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.
As someone with Exercise Induced Asthma, I have personal experience with the topic. I have experienced most of the symptoms described in my research, tried
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It is also often referred to as the "windpipe." The trachea then branches off like a tree. The first splits of this "tree" are the bronchi, and the smallest branches are called the bronchioles. Thus after air travels through the trachea, it then reaches the bronchi, and spreads throughout the bronchioles.
Small air sacks called alveoli are at the tips of the bronchioles. When air reaches them, the oxygen concentration is high, which causes diffusion into red blood cells travelling through pulmonary capillaries (7). The red blood cells then distribute the new oxygen to the rest of the body. When they reach the alveoli again, they exchange carbon dioxide (a form of cell waste) for new oxygen, and repeat the process. The carbon dioxide is moved through the bronchioles, bronchi, and trachea in the form of exhalation.
The bronchi and bronchiole tubes are loosely wrapped with muscle. During regular breathing, the muscles around these airways are relaxed (5). This allows air to flow freely through these passageways to the alveoli. However, during an asthma attack, air has trouble reaching the alveoli, which prevents the body from receiving oxygen. This is because the airways become smaller. Firstly, the muscles around the airways spasm and contract. This then causes inflammation of the bronchioles and bronchi themselves, which causes a mucus to be produced.
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 is a long-term lung disease. Those with asthma have sensitive airways in their lungs which triggers a flare up. When this flare up happens the muscle around the airways squeeze tight and the airways swell, become narrows and produce more mucus. (Anon., 2016) All these things make it harder for a person to breathe. Asthma effects the human body’s respiratory system. Asthma causes a spasm and constriction of the bronchial passages and the swelling and the inflammation of the mucous lining. The body responds by defence cells from the immune system, which causes the airways to swell and the muscles surrounding the airways to contract. Which is what cuts off the airflow. While a person is in asthma attack, the asthmatic cannot breathe which
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 affects breathing through the airways in the lungs. The airways constrict and build up with mucus, making little room for air to come in and out. "Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing."
Asthma is a condition that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and more than 5 million people in the UK are asthmatic, about one in thirteen people. It is a lung disease that affects your airways – the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs. It causes the muscles in these tubes to contract, the tubes themselves to swell and also causes sticky mucus to be produced. All of these factors can make it very difficult for a sufferer to breathe properly.
The respiratory system is the process responsible for the transportation and exchange of gases into and out of the human body. As we breath in, oxygen in the air containing oxygen is drawn into the lungs through a series of air pipes known as the airway and into the lungs. As air is drawn into the lungs and waste gas excreted, it passes through the airway, first through the mouth or nose and through the pharynx, larynx and windpipe – also known as the trachea. At this point it then enters the lungs through the bronchi before finally reaching the air sacs known as alveoli. Within the lungs, through a process known as diffusion, the oxygen is transferred to the blood stream through the alveoli (air ducts) where it is then transported inside
Asthma is a disorder that causes the lungs to swell and narrow, causing it hard to breathe normal, it causes shortness of breath. It could be deadly by leading to a heart attack or not as severe, depending on each individual. It can either be short-term or long-term.
I have chosen to research Asthma because it one I am familiar with due to the fact that many of my friends have it. It makes me sad when those of my friends have so sit out on activates due to the illness, or else can’t even go outside in certain conditions. Luckily, there are ways to help treat Asthma, but no known cure for it. That’s why I would like to research this disease so I can help raise some awareness of it and better understand my friend’s perspective of having asthma.
Asthma is an allergic disorder of respiration, characterized by bronchospasm, wheezing, and difficulty in expiration, often accompanied by coughing and a feeling of constriction in the chest. Currently, there are 26 million Americans affected by asthma— 19 million adults and 7 million children — and Asthma becomes one of the leading causes of absences from work and school. Asthma often runs in families; according to the World Health Organization, about half the cases are due to genetic susceptibility and half result from environmental factors. The most common signs of asthma are: coughing (especially at night, during exercise or when laughing), difficulty breathing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and Wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound
Asthma is among the diseases that have shown a significant increase in prevalence in recent attacks of wheezing. Asthma is a chronic condition characterized by periodic attacks of wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. More than 7 million US children suffer from it and worldwide it’s nearly 150 million. Asthma constrict the airways that lead to the lungs and partially block the passage for air to pass through.
Have you ever stop and think how it will feel to stop breathing out of the sudden? Children that have bronchial asthma are suffering from this all the time. This can be really scary, and you may even panic because of not knowing what to do. In this project I studied what is the percent of children with this kind of condition and some of the medications with the respective treatment. Secondly, we explained what bronchial asthma is. And last but not least, I personally learned how to interpret charts, as well as finding current information with research purposes.
Most of the Asthma attacks are related to allergens or aeroallergens and the body reacts by activating its immune system. There will be a series and complicated immunohistopathological changes that will occur in the respiratory system resulting to airway narrowing and reduction of airflow. Thereby, thereby reducing the amount of intake of oxygen from the environment and the
There are over 300 million people in the world who suffer from asthma. The inflammatory disease of the airways affects both young and old and there is currently no cure for the illness. However, this doesn’t mean symptoms cannot be alleviated and managed in many different ways. If you’re suffering from asthma, you have hope.
Asthma is a breathing condition and According to World Health Organisation about two hundred and thirty five million people suffer from asthma with this number continuing to grow. Asthma is a life-long disease which makes it hard for the person diagnosed with it to breath. People with asthma tend to have sensitive airways, which can provoke their asthma. The 3 main circumstances that cause the airway to narrow are: Inflammation causes on the inside lining of the airways, Extra mucus can block the airway making it harder to breath and ‘bronchoconstriction’ can happen, in this process the muscles around the airway tighten. Asthma cannot be ‘spread’ like common illness. People that are diagnosed with asthma may get it from family genes or they are one of the five people in every
Asthma attacks occur when the bronchi and bronchioles become inflamed, reducing the space through which air can travel through the lungs. This causes the asthmatic to work harder to move air in and out of the lungs. Asthma attacks usually begin with mild chest pressure and a dry cough. As an attack intensifies, wheezing develops and increases in pitch; breathing becomes difficult; and coughing produces thick, stringy mucus. As the airway inflammation prevents some of the oxygen-rich air from reaching the alveoli, the cells of the body start to burn oxygen at a higher rate, actually increasing the body’s demand for oxygen. The frequency of asthma attacks varies considerably among asthma suffers. Some people have daily attacks, while others can go months or even years without having an attack.