Pathophysiology Of Chronic Asthma And Acute Asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airway that impacts a person’s and their family’s quality of life. In people with asthma, their airway becomes constricted with swelling and excessive mucous. This constriction or narrowing of the airway makes it difficult for the person with asthma to breath (Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2009). If asthma is left uncontrolled, it leads to further wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, tiredness, and stress. (Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2009).

Asthma itself is an inflammatory disease characterized by increased airway responsiveness due to a variety of stimulus. The inflammation causes the hyper-responsiveness than in turn causes bronchiolar smooth muscle constriction, resulting in obstruction of airflow. Some

Lungs – Mucus plugging, chronic bacterial infections, pronounced inflammatory response, damaged airways leading to respiratory insufficiency, progressive decline in pulmonary function.

To better understand the impact of asthma, a brief overview of the causes (aetiology) and disease progression (pathophysiology) must be shown. As common as asthma is, not much is known about its aetiology, according to findings presented by Subbaroa, Mandhane and Sears (2009, pg. 181-187) in a review from the Canadian

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the bronchial mucosa and hyperreactive bronchial tubes. Its etiology has been linked to both genetic and environmental factors. Several genes, including those that influence the production of proteins and cells involved in the immune response (such as interleukins, eosinophils, mast cells) have been linked with asthma. A decreased number of T-regulatory cells is also associated with asthma. Environmental factors linked with asthma include exposure to allergens, urban residence, and smoking (or exposure to secondary smoke). Recurrent respiratory tract viral infections may also contribute to the development of asthma. Decreased exposure to certain infectious organisms during early childhood, and the consequent underdevelopment of the immune response, can also lead to the development of asthma--this is known as the hygiene hypothesis (McCance & Huether, 2014, p. 1263-4).

Allen here to speak to you about the most common diseases we see here in the Pediatric Pulmonary Department. I will start by telling you what they are and I am sure you have heard them before. First there is Acute Bronchiolitis (inflammation of the bronchioles). Acute Bronchiolitis is usually accompanied by tachypnea (rapid breathing), chest retraction (sinking in of soft tissues of the chest), and wheezing (whistling or rattling sound on the chest). Next is Tuberculosis (bacterial infection spread through lymph nodes and blood stream into other part of the body). TB is very contagious due to the fact it is airborne. Children are most susceptible to this disease. They can get it by being in contact with someone who has active TB. This disease is very fatal to children as it can result in death. The bad thing about TB is that it can not be detected and it can sometimes lay dormant in the system and never be active, so sometimes we wont ever know if a child has it until they appear sick and get tested for the disease. The last condition we will discuss is Sleep Apnea (interruptions of breathing while sleep). Sleep Apnea occurs when the muscles in the mouth and your tongue relax to the point of blocking your air way, sometimes it causes you to make noise like snoring and other times and blocks your breathing completely to where you can not

To give you some information on what is respiratory disease is. The composition of the walls of the bronchi and bronchioles changes. Smaller tubes don’t need a lot cartilage to hold them open, so the incomplete rings of the cartilage supporting the bronchi are slowly replaced by plates of cartilage in the bronchioles. Also without that cartilage the small tubes can be completely shut by contraction of the smooth muscles. So dealing with asthma and other obstructive respiratory diseases, this smooth muscle becomes irritated and tightens,reducing the diameter of the tubes, sometimes even effectively closing it. Take Bronchitis is a diease of the lower respiratory tract. It is an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the bronchi.

Asthma is a disease known as shortness of breath due to the narrowing of the respiratory tract. Nowadays, asthma has been one of the major diseases in the whole world, especially in Australia and China. This essay will explain the similarities and differences between asthma in Australia and in China.

Breathing is a vital process for every human. Normal breathing is practically effortless for most people, but those with asthma face a great challenge. During an asthma attack, breathing is hampered, making it difficult or even impossible for air to flow through the lungs. Asthma is an increasingly common problem, and has become the most common chronic childhood disease. At least 17 million Americans suffer from it(1), and although it can be fatal, it is usually not that severe(4). There is no cure for asthma, but with proper care, it can usually be controlled.

Serious respiratory diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, are a leading cause of morbidity and death worldwide. Asthma, a chronic disease that involves inflammation of the airways, bronchoconstriction, and intermittent (usually reversible) airflow obstruction, also affects numerous individuals worldwide. Both COPD and asthma are common obstructive lung disorders that affect over 49 million people in the US (1). While the pathology of asthma and COPD are distinct, both diseases share some features. Asthma is often a childhood disease, but some patients manifest symptoms or develop the disease as adults.

Asthma is one of the most prevalent respiratory diseases. It is a chronic condition with recurring, exacerbations characterized by bronchial hyper-responsiveness and inflammation leading to airflow obstruction (Cabana, et al., 2014). Over time, the chronic inflammation may cause permanent damage to the airway (Wenzel, 2012). Asthma affects people of all ages but typically begins in childhood (Wenzel, 2012). This paper will explore the pathophysiological mechanisms of chronic asthma and acute asthma exacerbation. Additionally, it will cover how age and behavior can impact the pathophysiology and influence the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Finally, mind maps will illustrate, visually, the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of both the chronic and acute phase of asthma.

1.13. In your own words describe how asthma, which is a chronic illness, can become an acute and life threatening emergency? Asthma is a chronic long term issue where the airways become tightened making it harder to breathe. Acute asthma or exacerbation of asthma is when the airways again become tightened and inflamed, swollen and make it hard to breathe which sounds like wheezing, coughing and difficulty in consuming enough oxygen. Can be caused by a allergenic(Chrisp & Taylor, 2011)

Asthma is not the only respiratory illness there is.Another type of respiratory diseases are Lung Disease, which is is any problem in the lungs that prevents the lungs from working properly. As well there is also Respiratory Diseases, which is conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange possible in higher organisms, and includes conditions of the upper respiratory tract, trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by episodes in which the bronchioles constrict due to oversensitivity. In asthma, the airways (bronchioles) constrict making it difficult to get air in or out of the lungs. Breathlessness is the main symptom. The bronchi and bronchioles become inflamed and constricted. Asthmatics usually react to triggers. Triggers are substances and situations that would not normally trouble an asthma free person. Asthma is either extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic is when the inflammation in the airway is a result of hypersensitivity reactions associated with allergy (food or pollen). Intrinsic asthma is linked to hyper responsive reactions to other forms of

Respiratory disease is a term which encompasses a wide range of diseases that effect the lungs. Examples of respiratory diseases include, but are not limited to: asthma, tuberculosis and lung cancer (US National Library of Medicine, 2016). Lung diseases are classified as either obstructive or restrictive.