Asthma Handbook

Basic of Asthma

Our lungs have hundreds of tiny airways that carry air to and from the body. In poeple with asthma the lining of these airways is inflamed. The muscles around the airways are caused to constrict and the constriction makes the airways narrower and the passage of air much more difficult. But this is not the whole story. The inflammation of the airways has other effects. It makes them sensitive and twitchy, which is why, potentially, you have symptoms. In addition to the soreness, the airways can also become swollen and produce sticky phlegm and/or the accompanying cough. So what with the narrowing of the airways, their soreness and the thick mucus that is produced you can see why breathing becomes such a problem.

Even people with a very mild form of asthma will have an inherent increased sensitivity in the lining of their airways. When conditions are good this predisposition may not be noticeable. But when the person with asthma finds himself in a situation which triggers the condition, that is, makes the inflammation worse, symptoms ensue.

For instance, if someone who has sensitive airways goes into a room filled with cigarette smoke they may well be affected by the irritant; whereas a person whose airways are perfectly normal, with no inflammation, will probably be unaffected. The already sensitive airways will react to the irritant: the lining of the airways will become inflamed, the muscles will go into spasm and the person will, at best, start to wheeze but could, in all likelihood, suffer an asthma attack.

The situation is similar with a substance to which an asthma sufferer may be allergic, such as cat dander. If such a person comes into contact with a cat, or is even in a room where a cat has been, this allergen can provoke symptoms of asthma or even an attack. An allergen is something that produces allergy in susceptible people. Someone who does not have asthma or is not sensitive to cat dander would not be affected in this way.

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