Of course, the main problem with diagnosing asthma is that a typical asthma symptom is easily confused with a symptom caused by a common cold or flu virus. If you suspect that you or your child may have asthma, or if you or your child are displaying any of the following symptoms, it is imperative that you immediately see your doctor. Even if you think something is just a cold, for safety's sake, you should see your doctor and rule out asthma. Should you ignore any symptoms, doing so can have serious repercussions, especially in regard to your child's health.
As with most things, typical asthma symptoms can vary from one person to another. However, there are specific things to look out for. These include wheezing, in which you whistle when you breathe in or out. If this happens to you or your child at night or when you have just gotten over suffering a cold, it could mean that you are developing asthma. Of course, it could also mean that you are developing or suffering from a lung infection, which is dangerous in its own right. Either way, see a doctor immediately.
Of course, not all asthma sufferers have wheezing, but there are other symptoms as well. For example, does your child have a cough that just won't go away? This is an asthma symptom as well, and should be checked out immediately. Another asthma symptom that's common is to have the feeling of breathlessness, or finding it extremely difficult to breathe. Less severely, it can simply be a feeling of tightness in the chest. Keep in mind that very young children may not be able to clearly verbalize what they're feeling, so it behooves you as the parent to surmise what may be happening and get prompt medical care. For example, even if your very young child says he has a stomach ache, he may in fact be talking about pain in his chest, if he cannot be very clear on exactly what he's feeling. Having such symptoms checked out by a doctor covers all the bases and makes sure that your child is safe.
Of course, young children need to be held, and they may also say that they need to be carried or otherwise treated like an infant, especially if they've had some traumatic event in their life, such as a new baby in the house. However, this is different than the type of neediness or clinging that happens when a child is feeling ill, and you as the parent will be able to clue in on what the difference is. It should also be noted that feeling tired is a common asthmatic symptom, so if your normally energetic child is feeling lethargic, this is another clue. All in all, just to be safe, taking your child to the doctor when he or she is exhibiting any kind of illness that is clearly not simply minor should be checked out.
If you suspect your child has or might be developing asthma, or if your child is showing asthmatic symptoms or other symptoms denoting illness, keep a simple journal showing what elements are present when your child exhibits the symptoms. It may help your doctor determine the whether or not this is asthma, and it will certainly help you notice any patterns that are common as a result of the onset of either allergies, other illness or asthma. You may be able to notice patterns and identify what is triggering your child's asthma, which will be a great help to both you and your doctor.
Cardiac asthma isn't asthma in its true sense. It's wheezing due to congestive heart failure.
Cardiac asthma is a clinical condition caused by severe reflexive blocking and/or by edema of the lungs. It is an asthmatic-type breathing caused by sudden blockage of the pulmonary circulation. The bronchial spasm in cardiac asthma is caused by back pressure from the left side of the heart to the lungs (the left part of the heart has a sudden disproportion between its work load and work capacity).
Cardiac asthma is quite similar to lung asthma. In this, patients with heart failure or heart valves that do not open properly experience shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing.
What causes cardiac asthma?
Cardiac asthma is usually due to a major mechanical fault of the heart and may pose to be life threatening, if not checked at the right time.
In this kind of asthma, the reduced pumping efficacy of the heart leads to a build up of fluid in the lungs. This build up of the fluid causes the air passages to narrow up and eventually cause wheezing and other related symptoms.
Symptoms:
Symptoms usually occur with exercise or at night after going to bed. Excessive fluid in the lungs associated with heart failure causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing, which imitate asthma.
Both cardiac asthma and pulmonary edema are symptoms of coming heart failure. It is a life-threatening condition and one must seek medical advice immediately on experiencing any symptoms.
Some of the main symptoms are:
* Shortness of breath, not necessarily accompanied by wheezing. * Increased rapid and superficial breathing. * Increased blood pressure and heart beat rate. * A feeling of uneasiness. * Cardiac asthmatic people wake up breathless a few hours after sleeping, and have to sit upright to again properly breathe. This is due to lying down too long. * Swollen ankles which worsen rapidly during the stretch of the day.
Treatment:
The key to effective management of cardiac asthma is right diagnosis, which includes differentiation between patients who wheeze only due to acute heart failure vs those who wheeze from other disorders, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Treatment is directed at improving the pump function of the heart along with medications. If the asthma is caused by a heart valve that is not working properly or a hole between the heart chambers, surgery or other procedures may be suggested.
Treatments mainly focus on controlling the night coughs, control of the edema, control of inflow load and the amount of residual blood in the left ventricle.
Treatment of heart failure involves using diuretics (water pills) to free the lungs of excess fluid and medications to help the heart muscles pump more effectively. When the heart failure has been well controlled, the wheezing will gradually stop. Some people may suffer from asthma and heart failure simultaneously, and thus require treatment for both conditions.
Patients suffering from cardiac asthma generally respond well to a combination of bronchodilators, supplementary oxygen, and treatment of the heart failure.
Corticosteroids for a patient with acute cardiac asthma are only prescribed depending on clinical circumstances and the patient's response to initial therapy. When treatment of pure cardiac asthma is effective, the wheezing usually resolves automatically. Corticosteroids require several hours to give peak effect.
Who are prone to cardiac asthma?
Cardiac asthma usually occurs in elderly people who have wheezing and shortness of breath that are due to heart failure. When the heart is too weak to pump blood effectively, fluid will accumulate in the lungs. Fluid in the lungs causes shortness of breath and wheezing.
Both Gaetane Ross & Alien are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gaetane Ross has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Nutrition and Affiliate Programs. Gaetane Ross is a Certified Natural Health Consultant who has spent over 4 years focusing on Nutrition and Health. She also specializes in Alternative Medicine, Spiritual Healing and Healthy Lifestyle. For her FREE report on Asthma visit. Gaetane Ross's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
Alien has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pregnancy Problems, Fitness and Get Rid of Bed Bugs. Read out . Also check out for and. Alien's top article generates over 673000 views. to your Favourites.