According to the Merck Manual Home Edition, asthma affects more than 20 million people in the United States. Asthma occurs when the airways narrow in response to certain allergens or irritants. People with asthma experience coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath as a reaction to the substances. Asthma requires continual treatment to prevent and control symptoms and to reduce airway inflammation. Proper treatment helps to prevent short-term and long-term complications caused by asthma.
Persistent Cough
Poor management of asthma may result in permanent lung damage. A person may experience a persistent cough if they don’t completely avoid the irritants that trigger the asthma symptoms, reports the Merck Manual Home Edition. The irritants cause inflammation of the airways and the inflammation produces mucus. The mucus forms in the airways and stimulates coughing as a response. Asthma triggers include cigarette smoke and inhaled allergens, such as pollens, particles from dust mites, body secretions from cockroaches and animal dander.
Airway Remodeling
According to The Merck Manual Home Edition, asthma affects the lungs when the smooth muscles of the bronchi—the air passages to the lungs—contract, causing bronchoconstriction, or narrowed bronchi. Oxygen levels in the blood decrease as a result of impaired air flow.
Asthma that isn’t treated properly or managed adequately can result in a permanent narrowing of the bronchial tubes, called airway remodeling, according to MayoClinic.com. A narrower airway requires a person to put forth more effort in order to efficiently move air in and out of the lungs. Constricted airways also increase the risk for frequent and severe asthma attacks.
Status Asthmaticus
Status asthmaticus refers to the most severe form of asthma and it can cause death if it’s not treated immediately, warns the Merck Manual Home Edition. The airways are so narrow from frequent asthma attacks, that moving air in and out of the lungs becomes difficult. The lungs cannot provide the body with adequate oxygen nor can it adequately remove carbon dioxide. A person with this condition requires hospitalization and intubation—an artificial airway that passes through the mouth and throat—and mechanical ventilation to assist in breathing.
