ASTHMA

Asthma

Asthma

Part 1: Asthma

Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions among children and adolescents. According to recent estimates, 6.7 million US children and adolescents are currently diagnosed with this chronic respiratory disease. Despite medical advances, asthma continues to be a major public health issue, particularly in urban communities. Specifically, asthma disproportionately affects adolescents in black, urban, low-income communities. Black children and adolescents are 1.6 times more likely to have current asthma than their white non-Hispanic counterparts and are more likely to suffer from higher rates of disability, mortality, and emergency department visits due to asthma than their white non-Hispanic peers.

Asthma is caused due to improper functioning of lungs caused due to inflammation and narrowing of airways. The most common symptoms of asthma are cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness and wheezing sound. These symptoms cause long term and variable airflow obstruction which is reversed with the treatment.

This disease usually starts during childhood and grows in the adulthood. The National heart lung and blood institute of America has published a report, what is asthma (Feb, p.1) in which it states that around 22 million American people are suffering from asthma out of which 6 million are children (Crisp & Taylor, 2010).

Types of Asthma

Brittle Asthma

Brittle asthma is distinguished due to severe recurrent attacks. It is divided into two types. Type 1 brittle asthma patients often suffer peak flow variability despite using strong medication. On the other hand, type 2 asthma refers to several acute exacerbations but it is controlled asthma.

Asthma Attack

When exacerbation becomes severe combined with shortness of breath, chest tightness and wheezing is can be referred as asthma attack. However, in some cases air motion can be impaired which causes no wheezing sound.

Status Asthmaticus

An asthma which does not respond to steroids and bronchodilators combined with severe irritation or allergy can be referred to status asthmatics.

Exercise Induced

Often sportsmen feel shortness of breath and chest tightness in sports that require high stamina. Games like tennis, football, cycling, mountain biking and swimming can cause breathing problems. These problems can be treated through short-acting beta-II agonist.

Occupational

Employees working in workplaces that do not meet the minimum working standards set by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) often face occupational respiratory problems. Also, if the employees are surrounded by intoxicated chemicals, gases and materials, they may also face asthma attacks.

Pathophysiology of Asthma

Pathophysiology is the study of the biochemical and physical functions caused by any disease. It manifests the physiological abnormalities and disturbances, biologically and physically. Pathophysiology helps in detecting the cause of the disease and its effects on the bodily functions. It specifically emphasizes on the quantifiable measurements of the effect of any disease.

Pathophysiology of asthma is a complex task and requires a major understanding of the changing elements of the respiratory system. It is the study of the processes that cause asthma and many other complications related with it. The result from this study helps identify the cause of the disease and contributes to the intervention of the medical ...