What happens during an asthma attack?
- The muscles around your airways tighten up, narrowing the airway.
- Less air is able to flow through the airway.
- Inflammation of the airways increases, further narrowing the airway.
- More mucus is produced in the airways, undermining the flow of air even more.
In some asthma attacks, the airways are blocked such that oxygen fails to enter the lungs. This also prevents oxygen from entering the blood stream and traveling to the body’s vital organs. Asthma attacks of this type can be fatal, and the patient may require urgent hospitalization.
At onset, an asthma attack does allow enough air to get into the lungs, but it does not let the carbon dioxide leave the lungs at a fast enough rate. Carbon dioxide – poisonous if not expelled – can build up in the lungs during a prolonged attack, lowering the amount of oxygen getting into your bloodstream.
Asthmatic children with high rates of asthma make many more visits to the Emergency Room (ER). While socioeconomic factors such as lack of adequate preventive care are part of the equation (high-asthma neighborhoods tend to be lower income), new research points to a possible biological basis for the disparity. Asthmatic children living in asthma hotspots are twice as likely to experience a common symptom known as exercise-induced wheeze than are those in neighborhoods with lower asthma rates.
Exercise-induced wheeze is very uncomfortable for children. It can present rapidly after beginning any strenuous activity and lead quickly to respiratory symptoms, so it is not surprising that it is a factor in ER visits.
It was found that one-third of the children experiencing exercise-induced wheeze had not used an inhaler prior to exercising. “The good news,” is that these symptoms are preventable. Parents should talk with their Doctor, so they can be ready with a plan, including the use of appropriate medication such as a bronchodilator inhaler prior to exercise.
Exactly why asthma hotspots have higher rates of this symptom remains a mystery. While inadequate use of a bronchodilator inhaler prior to exercise was part of the story, it didn’t fully explain the findings. Allergens and air pollution related to fossil fuel burning were not found to be factors. Neither were differences in physical activity, obesity, or neighborhood conditions such as the number of parks.
“Exercise-induced symptoms” may identify a distinct population of asthmatics with causes for their exacerbations yet to be determined. The important lesson is that with greater awareness and treatment, you Dan hope to prevent those unscheduled visits to the doctor and trips to the ER.”