allergy medicines or see an allergist to get allergy shots.
- Keep tabs on pollen counts by checking weather apps to see whether tree, grass or weed pollens are high.
Irritants. Likewith allergens, sometimes an asthmatic reaction can be caused by irritants suchas:
- Dust.
- Smoke particles.
- Exhaust from cars .
Sometimes the irritants are workplace-related, and youllneed to identify ways to manage the exposure, Dr. Latifi says. You may needto wear a dust mask or respirator to prevent inhaling something that cantrigger an attack.
He also recommends using your weather app to keep tabs onair quality wherever you are: You might look out and think its a beautifulspring day, but when you check the app you find the air quality is low. In thatcase, minimize the time you spend outside.
Cooccurring health conditions. Sometimes, unrelated conditions can trigger asthma. Seasonal allergies like hay fever can cause inflammation in the nose, just like allergens cause inflammation in your lungs.
Why Does Asthma Get Worse At Night
You can tell you have Asthma, among other signs, by wheezing, cough and difficulty in breathing when in contact with an allergen. This condition affects the passage of air through the respiratory tract to and from the lungs. Though living with asthma is uncomfortable at all times, it tends to get worse at night for some patients. This is also referred at Nocturnal Asthma and can greatly affect a patients quality of sleep and in turn his/her lifestyle.
Why does asthma get worse at night though? At OneHowTo.com, we take a look into the possible causes.
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Why Is My Asthma Worse In Fall
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After awhile, we pick up patterns about our asthma, and notice how our asthma changes as the seasons do. For me, Fall is probably among my better seasons, free of the dry cold of Manitoba Winters and the humidity, heat and lingering Spring dust in the Summer. For others, though, Fall can be a hard time with asthma. Here are some things to consider if you feel your asthma worsening this Fall.
So, while the cooler temperatures may improve asthma for some, its certainly not an easy time for everybody. Remember, as well, to start thinking about getting your flu shot. Winter is right around the corner
Do you know of anything else that causes your own asthma to be worse in the fall? Share with our community belowit could be the mystery another member is trying to solve!
When To Seek Help About Your Asthma Symptoms
Asthma attacks can happen any time and in any place. If you are experiencing asthma symptoms multiple times per week, then see your health care provider to discuss adjustments to your asthma care plan.
For people that do not have health insurance, Carrillo recommends looking for medication assistance programs in your area. It is important for people with asthma to have access to the proper medication, said Carrillo. In south Texas, we have the Medication Assistance Program through Healthy South Texas. These types of programs do exist, and they are ready to help.
Mary Leigh Meyer
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Nocturnal Asthma And Children
Asthma is more common in children than in adults and is the most common chronic disease in children worldwide. Accurately diagnosing and treating nocturnal asthma in children is especially important because the effects of nocturnal asthma, like loss of sleep and daytime sleepiness, are associated with behavioral and developmental difficulties.
Unfortunately, nocturnal asthma often goes undiagnosed in children because they tend to underestimate or not report their nighttime symptoms. For this reason, its helpful for parents to monitor and report back to the doctor any concerning symptoms in children. These symptoms may include wheezing, disturbed sleep, daytime sleepiness, and difficulties concentrating at school.
What Asthma Treatment Options Are There
You have options to help manage your asthma. Your healthcare provider may prescribe medications to control symptoms. These include:
- Anti-inflammatory medicines: These medicines reduce swelling and mucus production in your airways. They make it easier for air to enter and exit your lungs. Your healthcare provider may prescribe them to take every day to control or prevent your symptoms.
- Bronchodilators: These medicines relax the muscles around your airways. The relaxed muscles let the airways move air. They also let mucus move more easily through the airways. These medicines relieve your symptoms when they happen.
- Biologic therapies for asthma when symptoms persist despite being on proper inhaler therapy.
You can take asthma medicines in several different ways. You may breathe in the medicines using a metered-dose inhaler, nebulizer or other inhaler. Your healthcare provider may prescribe oral medications that you swallow.
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Dont Shove Your Asthma Action Plan In A Drawer
Your asthma triggers are unique to you thats why everyperson diagnosed with mild-to-severe persistent asthma should have an asthmaaction plan. Dont have one? Then stop right now and message your provider torequest one.
If you do, make sure to keep it handy. Most problems occur whenyou dont follow your plan, Dr. Latifi explains. Your plan outlines all thedos and donts, so its easy to stay one step ahead of an attack.
The plan is all about maintaining your peak flow rate, whichmeasures how fast air moves out of your lungs, he says. To get this number:
Dont wait until you feel symptoms to take a measurement,Dr. Latifi says. Be proactive and stay on top of your peak flow to helpprevent flare-ups from happening in the first place.
Ask Yourself 3 Simple Questions
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have Work-Related Asthma.
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Why Strong Asthma Attacks Occur Early In The Morning
It is known that there are changes at night in the functioning of organs and systems that could contribute to the appearance of bronchospasms.
First of all, this phenomenon is due to the reduced production of hormones and also the type of nervous system of the individual. Typically, these changes can reach their maximum at 4 am to 6 am. There is such regularity: the worse a person feels during the day, the more pronounced will be the seizures of bronchial asthma in the early morning hours.
If preventative measures are ineffective and suffering from suffocation continues, keep calm, sit or get upright and use your inhaler. It is essential that at this point not to panic, do not take indiscriminately different medications, observe dosages and correct inhalation techniques, or otherwise, you will not achieve the desired result.
For patients suffering from frequent shortness of breath, it is advisable to leave a thermos with a hot drink at their bedside to drink some warm tea or water. If asthma attacks occur in the early morning hours and are repeated regularly, you should consult your doctor. Consider also that allergens may cause bronchial asthma attacks at night. In the presence of such allergens, seizures can occur late at night between 1 am, and 3 am.
Pooh and feathers contain alarge number of mites a major allergen in house dust. These ticks are not visible to the naked eye, but they are at places where dust is accumulated.
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More Sleep Hygiene Tips
I realize that not everyone is going to want to try taping their mouth shut, at least at first blush. Thats why Ive enlisted my wife Emma, a reformed insomniac, to share whats helped her sleep better.
Since the best way to treat asthma is through lifestyle changes, improving your sleep hygiene in general might have a bigger impact on your symptoms that youd expect!
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Why Have Your Asthma Symptoms Got Worse
Before your appointment, have a think about your symptoms and why you think theyve got worse. Itll help you and your GP to work out whats going on with your asthma.
Ask yourself these questions to help you:
Have I been taking my preventer inhaler every day?
Preventer medicines stop inflammation building up in your airways. But they can only do this if you take them every day.
If you stop taking them you wont have full protection. And your symptoms will come back.
Have you been taking yours every day? Or have you found it hard to get into a good routine?
Do I know the best way to take my inhalers?
Even if youve been taking an inhaler for years, its easy to slip into bad habits. If you havent been taking your inhaler correctly you will have been missing out on the full dose of asthma medicine.
Are you confident youre taking your inhalers in the right way? Watch our inhaler videos to see if youre doing it right. And ask your GP or asthma nurse to check it at your appointment.
Have I been around more of my usual asthma triggers?
Maybe youve caught a cold, or its pollen season and your hay fevers bad. Think about your usual triggers and if they might be affecting you more.
Have I come across a new trigger?
Have you been around an animal or pet? Did you start a new job, or go on holiday? Tell your doctor if youve spotted a new trigger. They can help you deal with it.
What else has been going on in my life lately?
Have I noticed hormonal changes?
What Is The Treatment For Asthma
Asthma symptoms can be treated with a variety of prescription medications that provide quick relief as well as long term control. Lifestyle changes can also reduce symptoms, especially if asthma is triggered by allergies to substances in the environment or to certain foods . Regular vaccinations for influenza and pneumonia are strongly recommended for older adults with asthma.
Keep in mind . . . Short-term use of oral steroids are helpful to treat acute asthma symptoms, or flare ups however, long-term use of oral steroids is usually avoided in older asthma patients. Over time, oral steroids can cause severe side effects, such as weakening of bones, ulcers, or high blood pressure.
People with asthma should develop a written asthma management plan with their physician. An asthma management plan outlines specific treatment and lifestyle practices, including what to do when asthma symptoms flare up or become out of control.
Older asthma patients should be sure to ask their physician about any aspect of their asthma treatment that they do not understand. Keeping the physician informed about how well treatment is working is important. Patients need to tell their physician if they are having trouble remembering to take their medications, or if they are having difficulty using devices such as an inhaler.
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Why Asthma Is Worse At Night
Shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing are annoying enough during the day. Waking up in the middle of a coughing fit or being unable to catch your breath in the quiet of the night is downright disturbing. Unfortunately, approximately 30 to 70% of people with asthma experience nocturnal asthma, or a worsening of asthma symptoms at night. Not everyone with asthma feels worse at night, but many do.
Learn more about nocturnal asthma and what to do if you have nighttime asthma with cough and other symptoms.
What Happens During An Asthma Episode
During normal breathing, the airways to the lungs are fully open. This allows air to move in and out of the lungs freely. Asthma causes the airways to change in the following ways:
These changes narrow the airways. Breathing becomes difficult and stressful, like trying to breathe through a straw stuffed with cotton.
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Signs Your Asthma Is Worsening
Over time, asthma often progresses. Knowing the signs of worsening asthma is the first step to getting your condition under control.
If you have asthma, you know an attack can come on suddenly, literally taking your breath away. But asthma, a chronic lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways, can also gradually exacerbate over time even if youre avoiding triggers, following your treatment plan, and doing everything youre supposed to do.
A number of factors can worsen asthma, including prolonged exposure to dust, pollen, mold, pollution, and other irritants in the air, says Sharon R. Rosenberg, MD, co-director of the asthma and COPD program at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
But for some people, asthma gradually worsens without any exposure to triggers. Symptoms get worse as inflammation builds over time, explains Guha Krishnaswamy, MD, director of allergy and clinical immunology at Wake Forest Baptist. The mucus membranes become more swollen, smooth muscle becomes a little twitchier, and the airways produce thick mucus, he says. These changes lead to worsening asthma symptoms.
Anyone who has asthma needs to be on the lookout for signs that the condition is getting worse. The reason is simple: Uncontrolled asthma can be a severe, life-threatening disease.
Signs of Worsening Asthma
Here are six signs your asthma may be getting worse:
1. Increased difficulty breathing.
2. A drop in peak flow meter readings.
What Should I Do If I Have A Severe Asthma Attack
A severe asthma attack needs immediate medical care. The first step is your rescue inhaler. A rescue inhaler uses fast-acting medicines to open up your airways. Its different than your normal maintenance inhaler, which you use every day. You should only use the rescue inhaler in an emergency.
If your rescue inhaler doesnt help or you dont have it with you, go to the emergency department if you have:
- Anxiety or panic.
- Bluish fingernails, bluish lips or gray or whitish lips or gums .
- Chest pain or pressure.
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What Can You Do
If your asthma gets worse in the fall, there are several steps you can take. One major way to protect yourself is to ask or hire someone to take care of your fall lawn cleanup, since that will prevent you from being exposed to some of the worse autumn irritants. You should also try to limit your exposure to ragweed by avoiding spending too much time outdoors. If possible, try to keep a change of clothes handy so that you can quickly change when you come home. Pollen can accumulate on your clothes and shoes while youre outside, then bother you in your home later as a result.
To keep yourself breathing comfortably at home, a residential air purifier is the best solution. A good air purifier can remove mold spores, ragweed pollen and even smoke and ash from leaf fires. If dry air is bothering you, a small humidifier can also be a good way to keep your symptoms under control.
Have questions about using air purifiers or humidifiers to keep your asthma symptoms from getting worse in the fall? Were here to help. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have, and well help you pick out the perfect air purification system for your needs.
Why Does My Asthma Get Worse When It Rains And How To Avoid
Rain is essential for humans as well as survival of living being and vegetation on earth. Rainy season is a favorite season for almost everyone, because it comes after hot summer in many parts of world. However, for people suffering from asthma it may be a nightmare. This is because in many asthmatics the symptoms become worse with rain and thunderstorm.
Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation of air passage . Asthma is caused due to genetic inheritance or can be triggered by allergies. Common allergens include pollen, dust, molds, weeds, grass, animal dander etc. Weather change, especially rainy season can also trigger a surge in number of acute bronchospasm cases. Let us know the reasons for worsening of asthma in rainy season among asthmatics.
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