How Asthma Can Affect Non-Asthmatics

Asthma is a condition which I’m sure you are familiar with. The inhaler is something which we’ll all have seen and most of us will link it with asthma immediately. It’s a chronic respiratory condition which affects the bronchioles (the smallest airways) and causes an excess amount of mucus to form, causing difficulty breathing and lessened lung capacity. The most damaging part of asthma is its reaction to environmental allergens like pollen or mould spores. An inflammatory allergic reaction occurs within the airways which has the potential to kill the asthmatic patient by suffocation. The inhaler prevents this which is why most doctors will recommend carrying one at all times if you suffer from the condition.

Though asthma is a chronic condition, a good proportion of sufferers grow out of it as they reach adulthood. This is great news as it gets more dangerous as you get older. For those who get stuck with asthma for their whole lives, planning your movements around allergens becomes necessary for your own survival. Not doing so can lead to an attack you’re unprepared for. Lack of preparedness in an asthmatic is a sure fire way to die.

A recent study in Australia shows that those who are lucky enough to avoid asthma as a lifelong condition and grow out of it could suffer from a permanently lessened lung capacity. This can lead to wheezing which can carry all the way through the adulthood and make exercise and exertion of all kinds that little bit more challenging. The study involved a small number of subjects and as such it should be taken into account that further study will be required to prove this correlation beyond doubt. However, this study alone should give you an idea of just how much of a life changer asthma is regardless of whether you’re lucky enough to lose it or not.