Assessment And Chronic Inflammatory Disorder Of The Airways

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

Asthma is a respiratory disease that many people deal with every single day. “According to World Health Organization, approximately 180,000 people die from asthma each year.” (Jardins and Burton 187) Most people never think of asthma as a life threatening disease, but it can be crucial. As the number of people with asthma increases, the more likely you are to come in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with this disease. Asthma is a severe breathing problem that has many complications that is dealt with daily like shortness of breath, chronic cough, tightness of the chest and shortness of breath, my main focus is childhood asthma, allergic asthma, and medication to treat asthma.

Asthma is a chronic condition affecting the respiratory system and has a considerable impact on both individuals and a population. Everybody is susceptible to asthma, some more than others, depending of a variety of factors including, age, sex, geographical location and income. Asthma is particularly prevalent in younger children and the elderly and while it can be fatal, most people have mild cases of asthma that are relatively easy to treat. The condition mainly impacts an individual’s physical ability to contribute to a community.

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.

In addition, asthma affects the smooth muscle walls and glands of the bronchioles, due to narrowing of the bronchial passageway, this results in a build-up of mucus in the bronchial tubes leading to difficulty breathing (Rizzo 2016, p.423). Airflow in the alveoli becomes limited due to inflammation causing bronchoconstriction, as the inflammatory process begins mast cells degranulate and release inflammatory mediators (Kaufman 2012, pp.589-590). ‘The inflammatory process results in vascular congestion, production of thick mucus, bronchial muscle spasm and thickening of the airway walls’ resulting in Jessica becoming short of breath and coughing (Kaufman 2012, pp.589-590). Typically, this reaction occurs 30 to 60 minutes after being exposed to the triggering allergen or irritant (Kaufman 2012, pp.589-590). Asthma can be triggered by a range of different factors including exercise, infection, exposure to allergens or airborne substances such as dust, fumes or pollen (Rizzo 2016, p.843). However, some asthma attacks may be worse than others, this is because a severe asthma attack can completely narrow and close the airway (Lew 2011, pp.43-45). This can result in oxygen not getting to vital organs such as the heart or brain and can result in

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.

Disease that makes it hard to exhale all the air in the lungs, and when the airways becomes narrow that cause the air to come out slower is considered Obstructive airway disease. In addition patient with obstructive airway disease find it difficult to breathe while increased activity or exertion. Chronic Obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Asthma, and Cystic Fibrosis are some of the obstructive airway disease. In details, COPD is a group of conditions characterized by obstruction to airflow in the lungs. Bronchitis, Bronchiectasis, and emphysema are condition of COPD. Smoking is the common cause of COPD. “persons with COPD are unable to maintain normal blood gases by increasing their breathing effort. Hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and cyanosis develop, reflecting an imbalance between ventilation and perfusion”(Porth, 2011, p. 582).

Asthma is the most common childhood condition in Australia (Better Health Channel, 2015). The National Institute of Health [NIH] (2014), describes asthma is a chronic long-term lung disease that causes a person’s airways to swell and become very sensitive. The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of a person’s lungs. When theses airways react to certain stimuli, the muscles around them tighten, narrowing the airways and causing less air to flow to the lungs. When this occurs, cells in the airways can also make more mucus than usual, which causes a sticky, thick liquid to be excreted and further narrows the swollen airways. This process is all caused when the person inhales certain substances that aggravate the sensitive airways.

Allergic Asthma or allergy-induced asthma is one of many forms of asthma. Asthma is a chronic lung condition that results in recurring episodes of a difficult problem breathing. According to Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America(aafa), about 25 million Americans have some form of asthma. Breathing is a basic essential part of life which is normally done without thinking about it. The people with asthma airway may become inflamed and constricted due to allergens, irritants, physical activities and/or respiratory infection. The symptoms of this chronic condition may vary in the individual person. Some symptoms are coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.

Following the pathologic changes of chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis, many patients will present with the following symptoms: shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, wheezing, productive cough and hemoptysis (Stauffer). Many of these symptoms will occur after the patient has recently contracted common cold viruses or other irritants as they weaken the body’s natural balance in the respiratory tract. With the majority of patients having a sudden increase of mucus production, this will have a tendency to obstruct the airways and prevent ventilation. In some cases the patient is able to clear the airway of the obstruction simply by coughing, but excessive coughing can lead to a much more problematic bronchospasm. Also, due to the weakened airway of bronchiectasis patients and increased thick sputum, coughing may prove to be vastly ineffective. These diseases are diagnosed with a combination of examinations such as Pulmonary Functions Tests (PFT), Chest

Asthma is a chronic airway disorder marked by inflammation. The inflammation affects multiple structures involved in the respiratory system of the body. These structures include the trachea, the bronchi, and the bronchioles. Bronchoconstriction is the main response that occurs during an asthma attack. The bronchoconstriction can be attributed to many different factors including edema, an excessive amount of mucus, muscle damage and bronchospasms. Bronchospasms are “… sharp contractions of bronchial smooth muscle” (Lynn & Kushto-Reese, 2015). The muscle damage can lead to severe airway impairment and a perforated epithelium which then allows easy entry of the allergens and triggers.

Childhood asthma is a complex chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways that involves both genetic and environmental factors, and can involve potentially permanent airway obstruction, airway hyperresponsiveness, and multicellular inflammation. During an acute episode (which vary in severity and duration), the child presents with symptoms such as wheezing, respiratory distress, cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue with exertion (Linzer, 2007). A stimulus (trigger) initiates an airway response that stimulates inflammation, bronchospasm, and increased mucus production. Triggers include cold air, pollen, dust, pet dander, cigarette smoke, exercise, infection, medications,

Asthma is an inflammation of the airways. Smooth muscles get tight and trap air in alveoli. When a person is in asthma attack he has a dry cough, shortness breathing and feels tightness in the chest. It often happens at night. Usually asthma comes in several generations and the causes of it are not fully understood. Common triggers are stress, pollen, dust, animal dangers, pollution, mold, changing weather conditions and chemicals. There are two types of asthma- extrinsic and intrinsic. Most common type of asthma is extrinsic asthma. Extrinsic asthma is based of allergies but intrinsic of weather conditions (to cold, dry air)

Asthma is a chronic airway disease that can be difficult to manage, resulting in poor outcomes and high costs (Kuhn et al., 2015). It is characterized by episodes of expiratory airflow obstruction, which occurs in response to multiple stimuli or triggers. Asthma is a lifelong disease, and symptoms include wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. Attacks can be mild, moderate, severe, or even life threatening and limit a person’s way of life (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2011). There is no known cure for asthma, but symptoms can be controlled by avoiding the triggers and taking prescribed medicines that prevent or minimize symptoms.