Taking a Look at Asthma

Asthma is when someone has trouble breathing. This is caused by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs. It can be triggered by allergies or sensitivities to something specific. Your bodies become stimulated and the through constricts, giving a feeling of not being able to breath. This can become very severe and is able to kill.

History of Present Illness: Ms. Johnson is a very pleasant 66-year-old woman who was previously evaluated in this office by Elvira Aguila, MD for the diagnosis of asthma. She was last seen in January 2015. She states that overall, she has done well. However, over the last two to three weeks, she has noticed increasing shortness of breath as well as productive cough, rhinorrhea and postnasal drip. She states that she has been using her rescue inhaler above and beyond what is normal for her up to 10 times a day yesterday and she states that she has had some improvement in her symptoms with her short acting bronchodilator. She denies any fevers or chills.

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 is a respiratory chronic disorder affecting about twenty six million people, both children and adults, in the US. About seven million children suffer from this disease. This disease has a complex pathophysiology including airflow obstruction, bronchial hyper-responsiveness and inflammation. Factors that stimulate asthma attacks include exercise, gastroesophageal reflux, environmental allergens, obesity, tobacco smoke, NSAID use, chronic rhinitis or sinusitis, viral infections of respiratory system such as rhinovirus (Lemanske, Jackson and Gangnon), irritants, emotional stress, and perinatal factors such as prematurity.

Amy Parsons is a 16-year-old who states that she has periods when she experiences severe coughing described as dry, hacking, and non-productive. Amy reports shortness of breath and cough after swimming during summers and cough along with occasional wheezing during fall and winter months when she swims competitively. She has no known allergies, no history of surgeries or hospitalizations, and no chronic illnesses. Amy’s physical exam is unremarkable but she reports four to five colds per year. The test results for Amy’s the peak expiratory flow rates (PEF) are as follow: 290/310/320 with her predicted at 453. The following paragraphs will identify and explain the pathophysiology involved in Amy’s case.

Asthma is a chronic breathing condition that has no cure. However, the good news is that patients can live a normal life with the right treatment. Below is a list of treatments that are available for asthma:

I have chosen asthma for my noncommunicable disease because my mom, and brothers and I have it. My little brothers and my mom had it when they were born but I got it when I turned 12 years old. Asthma is a disease someone gets in their lungs that inflames and narrows the airways.

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.

Asthma is a chronic condition that can be managed, but not cured. Asthmatic triggers can be various things for different people. It is often a hypersensitive response to allergens but it can also be triggered by increased anxiety, stress, or even laughter. The bronchi reacts to the stimuli with swelling in the mucous membranes, producing excessive mucous secretions, and causing muscle contraction. Due to the swelling and narrowing of the airways, the result is wheezing and difficulty breathing. The pressure produced doesn't allow for full expiration which means less air is taken in and oxygen levels drop. Asthma is managed through drug prevention with different medications to keep the airways open. Inhalers and nebulizers are used for

Chronic diseases are one of the health problems that affect quality of life, and increased morbidity, mortality and costs of healthcare in the world. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are seven of ten deaths cases each year due to chronic diseases and treating people with chronic diseases accounts for 86% of the United States of America (U.S) nation’s health care costs (Asthma Facts: CDC’s National Asthma Control Program Grantees, 2013). Therefore, the U.S has placed objectives, goals, and programs in order to reduce the burden of chronic diseases and other health issues on healthcare system, and in order to improve people’s health. In December 2010, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has declared the nation’s new health promotion and disease prevention agenda, which is

Health care professionals should use proactive approaches to mange acute severe asthma. Acute exacerbations of asthma can be life threatening, but proper pharmacological management can improve patient outcome and reduce readmissions to the hospital. Early recognition of signs and symptoms are also essential to the management of asthma. This article was aimed to improve health care provider’s knowledge regarding management of acute severe asthma and their understanding of treatment if an exacerbation was to occur. A study had found that morbidity and mortality rates were increased due to inadequate treatment, delayed refers to the hospital and late recognition of the severity of the patient condition. Proper and rapid assessment can successfully

Access to care is essential in managing asthma. The patient and their caregiver should receive education regarding the basic facts about asthma. A patient whose asthma is well managed will be able to define what asthma is, and what it means to have well-controlled asthma. He or she should be knowledgeable about their medications and to be able to take them correctly. The patient should be able to monitor their symptoms and know how to treat them. Patient should also be aware of what environmental exposures trigger their asthma. These patient will also follow their established asthma plan and see their provider regularly.

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

The immediate nursing care of patients with asthma depends on the clinical manifestations, severity of symptoms and response to treatment.

One of the largest barriers to the management of asthma amongst underserved children, is access to a primary care physician (Greek, Kieckhefer, Kim, Joesch, & Baydar, 2006). Since asthma is a chronic disease; like most, it requires constant care, control and management of symptoms to prevent exacerbation of the disease. According to a study conducted by Moorman et al., between the years 2001-2003, minority children compared to white children, had a much greater chance of being treated in an emergency room rather than being treated by a primary care physician. The marked increase of emergency room visits led to regular hospitalized stays, higher mortality rates, and the use of short-acting medication opposed to a long-term systemic use of anti-inflammatory