Premium Essay

Children and Asthma

In:

Submitted By gummybear63
Words 1077
Pages 5
Children and Asthma Cultural Disease Paper HCS/245 University of Phoenix Rochelle Faith Cordray Professor Cathy Coyle May 19, 2012

Asthma is a respiratory disease. It is obstructive to the airways, causes an increase in mucus and its secretion. It is brought on my environmental factors such as chemicals and allergies. If a person can make the differentiation between the two strains of asthma, then it will be easier to figure out what causes (triggers) the attack then avoid those things that they may be allergic to. The two types of asthma are: Intrinsic (non-allergic) asthma is treated differently from extrinsic (allergic) asthma (http://www.livestrong.com/article/105659-description-asthma/). Knowing what kind of asthma a person has enables the individual to know what triggers or allergens to avoid. It affects the lungs. When it comes to diseases found in children, asthma is one of the most common. A child’s lungs and airways become swollen and narrowed when affected with like a whistle when breathing), and shortness of breath. Most often the cough is present early in the morning or at night. Most often starting when a person is very young, asthma can affect people of all ages. At times the symptoms are mild and can go away alone or must be treated with an inhaler. Symptoms can also become so bad that the affected person requires hospitalization. In America, 22 million are known sufferers. Almost 6 million are children (www.nhlbi.gov). As symptoms intensify or more symptoms present themselves, a person is having an attack. It is essential to take care of them as soon as possible. Being proactive will keep symptoms from worsening and becoming more severe. Just because the child is showing no signs of asthma, that does not mean that the asthma is gone, the disease is ever present and

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Children with Asthma

...Asthma is one of the highest common disorders of children. It is also one of the leading causes of children missing school. According to (Marotz, 2015, p. 90) over seven million children are affected by this disease. In this report, it will define asthma, signs, systems and triggers. It will also offer different ways to manage the disease. Asthma is a chronic disorder of the airways that results from a complex interaction among genetic factors (e.g., predisposition to allergy), environmental factors (e.g., exposure to irritants or respiratory infections), and psychological stress (Lim, Wood, & Cheah, 2009). These issues can hinder the life style of a child. Asthma is a form of allergic response that is combined with other allergy conditions in children. While a asthma attack is happening, the airways become momentarily narrowed or blocked due to a spasm of the smooth muscle around the airways, inflammation, and increased mucous production (Lim et al., 2009). This can feel like suffocation. There are certain conditions that can add on the affects to children that have already been diagnosed with asthma (Marotz, 2015, p.90). These conditions such as being overweight or obesity, there is a higher risk in boys for developing asthma. The disease can be detected in children as young as one years old. In most cases, asthma will be accompanied with seasonal allergies and eczema. When one flare up the others will follow triggering multiple issues causing absents from school or even...

Words: 1001 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Children with Asthma

...What is Asthma? * A long-term lung disease that causes swelling in the airway * Causes wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing Overview * The airway is made of tubes that carry air into and out of the lungs that help us breathe * In people with asthma the airway can become smaller, making it harder to breathe, which is an asthma attack * Asthma cannot be cured and even a person feels fine, they still have asthma and must be careful Swollen airway vs. Normal Airway Triggers The following items can cause an asthma attack * Dust * Pollen from flowers and trees * Animal Fur * Cigarette Smoke * Air Pollution * Chemicals * Medicine such as aspirin * Respiratory illness such as a cold * Physical activity such as exercise Diagnosis and Testing To diagnose asthma a health care provider will ask and perform some of the following: * Family history * Allergies * Physical Examination: listen to breath sounds, check the nose and throat for swelling * Lung Function Test: this measures how much air a person can breathe in and out * Allergy Testing Treatment Asthma cannot be cured, but the goal of treatment is to control it. Below are some treatments that a health care provider suggest. * Inhaled Corticosteroids- inhaled medications that helps with the long-term treatment of asthma * Inhaled Short Acting Beta2-agonisits-inhaled medications that act very quickly for...

Words: 332 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Historical Perspectives of the Diagnosis of Asthma in Children

...Historical Perspectives of the Diagnosis of Asthma in Children 1. Introduction: The causes of Asthma: Looking at some recent reports of asthma disease, most of the acute exacerbation because cold and phlegm caused by dysfunction of the lungs which occurred in sputum of asthma. Chronic repeatedly patients mostly offset organs function. Its complex etiology occurs due to some reasons of genetic, physical fitness, diet, environment, age, and other factors related to work and rest, and emphasize internal and external consistency due to infestation. Asthma patients in the onset of the disease is often accompanied by an abnormal increase in serum IgE, IgE is the primary antibody of Ι type hypersensitivity, when its binding to the antigen, mast cells and basophils release of large amounts of biologically active substances, causing a series Asthma disease symptoms, but also by the synthesis of IgE Ts cell regulation (Huang Zhiying 2011). The physiological basis of Asthma: There are many different causes of bronchial obstruction, which is the synonymous of asthma, such as bronchospasm, abnormalities, new growths, swelling of the bronchial mucosa and so on. Some causes may result in mechanical obstruction by new growth, foreign bodies and congenital abnormalities. There are also some secondary obstructions such as mucous secretions, bronchial mucosa swelling and bronchospasm. The reaction of bronchi to irritation with a kind of inside defense mechanism by human body. To antagonize...

Words: 1803 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Asthma

...Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs that affects millions of children in America. Millions of children are diagnosed with the disease each year, and are frequent visitors of the countries’ emergency rooms. Asthma is Greek for panting, which is what asthmatics experience when they experience an asthma attack (Eisele, 2003). According to Neergard (2006), more than 20 million Americans have asthma, and the chronic lung disease is on the rise. This paper will discuss the, causes, symptoms, treatments and the demographics of children being diagnosed with the disease. In order to understand the severity of the disease called asthma, one must understand it causes. These causes lead to the symptoms that have thus far caused the disease to kill 5,000 people every year and accounts for 2 million emergency-room visits (Neergaard, 2006). Though there are treatments for the disease widely available, certain causes of the diseases aren’t concretely founded, causing asthma to remain a mysterious disease to doctors. In the following we will go on a journey to discover the mysterious, precarious reality of children diagnosed with asthma. According to Eisele (2003), five thousand people die of it every year in the United States. Currently it's the sixth most common chronic condition in the nation. Three times as many people have it now as in 1980. Some 6 million of them are children. For children, asthma is the most common chronic disorder, the leading cause of missed school, and the leading...

Words: 2015 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Asthma

...Asthma Evidence Based Pharmacology Asthma is a chronic debilitating disease which affects children and adults. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), “asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts during childhood. In the United states, more than 25 million people are known to have asthma. About 7 million of these people are children.” Asthma is most commonly diagnosed during childhood. Pathophysiology and Age Continuum Implications Asthma is a disorder that affects the airways; it is an obstruction of the airways that takes place due to inflammation, chronic airway hyperactivity, and remodeling of the airway. According to Maddox & Schwartz (2002), “the etiology of asthma is complex and multifactorial. It involves the interaction between genetic factors and environmental stimuli” (p. 477). Therefore, patients suffering from asthma are not only susceptible to un-modifiable genetic factors but also environmental factors that trigger the airway obstructions. Essentially asthma is an inflammation of the airways in which there is an infiltration into the walls of the airway by mast cells, eosinophils, T-helper cell type two (Th2), and T-lymphocytes (Bonsignore, Profita, Gagliardo, Riccobono, Chiappara, Pace, and Gjomarkaj, 2015). According to Bonsignore, et al. (2015), “persistence of chronic inflammation may alter the homeostasis of lung tissue, leading to airway remodeling. Tissue remodeling includes epithelial alterations (epithelial...

Words: 1241 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Asthma Columbia Case Study

...Asthma in the District of Columbia Name: Institution: Authors Note Introduction One of the most common public health issue in Washington’s District of Columbia is Asthma. This condition affects mostly children and almost 12% of the children in the District suffer from asthma. During the late 1990’s, numerous children died from asthma each year. Asthma is a chronic disease that causes inflammation and swelling of the airways. It affects around 8.2% of children in the United States. Asthma attacks have led to 750,000 emergency departments’ visits and 200,000 hospitalizations each year. In fact, it is the leading cause of hospitalizations in children. In the United States, direct costs incurred from asthma related issues is approximated...

Words: 992 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Asthma In America

...Asthma has had a major impact on the health of Americans as well as on the US healthcare system. 1 in 11 children in America have asthma. On a similar note, 1 in 12 adults in America have asthma. Each year asthma is responsible for about 5000 deaths, nearly 500,000 hospitalizations, and 2 million visits to emergency departments. Asthma also restricts people’s activity and is the leading cause of absence from school and work. In 2008, asthma caused 10.5 million missed days of school and 14.2 million missed days of work resulting in an estimated $3.8 billion from loss of productivity. As of 2009, the economic costs of asthma totaled $56 billion per year, with the average yearly medical expenditure on a child with asthma equaling $1039. The burden of asthma falls disproportionately on some minorities and particularly on children (“Asthma Facts”). The burden of asthma falls disproportionately on children under age 18. For the period 2008–2010, asthma prevalence was higher among children than adults. This is evidenced in the rates of asthma-related use of health care services, which are two to three times higher for children than for adults. . Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15. Only the asthma mortality rate is lower for children (“Asthma Facts”) Asthma Disparities and...

Words: 1610 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Asthma

...Asthma Introduction In today's society children are faced with many problems in their day to day life. However, there is one disorder that affects many children and can be potentially fatal if not caught and treated correctly. This disorder is call asthma. The National Center for Biotechnology Information defines asthma as, "Asthma is a disorder that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightening, and coughing." Asthma mostly effects younger boys and effects adult women more than adult males. In the United States there are around 18.7 million children that have some type of asthma, which is about every 1 and 12. The number of people diagnosed with asthma grew by 4.3 million from 2001 to 2009. From 2001 through 2009 asthma rates rose the most among black children, almost a 50% increase. In a study in 2007 there was 3,447 asthma related deaths in the United States. Nine deaths a day were caused by this disorder. There are many different types of treatment that can be used to help cure or manage asthma if diagnosed correctly. Many children do not receive the medication the need due to lack of insurance coverage, no health benefits or they do not get the right diagnosis. Asthma costs in the US grew from about $53 billion in 2002 to about $56 billion in 2007, about a 6% increase. Greater access to medical care is needed for the growing number of people with asthma. Asthma cost the US about $3,300 per person with...

Words: 1134 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Epidemiology of Asthma

...Epidemiology of Asthma: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways which causes episodic wheezing, shortness of breath ,chest tightness, and coughing. Asthma effects people of all ages, backgrounds , religion and gender. According to one article no one risk factor is responsible for asthma morbidity; rather asthma risk factors include living in poverty, in the inner city being uninsured or Medicaid enrolled and being African American. (Kimberly P Toole, 2013) Asthma is a significant health problem in the United States and Massachusetts. Asthma is one of the most common chronic childhood illnesses in the United States where prevalence nearly tripled from 3.6% in 1980 to 9.1% in 2007. Asthma impacts both society and the individual causing millions of lost school days. (Woodin, Tin, Moy, Palella, & Brugge, 2010) Nationally the total cost of asthma in 2007 was 19.7 billion dollars, in Massachusetts the total charges for acute care hospital utilization for asthma was over 136 million dollars in 2006. (Zotter & huisingh, 2009). According to the CDC 1:11 children have asthma in the U.S., that amounts to seven million children in 2010 and the prevalence of asthma is increasing in the United States and in Massachusetts. Studies done by the CDC indicate that in children more boys than girls have asthma. The surveys also indicated that socioeconomic status plays apart in asthma prevalence. Families with an annual household income of 75,000 dollars or...

Words: 1066 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Asthma Research Paper

...Asthma is the most enduring inflammatory disease of the lungs described by contracted and enlarged airways due to mucus buildup in the lungs. Children with asthma may experience complications in breathing, coughing, recurrent respiratory infections, and tightness in the chest. It is believed that asthma is caused by a mixture of genetic and ecological factors like allergens, contaminants, dust, and smoking. Researchers say that Asthma is the most conjoint youthful disease with increasing dominance from the 1980’s to the year 2000. Among childhood continuing diseases, asthma is the most common cause of school attendance issues. “Doull et al. reported that 24% of school students and 55% of asthmatic students missed school days due to respiratory symptoms”. Researches think that if asthma is controlled, children are focused and willing to learn. With applicable treatments and organized eco-friendly factors, asthmatic children should be able to learn, play, and participate in extracurricular activities. For medicine to be active, it must be used every day, even when the child is not indicative. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there will be three asthmatic children in a classroom of thirty students (Bass,...

Words: 527 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Joyful

...References Myers, T. R., & Tomasio, L. (2011). Asthma: 2015 and Beyond... 47th Respiratory Care Journal Conference, “Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care: What Does the Future Hold?” November 2010, Arizona... includes discussion. Respiratory Care, 56(9), 1389-1410. doi:10.4187/respcare.01334 * Asthma is a multifactorial, chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. The knowledge that asthma is an inflammatory disorder has become a core fundamental in the definition of asthma. (coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.) * The prevalence of asthma among children changes with increasing age. As an example, boys have higher current asthma prevalence, compared with girls throughout most of childhood. * From 1980 through the mid-1990s, the asthma hospitalization rate steadily increased in children under 17 years of age. * Trend analysis identified an annual 2.9% increase from 1980 through 1991, but there has been no statistically significant trend after 1991. * Overall non asthma hospitalizations for children has decreased over that period, whereas the asthma hospitalization rate remained level. * In 2006 there were 21 asthma-related hospitalizations per 10,000 children, for a total of 155,000 hospitalizations; this represented approximately 5.6% of all hospitalizations among children in 2006. * Trend analysis found that, while asthma related mortality increased 3.2% per year from 1980 through 1996, a reversal thereafter led to an...

Words: 504 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Asthma

...Asthma Management for School Nurses Asthma is one of the most common chronic problems in children today. Asthma affects approximately 7 million US children today as per the Center for Disease Control. Asthma is an overwhelming cause of children being absence from school according to the American Lung Association. Children spend a majority of their time in school, so the school nurse does most of the education regarding signs and symptoms of the illness along with its management. Jaime Donohue-Brennan Grand Canyon University NRS-433V November 15, 2015 Author Note Abstract School Nurses play an important role in the overall management and education of school age children with Asthma. They help to identify children at high risk of exacerbation of symptoms. Nurses in 44 school located in higher risk areas were surveyed about the management of asthma related issues during the 2008 school year. One of the major issues found was with the line of communication between the parents, nurses, and other school staff. Another problem was with the adherence to the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP). Keywords: compliance, school nurse, asthma, hospitalizations. Asthma Management for School Nurses Asthma is one of the most common chronic problems in children today. Asthma affects approximately 7 million US children today as per the Center for Disease Control. Asthma is an overwhelming cause of children being absence from school according to the American Lung Association...

Words: 954 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Breathing with Asthma

...With Asthma Asthma is a long-term lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. The coughing often occurs at night or early in the morning. To understand asthma, it helps to know how the airways work. The airways are tubes that carry air into and out of your lungs. People who have asthma have inflamed airways. The inflammation makes the airways swollen and very sensitive. The airways tend to react strongly to certain inhaled substances. When the airways react, the muscles around them tighten. This narrows the airways, causing less air to flow into the lungs. The swelling also can worsen, making the airways even narrower. Cells in the airways might make more mucus than usual. Scientific evidence clearly shows that most people could control their asthma by following current asthma clinical practice guidelines. With proper care, people who have asthma can stay active, sleep through the night, and avoid having their lives disrupted by asthma attacks. Patients with well-controlled asthma should have: • Very few asthma symptoms. • Barley any awakenings during the night caused by asthma symptoms. • No need to take time off from school or work due to asthma. • Few or no limits on full participation in physical activities. • No emergency hospital visits. • No hospital stays. • Few or no side effects from asthma medicines. There are different types of asthma, seasonal...

Words: 778 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Asthma Chapter 1

...INTRODUCTION • Asthma is a long-term, inflammatory condition that affects the lung, which results to a difficulty of breathing of a person experiencing it (Morris, 2011). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 235 million people worldwide are affected by asthma. Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , the number of people with asthma increased by 4.3 million from 2001 to 2009 and that during this time period, asthma rates rose the most (almost 50 percent) in black children. In 2007, asthma was linked to 3,447 deaths in the United States. (Morris, 2011) Severe asthma is a serious health concern that can lead to respiratory failure. Each year in the United States, as many as 470,000 people seek hospital treatment for asthma-related symptoms and the disease causes about 5000 deaths. Despite its prevalence, experts differ in the definition of the disease. Clinical authorities typically favor a broad, comprehensive definition. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, defines asthma as: "A chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways (which causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing, particularly at night or in the early morning) usually associated with widespread but variable airflow obstruction that is often reversible, either spontaneously or with treatment." (Homer SD, 2009) Asthma was recognized...

Words: 1046 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Asthma Public Health Issues

...Provide a brief overview of the public health policy issue you have selected for your Final Project. Asthma is classified as chronic disease because there is no cure for it is sickness. Asthma epidemic is defined clearly by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) (2012), as " a chronic (long-term) lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma is a serious lung disease that commonly affects children in the United State. The children make up 40% of all asthma cases, which is count around 25% of the population (NHLBI (2012). The public health addressed asthma many decades as one of major public health concern that affects millions of children in the United State. As Spagnola & Fiese, (2010) point out that, Asthma become one of the public health prevalence due to increasing rates of morbidity among young and low-income children. Asthma is a leading cause of lost school days. A recent study estimates as many as 7.5 million students nationally are chronically absent each year (Spagnola & Fiese, 2010). Every day that a student misses class is a lost learning opportunity that holds our youth back which is lead to risk of losing their future....

Words: 621 - Pages: 3