Asthma is a disorder, defined by an existing inflammation of the bronchi, involving numerous cells, such as mastocytes, eosinophil and neutrophil granulocyte and lymphocyte T. The consequences of the inflammation are the symptoms of asthma: shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, or a feeling of chest tightness...

Asthma is not a new disease, but is known since antiquity, although is true, that the nubmer of people having asthma increases. The word asthma was already used by the famous writer from that time, Homer, in his epic poems the Odyssey and the Iliad. He described warriors rushing into battle as breathing ‘asthmos’ – heavily, because of war zeal, exertion, or even fear. But the word then only signified the symptoms and not the disorder.

• a spasm of the bronchial muscles,
• swelling (edema of) bronchial mucous membrane,
• overproduction of the mucus.

• wheezing in the chest,
• coughing,
• a feeling of chest tightness,
• shortness of breath,
• dispnea,
• increased mucus secretion.

Usually ALL of the symptoms DO NOT appear together during a worsening of asthma, sometimes just a feeling of chest tightness appears, or just coughing or so, depending on the magnitude of worsening and individual differencies.

The cause of asthma is not yet known, or more accurately, not yet precisely diagnosed, since it consists of many factors that are complexly intertwinned together. The triggers of asthma deteriorations are better explored. It is known that they are connected with atopy - your body tends to create more type IgE antibodies when in contact with an inhaled or a consumed allergen.

External factors:
Allergens: mites, animal hairs, molds, pollen, food...
Irritators: cigarette smoke, smog, some types of medicine, cold air ...


Infections:
The most common trigger of asthma deterioration is, especially with children, a viral infection of the airways - mostly the viruses causing the common cold or the flu. The infection at first appears as an innocent cold, soon joined by coughing, followed in a few days by chest wheezing. Research shows that with some people a viral infection can trigger the asthma. It was discovered that an infection of the airways of asthmatics causes the hyperactivity of the windpipe, and with allergic people it causes a hypersensitivity to the external allergens. So viral infections can trigger asthma or further deteriorate it. It was also discovered that a permanent low-level bacterial infection can be the factor that constantly maintains respiratory hyperactivity. Such patients suffer from recurring asthma symptoms.

Psychological (internal) factors:
Psychological factors can increase respiratory hyperactivity, which is, alongside the tendency towards it, mostly caused by allergens and infections. Various emotional shocks, excitement and disappointment can accelerate the manifestation of an attack or deteriorate the already existing condition. Asthma cannot be pinned to a specific personality type, but asthma patients can be, due to the nature of their disorder, which is disrupting their lives, more worried and sensitive than healthy people.

Physical exertion:
Exercise induced asthma is usually linked with the cooling and drying of the airways, which is a direct consequence of increased ventilation (increased frequency and volume of breathing) during physical exertion. Patients with asthma have hipersensitivite airways, that respond to increased ventilation in a typical manner.