Airway Inflammation In 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).

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

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The purpose of this paper is to describe the pathophysiology of chronic asthma and acute asthma exacerbation, with explanation of arterial blood gas pattern during an asthma exacerbation. Also, explain how ethnicity might impact pathophysiology of asthma and asthma exacerbation. The diagnosis and treatment plan needed to relieve the presented signs and symptoms will be reviewed. Lastly, constructs two mind maps for chronic asthma and asthma exacerbation including its epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment.

The effect of asthma can range from mild, irregular symptoms causing minor problems for an individual to severe and sudden asthma attacks. The extent of what causes asthma is not well known or fully understood but some common triggers include, cold temperatures, dust mites, cockroaches, pollen, sickness, mould and animal hair. When triggered, the airways in the lungs become inflamed and constricted causing shortness of breath, chest pain and wheezing [R]. Currently, there is no cure for asthma however symptoms can be managed with medication and improved living standards [R]. Asthma symptoms are commonly controlled with the use of inhalers, either preventers (taken to desensitizes airways to triggers) or relievers (provides instant relief by relaxing the muscles) [16].

Eight-year-old B.J. has had asthma for 2 years since he had acute bronchitis. He was tested for allergies and demonstrated marked responses to a number of animals, pollens, and molds. B.J. also has a history of asthma related to exposure to very cold weather.

COPD, however, is an adult disease whose leading cause is long-term cigarette smoking. Airway inflammation with lymphocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages is common in COPD (2), and remodeling of airways commonly occurs. While airway obstruction in asthma is usually reversible, there can be a fixed obstructive component, and in COPD, where there is usually a significant fixed obstructive component, there can be partial reversibility in airway obstruction (2). There are patients who present with an overlap syndrome with mixed features of COPD/asthma (2). COPD is also potentially preventable, if one avoids cigarette smoking, which often times is the primary cause. The most common recognized forms of COPD are chronic bronchitis, seen as bouts of coughing and severe

Discuss the prevalence of asthma in certain patient populations that you might see in primary care. Asthma is chronic airway inflammation disorder that is characterized by persistent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and non-productive cough, mainly at night and in the early morning. The inflammation of the airway results from physical, chemical, and pharmacologic stimulus, which causes bronchial hyper-responsiveness, constriction of the airways, edema of airway wall, and chronic airway remodeling (Cash, 2014). Asthma occurs at all ages, with about 50% of all cases developing during childhood and another 30% before age 40. In the United States, it is estimated that 25 million people have asthma and the prevalence continues to increase (McCance, & Huether, 2014). Previously, asthma was considered

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that affects approximately 22 million people in the United States. Six million of those people are children, making it the most common chronic disease of children (“What is Asthma” and National 1). Asthma may be associated with morbidity, mortality, and diminished quality of life. Asthma is considered a long-term disease because there is currently no cure (Young). Further defining this disorder will be achieved by explaining the disease and symptoms, addressing how it is acquired, ways physicians diagnose it, and elaborating on treatments.

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

Asthma causes may include allergens, environmental irritants, respiratory illnesses, sulphites in food, reflux, or medications like beta blockers.2 The airways of asthmatics are narrowed due to the plugging by accumulated mucus, and smooth muscle contraction. During inspiration, the diaphragm moves downwards into the abdomen, and the ribs move upward and outward movement due to diaphragm and inspiratory intercostal muscles’ contraction respectively. This enlarges the lungs due to the changes in intrapleural pressure, and expands the alveoli. Hence, airway resistance decreases during inspiration, because, as the lungs enlarge, the airways within the lung are subject to the same forces as the alveoli, becoming widened. During passive expiration, the inspiratory intercostal muscles relax, causing the lungs to recoil. During active expiration, expiratory intercostal muscles and abdominal muscles contract, decreasing thoracic dimensions, and increasing

The presence of airflow obstruction which is largely irreversible is a major feature of COPD. It is proposed to be the result of a combination of small airways narrowing, airway wall inflammation [89] and emphysema-related loss of lung elastic recoil [1, 90, 91]. The pathologic features of COPD are structural changes of the lung, including emphysema and small airway remodelling [92]. Small airway remodelling in COPD is characterized by adventitial fibrosis and mucus cell hyperplasia, and may involve increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass, particularly in severe disease [92-96]. This is indicated by persistent infiltration of inflammatory cells, including macrophages, neutrophils and T- and B-lymphocytes in the airway wall [94-96]. Small airway remodelling could also result from direct effects of CS and LPS exposure on structural cells of the airway wall, independent of inflammation [9].

Asthma is a disorder of the bronchial mucosa which causes bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Patients who suffer from asthma have a hyperresponsiveness of the airways which causes narrowing to stimuli that illicit no bronchoconstriction in patients without asthma or airway disease (McCance, 2014). Expert Panel 3 of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program defines asthmas as “a common chronic disorder of the airways that is complex and characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, airflow obstruction, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and an underlying inflammation. The interaction of these features of asthma determines the clinical manifestations and severity of asthma and the response to treatment (Fanta, 2017).”

As we all noticed Asthma is a chronic condition that causes inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes.

The pathophysiology of Asthma includes inflammation of the airway. The way in which this works is from an irritant which can include dust, pollen, cedar, or cat hair. When a reaction occurs, the airways become inflamed and narrow. The narrowing occurs because once the inflammatory response is triggered by an irritant, histamines, immunoglobulin E antibodies, and leukotrienes are released. Because of this, mucous production occurs. Since the bronchioles are inflamed and narrow, breathing becomes difficult. Wheezing sounds can be heard due to the lack of air being able to easily move in and out of the narrowed bronchioles.