Now a day Bronchial Asthma is a common problem among the city dwellers around the world. Why city dwellers? Specially due to dust- house dust, industrial dust, chemical dust, tobacco smoke, pollen, mites, or animal dander and other allergens(the very micro sized particle which cause allergy, sometimes cannot be seen even in naked eye) always floating around us. However, it is also found severely sometimes in many people without defined allergies. Loud crying, sneezing or hearty laughing may also bring symptoms. Even cold air can cause this problem-When someone with asthma exercises or breathes in cold air, it occurs. Stress and anxiety also such a condition in which the airways narrows – ultimately cause respiratory disturbance.

So, what do you understand from above few words? The basic principal of asthma is the narrowing of our airway at any point along its total pathway by any foreign substance, environmental or physical condition. In a person with asthma, the airways narrow in response to allergens that don’t affect normal lungs. In an asthma attack, the muscles of the lower part of the airway go into spasm and the tissues lining there swell up and secrete mucous inside the airway. Inhaled air gets trapped in the bottom of the lungs, forcing the patient to use the top part to gasp for air. In severe form lungs airways become so narrow and clogged that breathing is impossible. The episode may pass quickly as usual or last more than a day and may become deadly.

An asthma attack may begin suddenly with wheezing, coughing and difficulty in breathing. Wheezing is a whistling sound, particularly noticeable when the person breathes out. Some people experience asthma attack only as mild and occasional episodes; for them the condition is an occasional discomfort. For others, attack can be frequent and serious, requiring emergency medical management. The person will not be able to utter a word without stopping for breath. However, wheezing may diminish because of gradual decrease of air is moving in and out of the lungs. Then if the person’s oxygen supply is severely limited, confusion, lethargy and blue skin color occur. Rarely some of the lungs’ air sacs (alveoli) may rupture; air enters in the pleural space (the space between the membrane layers covering the whole lungs) or accumulates around the organs inside the chest cage. These all worsens the shortness of breath followed by death.

So these are the breath holding situations with an attack of Asthma. If you have asthma, you should go to physician for regular check up of your lung and continue careful monitoring; you will need immediate medical support for a deadly breathlessness without neglecting it more.