Is bronchial asthma serious?

Written by Zeng Xiang Bo
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Updated on November 24, 2024
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The symptoms of bronchial asthma vary from person to person, as does its severity. Some patients may have very mild symptoms, only showing slight chest tightness and mild coughing. Other patients may experience very severe symptoms such as respiratory failure, loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest, and sudden death. The clinical presentations are completely different. Therefore, bronchial asthma can be considered a suppressive disease, meaning everyone's symptoms are different, and one cannot generalize; most patients are relatively mild.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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What will happen if bronchial asthma is not treated?

Bronchial asthma is a very common type of asthma in clinical settings, triggered by numerous and complex factors. Generally, patients with this condition often experience frequent recurrent attacks into asthmatic states. Since there is no specific cure for this type of asthma in clinical settings, symptom relief through medication is used to improve the quality of life of patients. Therefore, it is usual in clinical practice to provide symptomatic treatment promptly once bronchial asthma is diagnosed. If bronchial asthma is left untreated, it may pose significant health risks. During an asthma attack, patients may experience varying degrees of shortness of breath, chest tightness, or even difficulty breathing. If the respiratory distress caused by an asthma attack is not relieved in time, it could lead to complications such as hypoxemia or even respiratory failure in some cases.

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Written by Zeng Xiang Bo
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
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Which antibody will increase in bronchial asthma?

Bronchial asthma is a type of chronic allergic inflammation of the airway, commonly referred to as allergic inflammation. Therefore, in laboratory tests, there will be an increase in some antibodies, among which the two main types are the first category being IgE antibodies, which usually exceed 200 IU/ml. The elevation of IgE antibodies indicates that the body is in an allergic state; the other type of antibody is specific antibodies, for example, if I am allergic to fungi, then my fungal antibody levels will be elevated, and if I am allergic to peanuts, then testing for specific peanut antibodies will show an increase. Thus, it is a type of specific antibody that indicates an allergy to certain substances.

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Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
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Key points in the treatment of bronchial asthma

Bronchial asthma, commonly referred to as asthma, is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways involving various granulocytes and cell mediators. This airway inflammation can cause heightened airway reactivity, with patients experiencing episodic wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. Symptoms can usually be relieved with or without medication. The key points in the treatment of bronchial asthma include avoiding allergens and ensuring that patients breathe fresh, clean air. Additionally, long-term inhalation of asthma control medications and drugs to reduce airway inflammation is necessary. With these measures, bronchial asthma can be well managed.

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Written by Feng Ying Shuai
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Bronchial Asthma Massage Method

In clinical situations of acute exacerbations of bronchial asthma, or even normally, we can alleviate clinical symptoms through certain massage techniques. These methods mainly involve massaging specific acupoints to relieve asthma attacks and reduce their frequency. We can massage points along the lung meridian, such as Chize, Taiyuan, and Kongzui. Additionally, we can massage an extra-meridian acupoint called Dingchuan, as well as Lung Shu, Zhongfu, Tiantu, and Danzhong. Beyond these basic points, we also need to select acupoints based on the patient's condition. For example, if the patient's bronchial asthma is caused by exposure to cold wind, we can massage Fengmen. If the patient has excessive heat phlegm causing asthma, we can add Quze and Taibai to clear heat and transform phlegm.

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Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
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Can bronchial asthma cure itself?

Bronchial asthma generally cannot heal on its own. Bronchial asthma is a chronic, recurrent disease, which is usually incurable. Even with standard treatment, a complete cure is often unachievable. However, during an acute attack of bronchial asthma, spontaneous remission is possible. Some mild acute attacks of bronchial asthma may simply require removing the allergen and hazardous factors, which can lead to spontaneous alleviation of the asthma symptoms. For bronchial asthma, long-term standard treatment is usually required, such as the inhalation of corticosteroids and the use of bronchodilators. Additionally, it is important to avoid allergens and prevent respiratory infections.