What Exactly Is Night Asthma?

Night asthma is the term used to describe a type of asthma that hits people at night, many times while trying to sleep. Over 3/4 of asthma patients have more severe symptoms at night.

Asthma sufferers have inflamed bronchial tubes, even when not suffering a attack and this inflammation narrows the airways and increases sensitivities to allergies and other triggers. All of this leads to the primary symptom which is difficulty breathing. In some rare cases a severe attack can lead to death.

It is not completely known why asthma symptoms worsen at night but what is known is that night asthma usually indicates that the patients asthma is not being controlled properly and a plan of action must be developed by a physician. By not getting proper treatment for night asthma, the patient will continue to be awakened during the night and eventually wear the body down which in turn leads to worse asthma symptoms.

When you go to see the doctor about your night asthma, they will do a physical examination and also look into your full medical history. Exact symptoms are very important because it will give the physician an indication of what medications or type of treatment plan will be developed to control the night asthma.

More than likely, based on symptoms and at what time they hit, long lasting or timed release medicines will be prescribed. These will ensure that when you need it most, the medicine will be effective. The best time to take these is before bed.

Often times, treating other conditions can also help with night asthma. Some of these other issues are acid reflux, sinusitis and rhinitis. Many times these things can cause your asthma symptoms to worsen so treating and controlling them can often times eliminate many of your asthma symptoms.

Night asthma effects over 75% of asthma sufferers. Symptoms may be mild during the day but at night worsen. This is a major problem because it effects your quality of sleep and can negatively impact other aspects of your health.

So how can you prevent night asthma? Well, it is generally impossible to prevent every single flare up of night asthma because of several factors. Just know that by taking some steps you can drastically reduce the severity of your symptoms.

First off, make sure that your bedroom is as allergen free as you can. Try not to have carpet, use plastic blinds instead of drapes and try to keep pets out of your room. Keep your sinuses clear by treating any allergies with a once daily pill. In the winter use a humidifier to keep the air moist and warm. Finally, see a doctor if you feel that you have some form of sleep apnea. This could be contributing to the night asthma and conversely, the asthma could be causing the sleep apnea.

Many people suffer from night asthma and wonder why there asthma symptoms get worse at night. Some people will be fine during the day and can control there asthma but at night they just can’t seem to get control of their symptoms.

The reason behind night asthma has remained somewhat of a mystery. What experts do know is that at night certain bodily functions change at night including lung function which is at the lowest levels around 4:00 am. There have also been studies done recently that show that the hormone melatonin may contribute to night asthma because it may enhance airway inflammation.

Other factors are the common culprits including allergens such as pollen, dust, pet dander etc. As I mentioned earlier, airway inflammation can also increase at night because chemical levels in our body change at night. Other causes can be postnasal drip, heartburn and sleep apnea.

Many people with asthma suffer worse symptoms at night. In fact, over 90% of asthma sufferers experience wheezing and coughing while trying to sleep. Between about 12:00 and 8:00 am is the most common time period for night asthma symptoms to worsen with 4:00am being the peak. This is when are lung functions are at the lowest levels and circulating blood levels are also at low levels.

Night asthma can contribute to insomnia and sleep deprivation can develop which can cause many other problems for the individual. Many experts believe that a contributing factor for night asthma is that there is a disruption in our ‘internal clock’ which controls various chemicals and functions within our body.

If you suffer from night asthma, make sure you see a doctor right away as this could indicate you have a severe case of asthma. It can also be a sign that you are not treating your asthma properly.