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Asthma and colds
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Asthma and colds are unwanted friends. At least because together they will fight against you and your health. If you have asthma, a cold can aggravate her symptoms. It is important to understand, in order to know what medications for asthma should be used to prevent her attacks with colds. How to cope with asthma and colds?
[What is asthma?
Usually a person breathes through the nose and throat, then the air enters the bronchi, which ends with special tubes. At the end of these tubes there are tiny air sacs, called alveoli. They supply oxygen to the blood and remove carbon dioxide from there when we breathe.
During normal breathing, the muscle groups that surround the airways are in a relaxed state. The air on them moves freely. During an attack of asthma, three major changes occur: air does not reach the airways. The person starts to choke.
Groups of muscles that surround the airways are contracted. This makes the airways narrow and makes breathing heavier. This tightening of the breath is called bronchospasm. The envelope of the airways becomes swollen or inflamed.
Cells lining the respiratory tract produce more mucus that is denser than normal.
All these factors - bronchospasm, inflammation and the formation of mucus - the causes of asthma. Asthma causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and difficulty speaking.
What is a cold?
Colds are respiratory infections caused by viruses.
Several hundred different viruses can lead to cold symptoms. These viruses can also affect your airways, the paranasal sinuses, pharynx, larynx and bronchi.
What are the symptoms of asthma?
Not every person with asthma feels the same and has the same symptoms as another person with asthma. Symptoms of asthma can vary depending on the complexity of the course of the disease and the human body. They can be soft, almost invisible, then heavy.
Asthma does not cause fever, chills, muscle aches, or sore throats, as is the case with colds. The most common symptoms of asthma include:
- Frequent coughing
- Breast pressure
- Hearing in the lungs while listening
- Shortness of breath
What are the symptoms of a cold?
Colds often begin with discomfort or sore throat. This discomfort is accompanied by watery discharge from the nose, sneezing, fatigue, and sometimes a slight increase in temperature. To this, there is also a cough.
In the first few days of the common cold, the nose is filled with watery mucus discharge. These discharges may become denser and darker with time. Dark mucus does not necessarily mean that you have a bacterial infection - it can be a virus - the causative agent of the disease.
What symptoms indicate a more serious infection?
Call your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms:
- Fever (with a temperature above 39 degrees Celsius) or chills
- Increased fatigue or weakness
- The throat very much hurts or there is a strong pain at swallowing
- Genital wounds, toothaches or soreness of upper cheekbones
- Cough with a lot of mucus yellow or green
- Also call your doctor if you have other symptoms that are of concern, for example, the following:
- Increased dyspnea, shortness of breath, wheezing
- Symptoms worsen after seven days of illness
- Symptoms are unchanged or worsen after 10 days of illness
- Pain or swelling of the eyes
- "Severe" head or facial pain and swelling of the face
What if the symptoms of asthma worsen during a cold?
Develop an action plan with your doctor against asthma during a visit to it. This plan can help you increase the dose or frequency of medications that you already take when the cold worsens the symptoms of asthma.
The doctor will advise you when the symptoms of asthma and cold require a call from a doctor. In addition, you should avoid environmental factors that can contribute to an attack of asthma, such as smoke, allergens, cold air, or chemicals (for example, from household chemicals).
Asthma and the common cold are diseases whose commonwealth should be avoided. If this does not work, you should not self-medicate, but in time to see a doctor - at the first signs of malaise.
What is the difference between an asthma and a cold?
Asthma is associated with inflammation of the lower respiratory tract - bronchi. Catarrhal diseases as a result of infection with the virus weaken the body and in particular - the respiratory system. And the viruses primarily affect mainly the nose and throat - the upper respiratory tract. But the upper and lower airways are equally important for the health and breathing of a person. Therefore, when asthma with colds interact, a person can experience a doubled load. This affects the heart and other organs.
How can you prevent a cold from asthma?
Constant and thorough hygiene can reduce the risk of viral infections, such as colds. Prevent the spread of cold viruses, making sure that you and your family regularly wash your hands.
Another way to protect yourself from viruses is to get a flu vaccine every year. Like the common cold, the flu is caused by a virus and can also cause asthma.