Chronic Asthma and Restrictive Airway Disease

You probably know someone who has asthma, or you may even have asthma yourself. Chronic asthma is a restrictive airway disease that affects the lungs and, when triggered, causes the airways to swell and tighten, making it difficult to breathe. It occurs in about 1 out of every 13 people in the United States and is a leading chronic disease in children.

Currently there is no cure for chronic asthma, but it can be managed successfully with asthma attack prevention and treatment.

Call 843-707-8040 to schedule an appointment with a member of our pulmonology team.

Chronic Asthma Diagnosis

At first, doctors will perform a lung function test, such as spirometry or a bronchodilator test. They may also conduct a bronchoscopy, in which a pulmonologist inserts a flexible tube attached to a fiber-optic camera, called a bronchoscope, through the nose or mouth and into the airways. Bronchoscopy allows the doctor to see if the airways appear swollen.

Chronic Asthma Symptoms

When someone with asthma encounters something that triggers the airways to become irritated and swell, it’s called an asthma attack. During an asthma attack, the following symptoms may be present:

• Noisy breathing
• Persistent cough
• Shortness of breath
• Tightness or pain in the chest
• Wheezing

Asthma attacks can be scary, whether you’re experiencing one yourself or assisting a friend or loved one.

Most attacks can be managed with medications, but if someone is not responding to their prescribed treatment methods, professional medical help is necessary.

Go to the emergency department or call 911 if a person:

• Develops a blue tint on the face, lips or fingernails
• Doesn’t seem to be responding to his or her rescue inhaler
• Experiences extreme shortness of breath
• Feels confused or agitated
• Is breathing rapidly
• Is unable to speak a full sentence

Asthma Exacerbations

Certain triggers may cause chronic asthma symptoms to exacerbate, or worsen, in people with chronic asthma and restrictive airway disease:

These include:

• Respiratory viruses, particularly human rhinoviruses
• Influenza, or the flu
• Coronaviruses, such as the virus that causes COVID-19

The symptoms these viruses cause, including runny nose, coughing and chest congestion, may increase the likelihood of an asthma attack.

Asthma Treatment

The symptoms of chronic asthma are treatable. Treatment methods vary because not everyone has the same symptoms or responds well to the same medicines. Here are three of the main asthma treatment options.

1. Quick-relief asthma medication: Your doctor may prescribe a quick-acting medication to relieve immediate or short-term symptoms during an asthma attack. Most fast-acting asthma medications are delivered to your airways in the form of a rescue inhaler or nebulizer.
2. Long-acting asthma medication: You may take these medications daily to help prevent asthma attacks, but they probably won’t help during an asthma attack. Long-acting medications come in the form of inhalers, pills or nebulizers.
3. Controller asthma medication: Controller medications target specific symptoms in the airways, such as swelling and excess mucus. They can be a single medicine or a combination of different medications.