Asthma Testing

Medications that are breathed in (inhaled) can be a good idea if they are to have an effect directly in the lungs. Many asthma medications are available as sprays that are inhaled, for example. Because the lungs

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.

There are many different ways to treat and manage asthma symptoms. Usually steroids are used to take care of asthma but there are some other treatments too. Bronchodilators are one of those treatments. There are many kinds of bronchodilators and work by opening the airway. A few different bronchodilators are Short-term B2 agonists and Long-term B2 agonists. Short term bronchodilators are what rescue inhalers primarily are. These “provide quick, temporary relief from asthma symptoms or flare-ups” says Gstatic.com Long-term B2 agonists are preventatives to try and not let symptoms arrive in the first place. Steroids and steroidal inhalers are some more short term symptom managers. They work by stimulating hormones in your body to reduce inflammation

The MDI may be placed in the mouth with the lips sealed around it, placed 1 to 2 inches away from the opened mouth, or attached to a spacer or holding chamber with the end of the device placed in the mouth and the lips sealed around it.

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.

I would allow them to write down what triggers they are aware of and make sure they post that list on their refrigerator as a reminder. In addition to that, I would provide with information on how to get specific testing done to identify in depth. I would explain to them what an Asthma Trigger Inventory (AVI) is. An AVI is a 32-item list that involves measuring the patient’s occurrences of asthma attacks due to triggers on six subscales (Ritz, Bobb & Griffiths, 2014). For example, some of those triggers are psychological factors, such as depressed mood, being upset. Animal allergens for example are animal hair or dander such as cat or dog. Physical factors are activity triggers such as running or going up a flight of stairs. Infection triggers are triggers that are influenced by the common cold or the flu. Lastly, air pollution triggers are triggers that involve the environment such as smoke or perfume (Ritz, Bobb & Griffiths, 2014). The family were able to identify that the patient was allergic to cats and that they kept the cats situated in the

A screening template can be developed that can assist the nurse in performing a thorough assessment of an asthmatic patient. This questionnaire should be at an appropriate education level and question should be simple and direct. The questions should focus on the presence or absence of symptoms, activity limitations, exacerbations, missed workdays, and frequency of use of prescribed medications.

Asthma is a respiratory disease characterized by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs, resulting in difficulty breathing as well as coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness. This condition affects nearly 26 million Americans, and causes over 5,000 deaths and 2 million emergency department visits in the US each year. While asthma affects people of every race, sex, and age, it is more prevalent in specific populations of people, such as low-income housing communities in San Diego. Various risk factors contribute to the development of asthma, such as (1) having a parent that lives with (or has a history with) asthma, (2) being classified as an overweight individual, (3) having sensitization to different irritants and allergens, and (4) struggling

The screening will begin with questions about your family history of allergies and asthma as well as your symptoms. The doctor will ask you about your symptoms, how often they occur and if anything seems to trigger an asthma attack. Symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or shortness of breath. It is also significant to look at if the time of day, time of year or any factors trigger or worsen these symptoms. Triggers can include allergens, air pollution, viral infections, physical activity or some medications (How, 2012). Questions about exposure to tobacco smoke, dust, and other airborne irritants as well as occupation and what types of pets you are around may be asked as well (M., 2011). It is also important to inform the doctor of any other health related problems or conditions that may interfere with the management of asthma such as reflux disease, sleep apnea, sinus infections, a runny nose, and psychological stress (How, 2012). All of these factors are considered when

In young children it can be difficult to diagnose asthma because the symptoms can also happen with other conditions. For example, young children can experience wheezing with colds or other respiratory infections but can outgrow it as the airways grow. The best way to diagnose asthma is with a lung function test, complete medical history and physical exam. For adults and children, annual medical visits are the best primary preventative intervention against asthma. This allows the asthma sufferer to learn the triggers of asthma so exposure can be minimized, particularly, if asthma is familial. However, that too can be a guessing game because a trigger becomes known when there is a response to it. For example, wheezing or coughing are good

Explanation: This question describes a patient with new-onset asthma. Her asthma symptoms of night-time awakening due to shortness of breath of more than once a month but less than once a week identify

Breathing techniques such as inhaling through the nose and breathing out from the mouth slowly can be helpful for a patient to be aware of. Last, the patient should always have the physician’s information if asthma attacks become more frequent or they believe their inhaler to not be helping.

Woo and Wynne (2012) define asthma as a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways (Woo & Wynne, 2012). Asthma is a condition that cannot be cured, but its symptoms can be controlled (Mayo Clinic, 2014). Inhaled corticosteroids are known to be the most effective form of long-term management of persistent asthma (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2013). Inhaled corticosteroids help keep asthma under control daily and make it less likely to have an asthma attack (Mayo Clinic, 2014). Beta adrenergic agonists are used as quick relief medication to treat acute asthma attacks, but regular long term use of beta adrenergic agonists are not as beneficial as inhaled corticosteroids (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2013).

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

There isn’t exactly a known cause for asthma. But researchers think that genetics and environmental factors play a factor into the diagnosis of asthma. Some of these factors are: