The link between obesity and asthma

Obesity is a global issue which also links with SOB

If you are suffering from obesity and asthma, it may be probable that the two are linked either directly or indirectly. While researchers have recognized obese people are more prone to develop asthma, you should not be worried about asthmatics being more prone to develop obesity, as yet! In any event, if you are a overweight or obese individual, it is worthwhile to known how the two conditions are linked as it may be useful in the long-term management of both conditions.

According to researchers, obesity is a condition which can given rise to a higher degree of inflammatory activities within the body. Asthma is a condition, which is precipitated as a result of airway narrowing which can be the result of inflammation and swelling within the respiratory passages. Thus, in obese individuals, there is a high chance of airway inflammation and therefore airway narrowing. In addition, researchers point out that lungs of obese individuals are not fully expandable and therefore some of the smaller airways can get narrower due to being underutilized. Therefore, such already narrowed air passages can easily become further narrowed as a result of ensuing inflammatory reactions.

Given this understanding, it can be concluded that if you are obese, your chances of developing asthma and related symptoms are higher than a person who is having a relatively lower body mass index. However, not all obese individuals experiencing respiratory issues can be classified as having asthma. In fact, there are many false diagnosis of asthma among obese individuals as a result of similar symptoms manifesting due to different issues.

For instance, an obese individual is more prone to develop acid reflux. Therefore, such individuals may suffer from paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea in which the person suddenly feels a suffocation after few hours into sleep. In addition, obese individuals can also suffer from the condition known as sleep apnea in which the person will experience inadequate oxygen intake during sleep as a result of difficulty in breathing precipitated by a blockage in the entry to the airways. Thus, these symptoms may mimic the manifestations of asthma and could lead to a false classification. 

In any event, if you are suffering from obesity, the best thing you can do to tackle symptoms that are similar to asthma is to lose your weight. However, you should also remember that certain medications used for treating asthma, if used for a long time, can also lead to a relative weight gain or will affect the weight control that you have achieved. Thus, you may have to discuss these issues with your medical provider before engaging in a treatment plan.