Winter Asthma
New Delhi: Saturday, 24 November 2012: Any breathlessness after the age of
40, appearing for the first time in winter, is cardiac asthma unless proved
otherwise. Such patients should immediately have their blood pressure check-up
done and if high needs immediate medical attention. First-onset breathlessness
can also be an indication of angina or heart attack. This was stated by said
Padma Shri & Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee, Dr. KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India.
However, the more common is winter asthma or acute exacerbation of winter COPD
(chronic bronchitis).
Asthma is reversible airway
obstruction and COPD is irreversible airway obstruction. Sudden exposure to
cold, humidity, pollution at lower levels in atmosphere can precipitate asthma
in susceptible individuals. Winter is the time to increase the dose of asthma
medicines.
If a person can speak a full
sentence, the asthma attack is mild; if a person speaks broken sentences the
asthma attack is moderate and if the person is able to speak only words then
the asthma attack is severe. Severe attack of asthma needs immediate
hospitalization.
An attack of asthma is due to
inflammation, narrowing and collection of fluid in the wind pipe and needs
medicines to widen the wind pipe and reduce the inflammation.
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