5 Asthma complications that may arise

Asthma is a chronic disease that attacks the respiratory tract and makes you short of breath. Control of asthma symptoms is key, considering that this disease cannot be cured. If the symptoms are not well controlled, there will be many complications or dangers of asthma that can arise. So, what are the complications of asthma to watch out for?

Asthma complications that may arise

Asthma that is not handled properly can lead to medical problems, both physically and psychologically, aka complications. This is more likely if you don't regularly take the recommended asthma medications and are still exposed to various triggers.

If left untreated, medical problems caused by asthma can become long-term and difficult to cure medical conditions.

The following are various asthma complications that may arise due to asthma:

1. Changes in the structure of the respiratory tract (airway remodeling)

The first possible complication of asthma is structural changes in the respiratory tract. This condition is also called airway remodeling.

This occurs when long-term asthma causes the walls of the respiratory tract to thicken and narrow.

This thickening of the walls of the airways is caused by inflammation of the lungs, and your body tries to fight the inflammation. More or less, this phenomenon is similar to a cut skin, then the body will form the wound tissue on its own.

The longer the asthma is left without treatment, the more severe the inflammation that occurs in the respiratory tract. The body will continue to make new tissue in the walls of the respiratory tract.

Phenomenon airway remodelingincluding serious because the respiratory tract whose structure changes can no longer return to normal. This is at risk of causing blockage and failure of lung function.

2. Respiratory tract complications

Although it's rare, asthma can sometimes lead to life-threatening respiratory complications, such as:

• flu in people with asthma
• pneumonia due to asthma
• pneumothorax (collapse of part or all of the lung)
• respiratory failure
• status asthma (severe asthma attack that does not respond to treatment).

This can lead to respiratory system failure and even death if not treated promptly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the death rate caused by asthma in 2016 was 10 out of 1 million patients. However, many of these deaths can actually be prevented with appropriate emergency care.

3. Psychological disorders

In fact, uncontrolled and untreated asthma is directly related to stress, anxiety disorders and depression.

This has been reviewed in an article from the journal Chest. The group of patients with asthma is one of the groups at greatest risk of developing depression.

Psychological disorders related to asthma are generally caused by limited daily activities, making it prone to trigger stress and anxiety.

In addition, there is a possibility that mental problems can be triggered by improper handling of asthma, both by the patient's parents and other family members.

However, it does not rule out that psychological disorders due to asthma are also triggered by other factors, such as side effects from long-term drug use.

4. Obesity

Still from the discussion contained in the journalChest, Asthma also has the potential to cause complications in the form of excess weight gain or obesity. Indeed, weight gain and asthma are quite often associated with one another.

Allegedly, the relationship between obesity and asthma is a lack of body activity. Asthma sufferers, especially those who have not received medical treatment, tend to experience difficulty or fear to exercise.

This unhealthy lifestyle triggers weight gain to exceed normal limits.

5. Sleep disturbances

According to a study conducted in 2016, as many as 75 percent of people with asthma experience sleep disturbances at night. In fact, this sleep disorder will cause various other health problems, for example dizziness and the body becomes increasingly weak.

This is also made clear in an article fromMateria Socio-Medica.Respiratory disorders, especially asthma, are closely related to various sleep problems. Some of these include decreased quality of sleep, frequent waking at night, waking up too quickly, and more easily drowsy during the day.

If this is the case, your activities will be disturbed and you will find it difficult to focus on your daily activities. In fact, prolonged sleep disturbances can cause psychological problems, such as stress.

6. Long-term treatment side effects

As it turns out, complications don't just arise from properly treated asthma. The reason is, long-term treatment to treat asthma symptoms may even trigger dangers.

One example is the side effect of inhaled corticosteroid drugs. Long-term use of this type of asthma medication may affect the risk of developing pneumonia, child development problems, and fetal disorders during pregnancy.

Thus, an in-depth understanding of asthma and proper treatment must be carried out from the onset of symptoms of the disease. Knowing the complications and dangers of asthma can also help raise awareness of the importance of managing it.

The dangers of asthma that interfere with everyday life

Not only is it dangerous for your health, asthma that gets worse and out of control can also have an impact on other aspects of your life, especially your daily activities.

Here are some of the dangers or complications of asthma that can affect your activities:

1. Not free to move

Asthma makes you unable to do activities properly, it can even cause decreased productivity. Having uncontrolled asthma will make you tired quickly, because the oxygen that enters the body is not optimal.

Asthma can prevent some people from doing enough physical exercise or sports. In fact, exercise for people with asthma is still important for overall health conditions, especially to prevent asthma from recurring.

Lack of exercise can result in the risk of other health problems and weight gain. Lack of physical activity can also lead to depression and other psychological stressors.

2. Productivity decreases

The danger of asthma that also interferes with daily activities is decreased productivity. This condition is still related to the complications of asthma in the form of sleep disturbances.

Disturbed sleep patterns certainly have an impact on your academic and work performance. In addition, severe and persistent asthma symptoms can result in many absences from work or school.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), asthma is the main reason children are not allowed to attend school.

3. Large medical expenses

When someone has asthma and does not control it well, it is not impossible that their health condition will worsen.

When that happens, inpatient treatment may be needed so that the condition recovers quickly. Well, of course inpatient treatment requires a greater cost than outpatient treatment.

Even though it can't be cured, you don't need to be discouraged. You can still control this disease so that it doesn't recur frequently. Try to consult a doctor to find a treatment plan that is most appropriate and suitable for your condition.