Question

Is Asthma a lifelong disease?

Answer 1

Hint: Asthma occurs due to an allergic reaction to foreign substances that affect the respiratory tract. The agents which cause allergy are known as allergens. Symptoms of asthma can be caused by triggers. Common cold, certain pollen allergies, dust mites, mold spores, etc. might trigger the asthma symptoms.

Complete answer-
Breathing occurs involuntarily i.e., it's not under our control. A normal adult human breaths 12-16 times/min in which inspiration lasts for about 2 seconds and expiration lasts for about 3 seconds and an infant breathes about 44 times/min. Humans have an ability to regulate the breathing rate according to the needs of the body. Regulation of respiration includes both nervous and chemical.
Disorders of respiratory system include:
(i) Asthma- It is a lifelong or chronic disorder. It is characterized by spasms of smooth muscles present in walls of the bronchiole. Coughing, wheezing, i.e., producing sound during breathing, difficulty in breathing due to inflammation, i.e., swelling and redness of bronchi and bronchioles.
(ii) Emphysema- The word 'emphysema' means 'full of air' or 'inflation'. It is a chronic disorder. The major cause of emphysema is excessive cigarette smoking. Others may include inhalation of smoke or toxic substances over a period of your time . The walls of alveoli are damaged thanks to excessive smoking, loss of elasticity of walls of bronchioles and alveoli. Due to this, the surface area for exchange of gases is reduced. Alveolar sacs remain crammed with air even after expiration. The lungs remain inflated as exhalation becomes difficult.
(iii) Occupational respiratory disorders like silicosis and asbestosis- They are caused due to continuous exposure to silica and asbestos dust at place of work. Serious lung damage due to fibrosis of the upper part of lungs i.e., proliferation of fibrous tissues, causing inflammation, i.e., swelling and redness of lungs. Workers should wear protective masks while working in industries where harmful substances are present.

Note-
Altitude sickness/mountain sickness- if you had ever been to any high altitude place, you must have experienced what is called altitude sickness. Their symptoms include nausea, fatigue, heart palpitation, breathlessness and headache. This is because of low atmospheric pressure at high altitude and the body does not get enough oxygen. But gradually you acclimatize and stop experiencing this altitude sickness because the body compensates for low oxygen availability by increasing RBCs production.