European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ASTHMA: AN OVERVIEW

Mohd Zubair*, Manooj Kumar, Mohd Shabaz Khan, Shubam Sehgal, Tanvay Jaithliya and Atul Tiwari

ABSTRACT

Asthma is a long-term lung condition. People with asthma have sensitive airways in their lungs which react to triggers, causing a ‗flare-up‘. In a flare-up, the muscles around the airway squeeze tight, the airways swell and become narrow and there is more mucus. These things make it harder to breathe. An asthma flare-up can come on slowly (over hours, days or even weeks) or very quickly (over minutes). A sudden or severe asthma flare-up is sometimes called an asthma attack. Asthma cannot be cured, but for most people it can be well controlled by following a daily management plan. Symptoms often vary from person to person, but they are most commonly breathlessness, wheezing, tight feeling in the chest and continuing cough. Symptoms often occur at night, early in the morning or during/just after activity. The causes of asthma are not fully understood, although people with asthma often have a family history of asthma, eczema and hay fever. Research has shown that exposure to tobacco smoke (especially as a baby or young child), obesity and some workplace chemicals can increase the risk of developing asthma.

Keywords: Asthma is a long-term risk of developing asthma.