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Asthma Pathophysiology

Home Management Asthma Pathophysiology

Asthma Pathophysiology

Commence patient education with an overview or review of respiratory anatomy and asthma physiology using visual aids. These resources are relevant to asthma generally:

  • NHS – Asthma: An Animation Video
  • Brochures or posters from Asthma Australia or National Asthma Council
  • Airway and lung models (example here)

Explain to the patient the main changes to the airways that occur in asthma, and that all these can happen together:

  • Airway Muscle: the thin layer of muscle within the wall of an airway can contract to make it tighter and narrower. In people with asthma, this muscle is often “twitchy” and contracts more easily and more strongly than in people who do not have asthma. Reliever inhalers relieve symptoms by relaxing these muscles in the airways for a few hours. They do not treat other aspects of asthma described below.
  • Inflammation / Swelling: the inside walls of the airways are often swollen and inflamed, leaving less space inside. Preventer or controller medicines work by reducing the inflammation that causes the swelling.
  • Mucus: mucus production is normally a protective response, but in severe asthma, it is excessive and can block the inside of the airways – preventer medicines also reduce mucus.
  • Fibrosis or Scarring: ongoing inflammation in the airways can lead to development of scar tissue and “tissue remodelling”. This results in thickened airway walls and increased smooth muscle.
Asthma Pathophysiology airway diagram

Illustration from OPHEA Healthy Schools Healthy Communities website

info-graphic about Severe Asthma Pathophysiology, Healthy airway and what is severe asthma
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Last Updated on September 30, 2022

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  • Overview
  • Asthma Education
    • About Severe Asthma
    • Asthma Pathophysiology
    • Medications Education
    • Self-Monitoring
    • Triggers
    • Review
  • Written Action Plans
  • Adherence
  • Inhaler Technique
  • Physical Activity & Exercise
  • Interdisciplinary Approach & Multidimensional Assessment
  • Referral
For considerations relevant to the paediatric and adolescent population, please see Management in Paediatrics or Asthma in the Adolescent Population

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