ASTHMA

Asthma

Asthma

Introduction

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease characterized by periodic attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, and a tight feeling in the chest. A cough producing sticky mucus is symptomatic. The symptoms often appear to be caused by the body's reaction to a trigger such as an allergen (commonly pollen, house dust and animal dander), certain drugs, an irritant (such as cigarette smoke or workplace chemicals), exercise, or emotional stress. These triggers can cause the asthmatic's lungs to release chemicals that create inflammation of the bronchial lining, constriction, and bronchial spasms. If the effect on the bronchi becomes severe enough to impede exhalation, carbon dioxide can build up in the lungs and lead to unconsciousness and death. Following a steady 30-year decline, asthma deaths in the United States, especially among poor, inner-city blacks and among the elderly, began to rise from the late 1970s through the early 1990s. [1]

DiscussionAccording to Centers for Disease Control Asthma is defined as…"a lung disease that is characterized by three airway problems: obstruction, inflammation, and hyper-responsiveness."

Asthma is a Greek word, which means panting. It was one of the words to describe shortness of breath. The descriptions of asthma came from Aretaeus the Cappadocian in the 2nd century AD. The lungs suffer and the parts which assist respiration sympathize with them (Lane 1996). Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory lung disease characterized by recurrent breathing problems. People who have asthma have acute episodes when the air passages in their lungs get narrower, and breathing becomes more difficult. This narrowing can be due to mucus in the airway, to swelling of the lining of the airway, or to a spasm in the walls of the airway. The bronchial tubes are hypersensitive. When they are temporarily blocked by mucus, breathing becomes difficult. During an asthma attack, the muscles around the airways tighten, the linings of the airways become inflamed and the glands produce an overabundance of think mucus. This further narrowing the airway passages. Any asthmatic will have difficulty breathing, especially when exhaling carbon dioxide. The lips will turn blue and the chest will become over inflated with depressed rib spaces. The asthmatics pulse becomes higher than normal. During an asthma attack the muscles around the airways tighten, the linings of the airways become inflamed and swollen. The glands produce an overabundance of thick mucus, further narrowing the airway passages. [2] This indicates that the body has less oxygen available and that the carbon dioxide has built up to dangerous levels. Once a person s asthma attack is triggered by some type of substance or condition, the airways in the lungs become sensitive to other triggers that result in chronic asthma.

Between episodes of bronchial asthma, a person may appear completely normal. Symptoms could last from anywhere to days, weeks, to months. There are many lung and heart disorders that may have similar symptoms. A doctor has to make an accurate diagnosis of the nature of the disease. The doctor takes a complete history of the patient, physical examination, ...