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Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by reversible airflow obstruction, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and cough.

Bronchial asthma is caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors such as allergens, air pollution, respiratory infections, tobacco smoke, and occupational exposures.

Common symptoms include episodic wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and cough, especially at night or early morning.

Asthma attacks can be triggered by allergens, viral infections, exercise, cold air, emotional stress, air pollution, smoking, and certain medications like aspirin or beta blockers.

Asthma is diagnosed based on clinical history and pulmonary function tests such as spirometry demonstrating reversible airflow obstruction after bronchodilator use.

Spirometry confirms asthma by showing reduced FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio with significant improvement after bronchodilator administration.

Inhaled corticosteroids are the cornerstone of long-term asthma management as they reduce airway inflammation and prevent exacerbations.

Short acting beta2 agonists such as salbutamol are used for rapid relief of acute asthma symptoms.

An acute asthma exacerbation is a sudden worsening of asthma symptoms caused by increased airway inflammation and bronchoconstriction requiring urgent treatment.

Status asthmaticus is a severe, life-threatening asthma attack that does not respond adequately to standard bronchodilator therapy.

Bronchial asthma cannot be permanently cured, but it can be effectively controlled with proper treatment, trigger avoidance, and regular follow-up.

Airway remodeling refers to structural changes in the bronchial walls due to chronic inflammation, leading to persistent airflow limitation.

Asthma and COPD are different diseases. Asthma usually has reversible airflow obstruction, while COPD is characterized by largely irreversible airflow limitation.

Exercise induced asthma is a condition where physical activity triggers bronchoconstriction, leading to coughing, wheezing, or breathlessness.

Asthma attacks can be prevented by regular use of controller medications, avoiding known triggers, proper inhaler technique, vaccinations, and having a written asthma action plan.