Asthma
HCS 245 Rajdeep Grewal September 22, 2014

Asthma is a chronic long-term lung disease that inflames and suppresses the airways. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing. It can affect people of all ages but usually starts during childhood. In children it is known to often refer to eczema in which a child might suffer from skin inflammation. People suffering from asthma will have attacks that will make it difficult to exhale then inhale which can cause over inflammation of the chest and with impaired lung infections. Most asthma attacks can be treated by drugs, inhalers and injections.
Primary prevention in asthma can be reduced or avoided by personal exposure to primary risk factors to be started during pregnancy and childhood. It is beyond the scope of work and ability of any health care system to achieve changes in environmental standards, which are very important in reducing the population's exposure to disease determinants and pollution risks. Also, the community needs to be involved actively in prevention. A healthy lifestyle, such as eating healthier, doing exercise regularly and by avoiding tobacco and allergens. Secondary prevention in asthma can be done by early detection of occupational asthma which is vital to prevent further progression. According to COPD, they have suggested many programs for early detection of COPD would be cost effective. Even though asthma cannot be cured it can be treated. The tertiary prevention involves avoidance of allergens and non-specific triggers.
Asthma will have different impact on each individual. Students/Employees might miss school or work due to their asthma or in order to care for a child or loved one with asthma. And for many people it could impact in a different way, like not being able to participate in certain activities. Asthma impacts not only an individual, but our community as well. According to WHO, “1 in 12 people in the United States, or some 25 million people, know the impact asthma can have on their lives. With asthma so common, it is unlikely that anyone does not know at least one other person with asthma.”
Asthma, at many times has been controlled poorly and that’s the reason for being it so expensive to even afford. According to WHO, the financial impact of asthma is nearly 56 billion dollars per year. This represents lost wages, medical costs, missed work and school, and early death resulting from asthma. The direct asthma impact on healthcare expenses is also significant. Asthma, along with acute bronchitis and pneumonia, make up 7% of all healthcare costs for children and adolescents. Asthma can cause kids to miss school and cause parents to miss work.
Even the medications are expensive for people whether they have insurance or not. According to WHO, 1 in 9, or 11 percent, of asthmatics with insurance were unable to afford their asthma medication, compared 2 in 5 or 40 percent of uninsured asthmatics. While patients are received help through programs which may help decrease the impact of asthma. But the truth is that asthma is expensive regardless what we say. The high costs of medications are not the only asthma expense. Even after the costs of medications, there are people who are suffering from lost work due to asthma or having to stay home to take care of their child with asthma. According to Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, in the last year, nearly 60 percent of kids missed school due to their asthma symptoms, while one third of adults missed work. Over a year's time, kids missed 4 days of school during the academic year, while adults missed a full work week. This means that asthma is the leading reason for kids to miss school and the fourth leading cause of an adult to miss work. This could cause serious disturbance in any household who might be suffering from asthma.

References
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.who.int/respiratory/publications/strategy/en/index5.html http://asthma.about.com/od/asthmaresources/a/Asthma-Impact.htm