Asthma disease is often accompanied with symptoms of acute cough, wheezing and patient getting breathless. Irrespective of what triggers the asthma attack and how often, the patient needs to follow the treatment regularly. The treatment includes asthma medication, inhaler or asthma pump and pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). PR (guided by a physiotherapist) not only works as asthma treatment but also helps in asthma prevention for all types of asthma, COPD and other respiratory diseases.
In this post, ReLiva physiotherapists collate all about Asthma disease, its diagnosis, asthma signs and symptoms, asthma treatment at home, pulmonary rehabilitation, bronchial asthma treatment, and asthma management for allergic asthma.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a condition in which your airways narrow and swell and produce extra mucus. This can make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
For some, asthma is a minor trouble. For others, it can be a major problem that interferes with daily activities and may lead to a life-threatening asthma attack.
Asthma can’t be cured, but its symptoms can definitely be controlled. Because asthma often changes over time, it’s important that you work with your doctor to track your signs and symptoms and adjust the treatment as required.
Click to read Tips and Dos and Don’ts for managing Asthma better at home.
Asthma symptoms range from minor to severe and vary from person to person. You may have infrequent asthma attacks, have symptoms only at certain times — such as when exercising — or have symptoms all the time.
What are the signs and symptoms of Asthma?
The signs and symptoms that may indicate Asthma are:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest tightness or pain
- Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing
- A whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling (wheezing is a common sign of asthma in children)
- Coughing or wheezing attacks that are worsened by a respiratory virus, such as a cold or the flu
Signs that your asthma is probably worsening include:
- Asthma symptoms that are more frequent and bothersome
- Increasing difficulty breathing(measurable with a peak flow meter, a device used to check how well your lungs are working)
- The need to use a quick-relief asthma inhaler more often
Is there different kinds of asthma?
For some people, asthma symptoms flare up in certain situations, classifying them into 3 types:
- Exercise-induced asthma, which may be worse when the air is cold and dry
- Occupational asthma, triggered by workplace irritants such as chemical fumes, gases or dust
- Allergy-induced asthma, triggered by particular allergens, such as pet dander, cockroaches or pollen
What is the best treatment for asthma?
Asthma Treatment works best when asthma patients follow their treatment regularly. Asthma is treated with a combination of:
I. Asthma Medication
Depending on your status of asthma, medications can be in the form of inhalers or nebulisation as advised by the physician.
Some quick relief medications are also prescribed in the event of sudden triggering of your symptoms
II. Lifestyle modification
Treatment of asthma includes multi-disciplinary approach, since it not only affects the lungs but also the entire body of the individual. Hence, for the long-term control and prevention of recurrent attacks, following points can be helpful:
- Pulmonary rehabilitation
- Diet modification
- Maintaining the activity level
- Avoidance of allergen
- Timing the doses of medication with the exercises/ strenuous activities
- Pacing of activity
III. Pulmonary Rehabilitation
If you are having difficulty with your breathing or become short of breath when performing your normal daily routines, Pulmonary rehab can particularly be of great help. It may also help increase the amount of exercise you are capable of doing.
Studies1 have shown that Patients with asthma who completed pulmonary rehabilitation programmes (PR) had improvement in physical function and emotional well-being.
Pulmonary rehab programmes significantly improve the patient’s health by:
- reducing breathlessness,
- providing ways to control the disease and
- by improving the patient’s ability to carry out daily activities, such as bathing and dressing.
Role of Physiotherapy in managing Asthma:
Pulmonary rehabilitation has a key role in maintaining your quality of life as well as in preventing frequent exacerbations of the symptoms and thus reducing the episodes of re-hospitalization.
What is included in physiotherapy Treatment for Asthma disease?
- Proper understanding of the disease and counseling of the patient and the relatives involved
- Education regarding positions to adopt, to reduce breathlessness
- Tailor made exercise regimen fitting to individuals need and capacity
- Breathing techniques and co-ordinating it with limb movements to avoid early fatigue
- Strength training for the large muscles of arms and legs for peripheral conditioning
- During the periods of acute attacks, the treatment shall be focused on keeping the airways clear of secretions by different positioning and breathing techniques
To summarize, enrolling in pulmonary rehabilitation would help you in living a better life with Asthma
Read more about Physiotherapy for COPD Treatment here
Is there different kinds of asthma?
Asthma is classified into four general categories:
| Asthma Classification | Signs and Symptoms |
|---|---|
| Mild intermittent | Mild symptoms up to two days a week and up to two nights a month |
| Mild persistent | Symptoms more than twice a week, but no more than once in a single day |
| Moderate persistent | Symptoms once a day and more than one night a week |
| Severe persistent | Symptoms throughout the day on most days and frequently at night |
What are some complications of asthma?
Asthma complications include:
- Symptoms that interfere with sleep, work or recreational activities
- Sick days from work or school during asthma flare-ups
- Permanent narrowing of the bronchial tubes (airway remodeling) that affects how well you can breathe
- Emergency room visits and hospitalizations for severe asthma attacks
- Side effects from long-term use of some medications used to stabilize severe asthma
Read answers to Frequently Asked Questions related to Asthma here.
How can Physiotherapy help for Asthma?
Your physio helps you learn to manage the physical effects of your asthma. How you breathe is really important. Many people with asthma feel they need to get more air into their lungs. You may use your chest muscles to breathe air in and out quickly, through your mouth. If you make a habit of this, you’ll start to feel tired and unwell, and be more prone to asthma attacks. Your Physiotherapist at ReLiva will teach you how to breathe properly using the correct muscles when you’re resting. This will help you feel relaxed and you won’t make your asthma symptoms worse. They’ll also teach you how to breathe when you’re taking exercise.
Your physiotherapist will show you ways to:
- control your cough
- get rid of mucus
- use your inhaler correctly
- cope better with asthma attacks
- work out an exercise plan that’s right for you
- relax so you breathe easier
Read Tips and Dos and Don’ts for managing Asthma better at home by clicking here.
A Physiotherapist trained in Pulmonary rehab can teach you breathing techniques so you can manage symptoms and stay almost asthma free. Call us at +91 99209 91584 or click to ask for call back here and we will connect you with the concerned physiotherapist near you.
This post is based on the contribution from Dr Madhura Bhagat (PT). Dr Madhura is a Master in Physiotherapy (MPT) and practices in Navi Mumbai at ReLiva Physiotherapy & Rehab. She is loved by her patients for her pleasant demeanour and empathetic approach to their recovery.
Scientific References:
1] Benefits of completing pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with asthma; Trevor JL, Bhatt SP, Wells JM, Kirkpatrick d, Schumann C, Hitchcock J, Dransfield MT; J Asthma. 2015;52(9):969-73. doi: 10.3109/02770903.2015.1025410. Epub 2015 Aug 18
Need Chest Physiotherapy for Breathing problem?
ReLiva is there
