‘Asthma’ vulnerable to cold air, 10 questions 10 answers [코/목/귀 상담소]

O-Jin Kwon, an otolaryngologist, and Hidak are working together. [코/목/귀 상담소]. Hidak consultants will answer all your questions about nose, throat and ear related diseases.

Asthma is a typical seasonal respiratory disease. If you are an asthma sufferer, you should be very careful as your symptoms worsen over time with large fluctuations in temperature and humidity like these days. However, some patients mistake asthma for pneumonia or a cold and do not receive adequate treatment. Hidak Otolaryngology Consultant Ohjin Kwon (Ping ENT clinic)“Asthma can lead to permanent lung damage if not managed,” he advised. The following are 10 questions and 10 answers for Director Oh-Jin Kwon’s asthma.

Representative seasonal respiratory diseases, asthma ㅣ Source: Getty Image Bank
Q1. What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease that exhibits airway hypersensitivity and reversible airway obstruction due to an inflammatory response that occurs when the bronchi are exposed to specific triggers. When an allergen is inhaled, the immune system produces antibodies against it. Later, when the same causative substance is introduced into the bronchus, the generated antibodies activate the immune system and cause an inflammatory response.

Q2. What are the main symptoms of asthma?
Asthma causes swelling and narrowing of the bronchi due to an inflammatory reaction and symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, and chest tightness appear. These symptoms are characterized by exacerbation after a cold, after exercise such as running or when cold air is inhaled.

Q3. Why is asthma called seasonal disease?
As mentioned above, asthma is characterized by respiratory infections and exacerbation of exposure to cold air. Therefore, the prevalence of respiratory diseases such as colds and flu is high, and symptoms often worsen during the change of seasons and winter, when exposure to cold air is easy.

Q4. What are the causes of asthma?
Asthma is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including repeated respiratory viral infections, smoking and secondhand smoke, air pollution, and Westernized eating habits. It can occur from childhood due to genetic factors, but it can also occur in adulthood due to environmental factors.

Q5. What tests are performed when asthma is suspected?
If symptoms of asthma are suspected, a lung function test and bronchial challenge test should first be done to confirm the diagnosis. To identify allergens, an allergy skin prick test or multiple allergen test (MAST), a blood test, is performed. Chest x-ray, sputum test, and bronchoscopy may also be done to differentiate other conditions that cause asthma-like symptoms.

Asthma Diagnosis Management Method ㅣ Source: Getty Image Bank
Q6. If I am diagnosed with asthma, how should I manage it?
Patients diagnosed with asthma should first check the causative agent through tests and avoid exposure to it as much as possible. It is also important to avoid factors that can trigger asthma attacks, such as tobacco and chemicals. Regular exercise and obesity management can help with asthma, but breathing cold air can be dangerous. During the change of seasons, you should pay attention to infectious respiratory diseases such as colds and flu, which are environmental factors of asthma. It is recommended to follow preventive measures such as flu vaccination and wear a face mask.

Q7. Can asthma be cured?
Basically, asthma is known to be a difficult disease to cure, but childhood asthma has a different course than that of adults. About 54% of children with asthma develop spontaneous remission, in which asthma symptoms disappear spontaneously after puberty. Most patients who achieve spontaneous remission are in a state of complete recovery that does not require treatment. On the other hand, adult asthma is difficult to cure. In adults, symptoms may recur even after symptoms disappear for a long time due to the causative agent.

Q8. Asthma in children, symptoms become severe?
Allergic diseases have a concept called “allergic march”. It is a concept that all three allergic diseases can be transferred from childhood to asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis, mainly due to genetic factors. In fact, children with severe allergic reactions can develop all three of these diseases. Therefore, for children with asthma, it is very important to manage them so that they do not progress to allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis.

Q9. How is asthma treated?
Asthma is treated with drug therapy and the dosage form is varied, such as inhalants, oral medications, and injections. Among them, inhalants are mainly used because they have few side effects and are effective. Constant use of inhaled medications improves symptoms by constantly reducing inflammation in the bronchi. However, because he is not completely cured, symptoms can recur if the drug is arbitrarily discontinued.

Q10. Can it be cured naturally if left untreated?
Asthma is a disease that can prevent complications and attacks of symptoms through continuous treatment and effective environmental control. However, if left unmanaged, it can lead to a persistent decline in lung function, resulting in irreversible lung damage. This can lead to long-term oxygen treatment or death from respiratory failure.

Oh-Jin Kwon, Director (Pingi Otolaryngology Clinic) ㅣ Source: Pingi Otolaryngology Clinic
Help = Hidak Consultant Doctor Ohjin Kwon