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Asthma multifactorial disease

Asthma multifactorial disease

Edited by: TOP DOCTORS® at 29/03/2023

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways that presents intermittent and variable subsequent obstruction over the course of several days.

Dr. Alberto de Zubiría Salgado

There are currently several asthma phenotypes because it is a heterogeneous respiratory disease, ie, there are different forms of asthma. The most predominantly is the allergic, whose base is entirely genetic. Among the causes we find: dust mites, fungi spheres, animal waste, cat and dog hair, therefore it is necessary to go to an expert in allergology to be able to determine the origin of the disease and treat it in an integral way.

Other asthma phenotypes are triggered by generally respiratory viruses which aggravate the disease. Some phenotypes (feriotypes) are worsened by the use and abuse of analgesics.

Asthma is manifested by the presence of two or more of the following symptoms: prolonged dry cough, crisis in accesses (feeling of narrowness), episodes of asphyxia.

Treatment for Asthma

The standard treatment can be applied in five different cases, depending on the severity of the case, but also according to the phenotypes, the treatment often has to be also individualized according to the response to certain medications, then there are asthma that respond better to inhalers or to blockers of some substances, others respond to environmental measures, some respond better to anti-allergy vaccines and sometimes to the combination of all forms of struggle.

The asthmatic patient due to the bronchial inflammatory phenomenon is sensitive to sudden changes in temperature, exercise, laughter or stress, this is known as bronchial hyperreactivity, this is defined as inflammation at the bronchial level due to the accumulation of cells of the immune system which causes an obstruction inside the bronchial airways and is what can lead to a very severe asthma crisis and can end in very strong treatments or even death.

It is necessary to use masks in times where there is an epidemic of respiratory viruses and avoid substances that can produce allergy, reduce exposure to mites and if the patient has already been shown to be sensitive to animal hair, it is necessary to eliminate exposure to the hair.

There are two large groups of therapy, the relief medication that instantly removes the symptoms needed to temporarily recover lung function. On the other hand, the control medication requires that the patient is attached to the treatment and has a professional follow-up to define if it is necessary to adjust up or down the dose, which is essential to prevent and prevent a relapse.

Causes that treatment does not respond

The main cause of not responding to treatment is because 70% of patients do not know how to use the inhalers, the second cause is that the patient does not have a good adherence to the treatment, ie, is just a little better, begins to suspend for free use of the medicines and after a few weeks, fall. The third cause is that there is no control of other symptoms such as rhinitis, sinusitis or reflux. There are patients who do not respond to inhalers but respond to leutopriene inhibitors and vice versa or require very advanced molecular therapies. Finally immunotherapy can produce a giant change in patients allergic to vaccine therapy.

Immunology and Allergies in Bogotá