Asthma: A Short Story

One morning I took Advil due to a headache and immediately afterward I left for school. I recall distinctively, sitting in my first class and I was extremely short of breath. It felt as if my chest was clenching like a fist. After about twenty minutes of my symptoms worsening, I panicked. I proceeded to the nurse’s office, which felt like it took an eternity without air. After the walk there, I became unconscious which I was then taken away in an ambulance. After a long day and many tests, I was diagnosed with asthma. In any case, I couldn’t grasp the concept of developing asthma.

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.

The feeling of a lead brick on your chest, desperately needing air but unable to draw a breath and the feeling of drowning in the very substance you need to survive. Shaking hands squeeze a canister and suddenly there is a rush of medication, an odd taste and then the brick gets lighter and lighter as gradually more oxygen comes in and once again air is flowing in and out properly. For an individual with asthma, an inhaler feels like the most amazing invention ever to grace the human mind or hands. Without the medicine stored in the tiny canister, life as is known by the average non-asthmatic would be but a dream for myself and around 25.7 million other people (Akinbami and Johnson, 2012). The idea of inhaling medicine to cure ailments started

I happen to not be one of those kids. Asthma doesn’t just affect you once, it affects you your whole life. I am a cheerleader and also in the band. There have been times that I have not been able to participate in my activities because I wasn't able to breathe. With the help of my great doctors, I am able to control my asthma as much as possible. By being persistent with my medication and managing my condition, I learned that persistence is the key to success. As long as I stay determined and persevere, I know I will overcome and conquer any challenge that comes my way, whether it be personal, academic, physical or

The good thing about asthma is that there are a lot of medications available to help treat asthma sufferers with acute onset of symptoms as well as help with the long term prognosis of patients. Asthma medications are classified into two groups, Controller and quick-relief. Controller medications are designed to help prevent asthma attacks. Their purpose is to try and reduce the chronic inflammation thus making the body less likely to react to triggers. Some of these include long-acting beta-agonists, Leukotriene modifiers, Mast cell stabilizers, Theophylline, and immunomodulators. Long-acting beta agonists are bronchodilators that assist in opening up your airways. These are normally aerolized medications. The bronchodilator causes the muscles

I have had a variety of experiences that contributed to my overall motivation to become a health care professional. My passion for medicine began when I was an adolescent being evaluated and taken care of by my pediatrician, Dr. Gonzalez. As a kid, I loved being active and playing several sports. However, I consistently had shortness of breath, wheezing, and tightness in my chest during my sports competitions, which my parents quickly noticed. I visited Dr. Gonzalez who knew from the symptoms and experience that I have asthma and prescribed both an inhaler and nebulizer for me to prevent further complications which allow me an opportunity to continue playing sports. Furthermore, I began succeeding playing sports, and grateful for Dr.

Pamela was seen today following her trial of Alvesco and her stress myocardial perfusion scan. Reassuringly, the stress myocardial perfusion scan was normal showing godd ventricular function and no obvious evidence of ischemic heart disease.

“One of the things is, I can never open the windows in the apartment, because my children are constantly sick. The little one, if we don’t take care of her, she is going to develop asthma.” Lopez’s six-year-old daughter shows signs of being in the disease’s early stages. “The doctor gave us a breathing machine for her. That’s why the windows are shut, so she can breathe clean air.”

Instead of being confined with asthma I would usually spend my days outside and fight. I told myself that asthmatics are stronger because we know what it feels like to not have air, to stare at the sky and wait for our air ducts to open, to be aware that we are still trying to grasp the slightest oxygen that would warm up our bodies. ‘I am an almighty god’ I chanted in my head. Even if there were medications, such as albuterol, I despised them because I believed that medications can internally destroy you. My rebellious mind discouraged supplements that ‘suppress’ my asthma symptoms. I did not believe that medications would permanently help a person; you would feel deteriorated the next day, creating a vicious cycle.

My son was born with a severe upper respiratory disease. He had to undergo several years of intensive treatment and on occasion, surgery from birth to 12 years of age.    Consequently, respiratory disease is an illness that affects everyone in our household to some degree. However, my son's battle with the disease was life threatening and his livelihood was seriously impacted by this disease.

Asthma is a lung disease that affects approximately ten million people in the United States. (Cramer 2) In people with asthma, the airways of the lungs are hypersensitive to irritants such as cigarette smoke or allergens. When these irritants are inhaled, the airways react by constricting, or narrowing. Some people with asthma have only mild, intermittent symptoms that can be controlled without drugs. In others, the symptoms are chronic, severe, and sometime life threatening. Although researchers have learned more about the underlying causes of asthma in recent years, a definitive treatment is still unavailable. In the last decade, asthma deaths worldwide have rose 42%. (Cramer 2) The reasons for this increase are not clear; however,

Hospitalizations due to asthma is a major health issue for Hillsborough County, Florida and was identified as being in the least favorable health category (Florida Department of Health, 2015). Hillsborough County had a rate of 1,096.2 asthma hospitalizations per 100,000 people in 2015 which was higher than the rate for the state of Florida and the top United States performers (Florida Department of Health, 2015). The purpose of this paper is to identify a community-based program to reduce the rate of asthma hospitalizations in an underprivileged community. Background information is identified about the East Tampa community including demographics, socioeconomic factors, and the national and

You both provide some great examples of research studies that showcase ethical issues. Another one I came across is the death of Ellen Roche. She was a healthy 24-year-old research volunteer in an asthma study, which passed away as the result of inhaling hexamethonium, a medication for the treatment of hypertension, back in the 50s and 60s (Kim, 2012). After developing a bad cough, Roche ended up on a ventilator and eventually developed multiple organ failure, which resulted in her premature death (Kim, 2012). The purpose of study was to provoke a mild asthma attack, which would help physicians understand the reflex that protects healthy lungs against asthma attacks (Kim, 2012). Kim (2012) states that though both the National

Have you ever wondered how it would feel to have asthma. Have you ever died and come back to life. Well both of them happened to me and here is my story

Laughing can easily turn into a medical problem. My breaths become shallow and my back starts to become weak, with the feeling as if it has been sent on fire. My chronic disease is in the amidst of my existence; not under any conditions do I take a break from my asthma. Diagnosed with this disease, I have been chained to my inhaler wherever I go. I reminisced my memories from when I would cry, countless of times alone at night, because I couldn’t play the sport I love. I would be sent to the hospital because my oxygen level was so low, my body was not able to support itself. I wondered why God would’ve have wanted to put this burden on my shoulders. Birthdays passed, my knowledge expanded. Soon I realized how to take my asthma as a weight;