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Asthma basic mechanisms essay
Introduction about asthma
Asthma basic mechanisms essay
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People who are suffering from asthma and allergies often do not know that they themselves are having it until the asthma attack and allergies strike. Therefore, if you feel that you could be down with asthma, you should go for a check up immediately. Tests and procedures will be carried out to ascertain the diagnosis. The type of diagnostic studies that the doctors carry out depends on the results of your physical examination and your medical history.
These are some of the tests and procedures that doctors usually carry out:
Skin testing for allergy
Skin testing is a highly recognized standard for identifying sensitivities to certain types of allergens that would normally trigger the symptoms of asthma. This is because allergy skin testing
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The skin will usually react and forms a lump similar to a mosquito bite if one is allergic to the allergen.
Carrying out spirometry
For patients who have symptoms which include cough, wheezing and shortness of breath, the doctors will normally assess his or her lung functions by performing a spirometry to examine whether asthma is the main cause of the condition.
A spirometer is a sophisticated machine that can measures the airflow from one's airway before and after inhaling with a short-acting bronchodilator. This method is the most accurate way of determining whether airway obstruction exists and whether the patient has a high chance of recovery. Doctors may also carry out other lung-function tests if they feel that other respiratory conditions exist, which may aggravate the underlying medical condition.
Radioallergensorbent Testing (RAST)
The doctors may carry out RAST to diagnose the allergic sensitivities and the possibilities of triggering one's asthma symptoms under specific circumstances. The doctors will examine the severity of one's condition before deciding whether to conduct this
First of all, people may feel anxious when they suddenly have an asthma attack. It is a quite frightening experience because people with asthma have very sensitive airways. If something irritates the airways of a person with asthma, the airways become red and swollen, and this may be even more difficult for air to pass through the airways into the alveoli and out again . People became breathless and breathed more frequently that make them feel more anxious.
The radioallergosorbent test (RAST) is an RIA test that allows for the detection and quantification of IgE antibodies. During the test, a possible allergen is bound to insoluble material and a sample of the patient’s blood is added. If the blood sample contains antibodies specific to that allergen, the antibodies will bind to that allergen. Anti-human radiolabeled IgE antibodies are then added and bind only to the antibodies already bound to the insoluble material. The whole sample is then wThe unbound anti-human antibodies are washed away and the level of radioactivity is proportional to the amount of human IgE present in the blood sample.
Parsons’ signs and symptoms are indicative of asthma, a chronic disorder of the airways. Grossman (2014) explains that asthma causes bronchospasm leading to bronchoconstriction, edema of the bronchial mucosa, airway inflammation, and mucus plugging. Risk factors linked to asthma include genetics, allergies, family history, antenatal exposures to pollutions, cigarette smoke, and according to Grossman (2014) recurrent viral respiratory infections can lead to the development of asthma. The severity of asthma one has can be linked with and influenced by genetics, environmental exposures, age at onset, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (Grossman, 2014). Triggers might include environmental changes, viral infections, stress, and exercise. Signs and symptoms of asthma attacks include shortness of breath, non-productive cough, wheezing, chest tightness, use of accessory muscles, moist skin, diminished breath sounds, tachypnea, and anxiety. Respiratory fatigue and failure can occur as the result of a prolonged attack (Grossman, 2014). Diagnosis of asthma is comprised of a focused history, physical examination, and diagnostics such as laboratory testing, chest x-ray, and pulmonary function testing. According to Grossman (2014), the peak expiratory flow (PEF) can help to determine the level of asthma exacerbation. Treatment is typically based on the severity and can consist of pharmacological as well as non-pharmacological
Diagnosis include a pulmonary function test, a test which helps measure the lungs ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. This type of test is performed with a special machine called spirometry (Mayo Clinic, 2011). A spirometry determines how well the lungs intake, hold, and utilize the air and can even detect the severity of lung disease and determine whether the disease has decreased airflow or a disruption of airflow has occurred. Another device used is a peak flow monitor (PFM). A device that measures the speed at which an individual can blow air out of lungs (Mayo Clinic, 2011). A doctor can diagnose a patient with symptoms that correspond to emphysema, such as a cough that doesn’t go away, coughing up a large sum of mucus, shor...
While some people are predisposed to breathing problems because they have asthma in the family, others may find that their asthma is triggered by other factors like things in their environment. To avoid developing asthma, you can look at your lifestyle to ensure you are making healthy choices.
The job of the lungs is to transfer oxygen to t... ... middle of paper ... ... allergic condition characterised by sneezing, a blocked nose or runny nose, itching eyes or a heavy head. It can help to stay indoors when the pollen count is high, particularly in the early morning and late evening. Keep the windows closed and wear sunglasses.
Asthma is chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by recurring episodes of wheeling and breathlessness. It often exists with allergies and can be worsened through exposure to allergens. In fact, asthma is complicated syndromes that have neither single definition nor complete explanation to the point. In light of its treatment, it is worthwhile to notice that asthma cannot be cured, instead can be only managed by avoiding exposure to allergens and/or by using medications regularly.
Occupational Asthma This type of asthma is triggered by something in the patient's place of work. Factors such as chemicals, vapors, gases, smoke, dust, fumes, or other particles can trigger asthma. It can also be caused by a virus (flu), molds, animal products, pollen, humidity and temperature. Another trigger may be stress. Occupational asthma tends to occur soon after the patients starts a new job and disappears not long after leaving that
When people hear the word asthma, the first thing that comes to mind is a nerd wheezing and taking an inhaler almost every five minutes, but that is not the case for everyone who is diagnosed with this disease. A person with asthma will often wheeze, become breathless, experience tightness in the chest, and cough at night or early in the morning. Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition and a disease marked by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs, caused by chronic inflammation within the breathing passages. This may...
Developing allergies that people are unaware of can be very scary and dramatically life changing. Some of the effects that allergies can cause can be troubling and they might happen multiple times before
Asthma symptoms can range from mild to very severe. A person may experience only occasional severe episodes one time and then experience frequents mild episodes. According to the book, Living Well With Asthma, there are four main symptoms of an asthma attack. Since an attack can be so overwhelming and frightening, it may be difficult to know what’s going on inside of a persons body. Here are the major elements of an asthma attack:
Asthma is a disease that currently has no cure and can only be controlled and managed through different treatment methods. If asthma is treated well it can prevent the flare up of symptoms such as coughing, diminish the dependence on quick relief medication, and help to minimize asthma attacks. One of the key factors to successful treatment of asthma is the creation of an asthma action plan with the help of a doctor that outlines medications and other tasks to help control the patient’s asthma ("How Is Asthma Treated and Controlled?"). The amount of treatment changes based on the severity of the asthma when it is first diagnosed and may be the dosage may be increased or decreased depending on how under control the patient’s asthma is. One of the main ways that asthma can be controlled is by becoming aware of the things that trigger attacks. For instance staying away from allergens such as pollen, animal fur, and air pollution can help minimize and manage the symptoms associated with asthma. Also if it is not possible to avoid the allergens that cause a patient’s asthma to flare up, they may need to see an allergist. These health professionals can help diagnosis what may need to be done in other forms of treatment such as allergy shots that can help decrease the severity of the asthma ("How Is Asthma Treated and Controlled?").
There are two common occupational related illnesses in healthcare environment: Asthma and Dermatitis. Asthma is a chronic lung disease which causes inflammation of the airways. In the case of an asthma attack, the muscles around the airways become tight and the lining swells. This causes the problem with breathing, tightness in a person’s chest, shortness of breath or a cough.
You may need to closely examine the environment, in order to determine the exact cause of the allergic reaction(s). What May Be Causing The Allergic Reactions Even if your elderly mom or dad never had any type of allergy throughout their entire lives, as people get older, their immune system changes and that may be why they're suddenly experiencing symptoms. Your parent may also have different reactions to certain foods or medicines now, too, on account of their aging immune system. Allergic symptoms may be brought on by a number of elements in the environment, but you generally want to be on the lookout for: Seasonal pollen.
Allergies are especially unique in the medical field because they differ among patients. An allergy is a specific immunologic reaction to a normally harmless substance, one that does not bother most people. People with allergies are often sensitive to many substances. Common allergens that cause allergic reactions include seasonal, outdoor allergens like tree, grass, and weed pollen, and year-round indoor allergens including dust particles, animal dander, and indoor mold. Most people usually can be cured by various treatments.