Patho-Physiology Of Asthma Essay

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 itself is an inflammatory disease characterized by increased airway responsiveness due to a variety of stimulus. The inflammation causes the hyper-responsiveness than in turn causes bronchiolar smooth muscle constriction, resulting in obstruction of airflow. Some

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

Two main theories have been proposed to explain the bronchoconstriction associated with hyperventilation and airway cooling in the asthmatic patients: the first attributes a predominant role to the vagus nerve, whereas the second emphasises the part played by mediator substance released from mast cells in the airways (EIA & EO).

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 chronic inflammatory disorder of the bronchial mucosa and hyperreactive bronchial tubes. Its etiology has been linked to both genetic and environmental factors. Several genes, including those that influence the production of proteins and cells involved in the immune response (such as interleukins, eosinophils, mast cells) have been linked with asthma. A decreased number of T-regulatory cells is also associated with asthma. Environmental factors linked with asthma include exposure to allergens, urban residence, and smoking (or exposure to secondary smoke). Recurrent respiratory tract viral infections may also contribute to the development of asthma. Decreased exposure to certain infectious organisms during early childhood, and the consequent underdevelopment of the immune response, can also lead to the development of asthma--this is known as the hygiene hypothesis (McCance & Huether, 2014, p. 1263-4).

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.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects the airways, which is comprised of tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. People who experience difficulties breathing have inflamed airways. The inflammation causes the tubes to swell and become sensitive, especially when inhaling strong substances. As a result, the airways tighten and the muscles around the tubes become swollen and narrower. In addition, cells in the airways might produce more mucus. This sticky and thick mucus makes it even more difficult for air to pass into the lungs.

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.

1.13. In your own words describe how asthma, which is a chronic illness, can become an acute and life threatening emergency? Asthma is a chronic long term issue where the airways become tightened making it harder to breathe. Acute asthma or exacerbation of asthma is when the airways again become tightened and inflamed, swollen and make it hard to breathe which sounds like wheezing, coughing and difficulty in consuming enough oxygen. Can be caused by a allergenic(Chrisp & Taylor, 2011)

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

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).”

Asthma is characterized by reversible airway obstruction and airway hyper-responsiveness that is associated with airway inflammation and airway remodelling. Two prominent pathological features of asthma are the increase of airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass and the deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which contribute to the development of airway inflammation and remodelling. The deposition of increased ECM proteins such as fibronectin and collagen in ASM layer has been observed in asthma. Evidence suggests that increased ECM deposition could induce ASM phenotype switching from the contractile phenotype to the proliferative phenotype, accompanied by increased expression of cell adhesion receptors and costimulatory molecules as well

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.