Quitting Smoking is Very Important for Asthma Patients.

Smoking during pregnancy is a factor that increases the risk of asthma in children. Even passive smoking in asthma patients can lead to worsening asthma and hospitalizations. Active smoking is responsible for worsening asthma, hospitalizations, the development of COPD, deterioration of respiratory function, reduced effectiveness of medications, and even fatalities. However, when smoking is quit, lung function improves, and inflammation in the airways decreases. Eliminating passive smoke exposure is effective in controlling asthma and reducing hospitalizations.

Quitting Smoking is Very Important for Asthma Patients.

Smoking during pregnancy is a factor that increases the risk of asthma in children. Even passive smoking in asthma patients can lead to worsening asthma and hospitalizations. Active smoking is responsible for worsening asthma, hospitalizations, the development of COPD, deterioration of respiratory function, reduced effectiveness of medications, and even fatalities. However, when smoking is quit, lung function improves, and inflammation in the airways decreases. Eliminating passive smoke exposure is effective in controlling asthma and reducing hospitalizations.

Asthma is a Chronic Disease.

Asthma is characterized by chronic inflammation of the airways. It does not spontaneously resolve or completely disappear. Coughing, shortness of breath, a feeling of pressure in the chest, and wheezing are its primary symptoms. The severity of these symptoms can increase, especially with exposure to allergens, seasonal changes, air pollution, or viral infections. Symptoms may spontaneously disappear or may not occur for months, even with medication. However, there is another side to the coin; asthma symptoms can sometimes worsen to a life-threatening extent. Even when there are no symptoms and respiratory tests are normal, airway inflammation often continues and can be controlled with medication.

Asthma Does Not Heal on Its Own.

Even when there are no symptoms and respiratory tests are normal, airway inflammation persists. The term “remission” for asthma, referring to the suppression of clinical symptoms, is a relatively new definition; it has been described as the complete disappearance of symptoms in some patients, with no need for medication for at least one year. However, this does not mean that asthma has completely healed on its own.

Not All Allergens Need to Be Avoided by Asthma Patients.

When an allergy is detected for a particular allergen, whether it exacerbates asthma symptoms is determined based on the patient's history. If the allergen does not worsen the patient's symptoms, there is no need to avoid it.

Asthma Can Be Confused with Other Diseases.

Many diseases cause similar symptoms. In childhood, conditions such as upper respiratory tract cough syndrome, aspiration of foreign bodies into the lungs, and congenital heart diseases can be confused with asthma. In adulthood, additional conditions such as permanent dilation of the bronchi, vocal cord dysfunction, COPD, heart failure, and other lung diseases may also be confused with asthma.

Distinguishing between asthma and COPD can sometimes be challenging. Generally, asthma is more commonly seen in younger individuals (<40 years old) who do not smoke, while COPD is primarily observed in older patients with a history of smoking. Respiratory tests are used to differentiate between the two; asthma shows variable airway obstruction, whereas COPD exhibits persistent obstruction.

The Medications Used in Asthma Treatment Do Not Cause Dependence.

Since asthma is a chronic disease, long-term medication is often required. This is not dependence; rather, it is a form of treatment aimed at controlling the patient's symptoms. When asthma symptoms are fully controlled, in some cases, based on the physician's recommendation, the patient may switch to using medications only as needed. This situation demonstrates that the medications do not cause dependence.

It Is Important to Use Asthma Medications Correctly.

When medications are not used properly, they may not reach the lungs adequately, resulting in uncontrolled symptoms. Patients often return to the doctor stating that their symptoms have not improved, or their condition may worsen to the point of requiring emergency hospitalization. Additionally, believing that they are not benefiting from a medication, patients may be prescribed another treatment, leading to unnecessary medication use. Therefore, each time the patient visits the doctor, it should be verified whether they are using their medication correctly, and if necessary, they should be encouraged to use the medication during the examination to identify mistakes and provide correct guidance.

Not Every Asthma Patient Develops Allergies.

There are many types of asthma. Allergic asthma is often diagnosed in childhood in patients with a history of allergic diseases in themselves or their families (such as eczema, allergic rhinitis, food or drug allergies). However, non-allergic asthma, asthma diagnosed in adulthood, and obesity-related asthma may not be allergic.

Not Every Asthma Patient Needs an Allergy Test.

Allergy tests do not play a role in the diagnosis of asthma. The reason for this is that the identified allergens may not necessarily cause symptoms in the patient. Allergy testing is necessary for investigating different diseases in patients whose symptoms cannot be controlled by treatment and for determining whether to switch to other therapies.

4 Important Developments Indicating Asthma Is Under Control!

• Daytime symptoms decrease to a maximum of 2 times a week.
• The patient does not wake up at all during the night.
• The rescue medication is used no more than twice a week.
• There are no activity restrictions due to asthma.
• If asthma is under control, patients have no restrictions on exercising. However, they should avoid exercising in extremely cold environments and areas with high air pollution.

4 Symptoms Seen in Asthma Patients!

• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Chest tightness

I Just Have a Cough, Could It Be Asthma?

A cough alone should primarily raise the possibility of a disease other than asthma (such as post-nasal drip, chronic sinusitis, the use of certain blood pressure medications, or reflux). However, there is also asthma that presents solely with a cough. Respiratory tests must be performed for diagnosis. Otherwise, the diseases mentioned above may be overlooked, and patients may receive unnecessary treatments.

Asthma is observed in 10-40% of patients with allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the nasal mucosa due to exposure to allergens, resulting in nasal and post-nasal drip, nasal congestion, and itching. It is often confused with the flu, leading to patients receiving flu treatment. Those with pollen allergies show seasonal variation, while those with dust mite allergies have constant symptoms. In individuals allergic to pets, symptoms may appear intermittently.

What Treatments Are Available for Asthma?

• Inhaled medications taken through the breath
• Bronchodilator medications and inhaled steroids
• Oral medication treatments
• New biological therapies given as injections under the skin for asthma patients whose conditions are not controlled by inhaled treatments
• Immunotherapy treatments that can be administered under the skin or under the tongue for allergic asthma
• Bronchial thermoplasty (a treatment option for patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma, where heat is applied to the bronchi using radiofrequency through a bronchoscopy device)