Soaring Rates Of Childhood Asthma

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

Asthma Attack – An asthma attack is a sudden worsening of asthma symptoms caused by the tightening of muscles around the airways. During an asthma attack, the lining of the airways also become swollen or inflamed and thicker mucus, more than normal, is produced. All of these factors, cause symptoms of an asthma attack such as difficulty breathing,

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

Many things, called triggers, such as pollen, dust, mold, tobacco smoke etc... can start symptoms. Asthma symptoms can make it hard for some people with asthma to do everyday things like going to work or school. Some symptoms of asthma would be chest tightness or pain, coughing or wheezing, and trouble sleeping from coughing or wheezing. An asthma attack or episode is a time of increased asthma symptoms. The symptoms can be mild or severe. During an asthma attack, the lining of the airways in the lungs swells, and the muscles around the airways tighten which make the airways narrower. All of these changes in the lungs block the flow of air, making it hard to breathe. However, there are warning signs of asthma attacks such as fast heartbeat, fast breathing, blue lips or fingernails, and if quick-relief medication does not work. Staying away from triggers and working with a doctor to take the right medications at the right times can help an individual keep their asthma under control. I decided to choose asthma out of the curiosity of how many individuals are affected by this chronic disease in Michigan and if it could be correlated to the pollution or

Based on Ignatavicius and Workman, asthma is usually a chronic condition that causes obstruction. The pathophysiology behind asthma, is the hypersensitivity of the tissue in the lungs. When a trigger comes in to the lungs, the airway overreacts to it, and causes excessive swelling and mucous productions, which constrict the airway and makes it difficult for the individual to breath (2016). There are different types of trigger that can initiate an asthma attacks, and it also varies per individuals. Some of the triggers are allergens, dust mites, outdoor air

Asthma is a disease that affects your lungs. It causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing. Asthma can be controlled by taking medicine and avoiding the triggers that can cause an attack. You must also remove the triggers in your environment that can make your asthma worse.

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.

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.

Your airway has smooth muscles around the outside of the airway tubes also known as bronchial tubes. The tubes are open allowing air to flow freely; during an asthma attack those muscles begin to tighten that is called a bronchospasm restricting the airflow. During an asthma attack the lungs also become inflamed and the mucus in the tubes begins to become thicker and builds up, this makes it even more difficult for air to pass through the opening of the tubes. With the airway being restricted and the mucus build up causes a wheezing sound and shortness of breath and difficulty in inhaling and exhaling air (WebMD).

As the world population grows, so does the amount of people in this world with Asthma. “In the last decade, the proportion of people with Asthma in the USA grew nearly 15%, with 479,300 hospitalizations and 1.9 million emergency department visits in 2009 alone”(Kaur, Bani Preet). Asthma affects the bronchi, bringing of air into and out of the lungs. When an Asthma attack happens, the airways or passages to the lungs, swell up and close so the air passing through is very minimal, causing air not to be able to reach the lungs and pain to the person. In most cases it is not deadly unless not handled properly. This disease causes it to be harder to stay active than it is for others. It is easily manageable if properly diagnosed and properly treated. “4 million americans under 18 have Asthma” (Bronson). It is mistaken in young children for their crying and hiccuping is mistaken for Asthma. Especially when they are sick since they are unable to speak. Asthma is a painful

1.2. During an asthma attack, the air passages become narrow, their surrounding muscles tighten, and stickier mucus is produced. Patients experience symptoms like coughing, wheezing, chest tightening and breathlessness. Severe asthma attack can cause restriction of oxygen into the lungs and bloodstream (British Lungs Foundation, 2014). This can be dangerous and life threatening if immediate medical treatment is not received. Asthma symptoms are usually severe at night (NHS Choice, 2014). This can disturb patient’s sleep and can affect their behaviour and concentration. Asthma can also affect the patient ability to do physical exercises as well as their daily routine.

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that mainly affects the lungs. It is caused by inflammation of the airways resulting in wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and tightness of the chest. Asthma can often be mild but there are times in which it can become fatal. Although it is most commonly diagnosed in children, people of all ages can be affected by it. As of now, no cure has been found for asthma, this means that any individual affected by asthma, even if they are well, still have the disease and could have an attack at anytime. Thankfully, however, even though no cure has been found yet, advancement in our knowledge and treatment helps in preventing and managing the disease, enabling those who are affected to live a normal and active lifestyle.

People with a family history of allergies or asthma are more vulnerable to developing asthma. Many people with asthma even have specific allergies. This Is known as allergic asthma.

                  Asthma is a disease which affects the airways of the lungs, causing a kind of wheezing whenever an individual breathes, coughing, and you would run out of breathe a lot quicker than an individual without asthma. The