The Effect of Asthma on Long-Term Health
Updated August 18, 2015.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
As an asthma sufferer, I am well aware that asthma is a chronic illness, meaning that it's never completely cured. However, there are steps you can take to control asthma symptoms and limit the long-term effects of this condition. In this article, you will learn about the long-term effects of asthma, in addition to some tips to help prevent these complications.
First, it's important to define asthma as a condition that consists of three major symptoms:
- Increased mucous produced in the lungs
- Tightening of muscles that surround the small airways
- Swelling of the small airways
Each of these components can affect your long-term health in different ways.
Why do asthmatics cough up more mucous?
Cells in the lungs release chemicals (mediators known as cytokines) that lead to higher levels of mucous in the airway. The mucous can become lodged in the airway, contributing to the wheeze and cough that you feel when you have an asthma attack.
From a long-term perspective, this mucous can increase the chance that an infection like pneumonia may arise. Repeated infections can lead to complications including antibiotic resistance, in addition to scarring of the lungs themselves. Such scarring is irreversible and may lead to permanent lung damage.
In order to prevent the accumulation of mucous, it's important that you try to prevent asthma attacks, which can best be accomplished through the use of controller medications. These medications help prevent asthma attacks by controlling inflammation and decreasing mucous production.
Some examples include inhalers like Advair, Symbicort and Flovent. Without the increased mucous, you can decrease the chance of pneumonia or bronchitis. Talk to your allergist about your asthma, and discuss the potential use of a controller medication to prevent long-term damage.
Why does asthma cause chest tightness and wheezing?
This tightening of muscles around the airways is known in medical terms as bronchospasm. When this process is chronic, it can lead to a decrease in exercise tolerance, which over time can lead to higher rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other conditions that are associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
If you suffer from exercise-induced asthma, this process is easily well-controlled. I suffer from this type of asthma, and I use my albuterol 10-15 minutes before exercise — or during exercise if I have to. This usually takes care of my symptoms, but I'm still a slow runner. Other medications like Singulair or inhaled steroids can help you if the albuterol fails to make a difference. Your asthma should never get in the way of healthy exercise, and you should discuss any exercise-related asthma concerns with your allergist.
What is the biggest concern about uncontrolled asthma?
Although the increased mucous and muscle tightening are troublesome, chronic swelling of the airways is the most dangerous long-term effect of asthma. A process known as airway remodeling can occur over many years, leading to eventual scarring of the lungs.
In these cases, as with lung infections, the normal tissue of the lungs is replaced with scar tissue. Scar tissue does not work like normal lungs do, leaving patients with severe lung damage in some cases. Over many years some of these patients experience significant disability as a result.
As with the increased mucous production, in the case of airway remodeling, achieving good asthma control is the best way to prevent long-term complications. This means having rescue medications available when necessary, in addition to your asthma controller medication. Proper use of asthma medications should allow you to live an active healthy lifestyle, with few asthma-related symptoms.
Sources:
Jack A. Elias, Zhou Zhu, Geoffrey Chupp, et al. Airway Remodeling in Asthma. J Clin Invest. 1999 October 15; 104(8): 1001–1006.
Thomas AE Platts-Mills, MD, PhD. Asthma Severity and Prevalence: An Ongoing Interaction between Exposure, Hygiene, and Lifestyle. PLoS Med. 2005 February; 2(2): e34.
What is Asthma? National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Accessed February 1, 2013. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma/