why do respiratory illnesses (such as those caused by Influenza/Sars-Cov-2) make asthma symptoms worse?
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One of the main problems with asthma is called “airway hyperresponsiveness” where the airway tubing (bronchioles) are very responsive to foreign particles (anything that’s not part of your body and clean air) and will close up if they get irritated. Viruses can cause inflammation which triggers irritation causing the airways to close up, in a similar way to other triggers like cold and dust.
Viruses cause a series of trauma to the lower respiratory tract, including temporary/acute to chronic inflammation. Inflammation of the bronchioles (branches of the mainstem bronchi, which are branches of the trachea or wind pipe)/alveoli (lung’s air sacs) won’t make asthma any better. It could also impact impaired cilia (the small “hairs” that conduct mucus through lower airways). Asthmatic organs are stenotic (narrow) and have slowed mucus clearage, meaning that getting air into those spaces has become a whole lot more difficult. There is also more pressure on the airways. Any old way, asthma sucks, and it sucks worse with lower respiratory damage.
Asthma destroys the lungs.
>Airway and lung damage, also known as airway remodeling, is a long-term process where chronic and uncontrolled inflammation from uncontrolled asthma causes irreversible scarring of the lungs and airways.
Respiratory illnesseses also hurt the lungs.
>COVID-19 can cause lung complications such as pneumonia and, in the most severe cases, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS.
Both of these are bad. Both of these cause problems for your lungs. Both, together, are worse.
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