Asthma is considered to be a serious health problem all across the world. This chronic airway disorder affects the people of all age groups. This problem places a number of limitations on the capability of person to carry out day- to – day activities. Asthma can even sometimes be fatal and is a chronic cause of disability. Moreover, a burden is placed on the life of an individual along with healthcare costs, reduced participation in social activities and in family and lost productivity. This essay focuses on the physiological condition called asthma. Moreover, the essay also highlights the difference between the respiratory system of a patient with and without asthma, related anatomy and physiology, signs and symptoms of asthma, impact on other body systems and daily living. Also, this essay throws light on the care, treatment and monitoring required for a patient suffering from this condition.
Asthma can be defined as a respiratory condition marked by spasm attacks in the bronchi of lungs which in turn results in difficulty in breathing. Such condition is normally connected with allergic reaction and various other sorts of hypersensitivity. All age groups are attacked by asthma but it often starts in childhood (Leigh & Marley, 2016). The frequency and severity of asthma may vary from person to person. They may occur in an individual from hour to hour and day to day. This condition is caused as a result of inflammation if air passages in the lungs and disturbs the sensitivity of the nerves endings in the airways which makes them get irritated easily. In an asthma attack, a swelling in the lining of the passages is witnessed which causes the narrowness of the airways and reduces the in and out flow of air from the lungs (Currie & Baker, 2012).
The respiratory system of a patient without asthma supplies oxygen to the waste and expels waste gases i.e. carbon dioxide from the body. It allows the exchange of gases out and into the blood such that the body cells can produce energy for normal cell functions. Large quantities of carbon dioxide and oxygen are carried efficiently and safely in the blood because of red cells. Hemoglobin is the most important constituent and plays an essential part in transporting carbon dioxide and oxygen. Although breathing can be controlled voluntarily by the individual, it is sometimes also controlled by the nervous system for the purpose of meeting the needs placed upon it. The cycle of respiration takes place approximately 15 times every minute and consists of three phases namely inspiration, expiration and pause. The differences in pressure inside and outside the body generates the movement of air in and out of the lungs. Diaphragm is the essential muscle use at the time of breathing which is frequently assisted by neck, intercostal muscles and abdominal muscles. This is the place where expansion of lungs take place in air and then contract for the purpose of expelling it. The respiratory system of a patient suffering from asthma is affected as bronchioles (small airways) become swollen, inflamed and narrowed (constricted) and there is excess production of the mucus which creates difficulties in carrying air in and out of the lungs. The main aim of a respiratory system is perform the function of providing oxygen to various tissues and removing carbon dioxide. There is a possibility for the respiratory system of a person suffering from asthma that this key goal is not realized (Vries, 2011).
The anatomy and physiology of asthma provides that during an asthma attack, increased mucus retention, inflammation and smooth muscle spasm results in constriction of airways in the lungs of the patient. In response to a stimulus, these are the automatic actions. Dust, smoke and heightened stress can even cause the variation in the stimulus and the increased levels of cortisol, dopamine and adrenaline. In normal cases, nerves belonging to pulmonary plexus gets activated only when a great stimulation represents a threat. Neurological mechanism also called “threshold” controls this where a specified degree of stimulation is necessary before sending the message. No message is sent in cases where the stimulation is inadequate and is also called a failed initiation. A number of failed initiations ultimately have the effect of nerve sensitization. This means that in future, an action potential can be generated with less stimulation (Kabra, 2013).
The respiratory system of an asthma patient suffers from greater sensitivity to environmental irritants in comparison with non- asthmatic people. The airways become narrow when they come in contact with a trigger resulting in difficulty in breathing. There is a severe attack on bronchial tubes in the process as lung tissue and air sacs are not involved. The narrowness in the respirator airway is caused due to bronchospasm, inflammation and hyperactivity. During inflammation, mucus deposition results in swelling in the airways. Bronchospasm further narrows the respiratory airways. Inflammation leads to damage in the tissues and get dropped into the airways causing narrowing.
The respiratory system is affected by asthma. Therefore, there is a difference in the respiratory system of a patient with and without asthma. Asthma causes the air ways to swell by way of constricting the mucus line. In response, defense cells are send by the body which in turn causes the air ways to swell (Naff, 2009).
There are numerous signs and symptoms of asthma. There is always variation in the severity of the condition of individuals. There is possibility that the symptoms can be unpredictable and vary from dyspnea and mild wheezing to life- threatening respiratory arrest. Seasons and presence of triggers may also lead to the worsening of the signs and symptoms. Some of the symptoms reported by the individuals experiencing asthmatic attack include shortness of breath, dyspnoea, feeling of chest tightness, cough, expirational wheeze, cyanosis, exhaustion, problem in speaking as a result of severe dyspnoea, confusion and restlessness and diaphoresis. At night, the person may experience the worsening of the symptoms which can often wake them up and may last for an hour, days, and weeks until and unless they are treated properly.
Other than respiratory system, the nervous system and immune system of the body is also affected due to asthma. Asthma results in causing the immune system to respond sensitively to substances that would not be hurtful for those without asthma. A nerve growth factor is examined to increase sensitivity to irritants among the patients suffering from allergies and asthma (Beverly, 2017).
The daily living of the patient is impacted severely due to asthma as a result of a dramatic change in the lifestyle. The asthma patient reports that they suffer from high levels of anxiety for which they need medication for the purpose of regaining a sense of control. They get frustrated that even after properly following the instruction from the doctors, they were not feeling better. The frequent symptoms brings difficulty in the management of their daily lives. (Dunne & Hughes, 2015)
There is actually no cure for asthma. However, there are a number of treatments which can assist a person in managing their condition. Asthma can be resolved spontaneously or with the help of a treatment as it is a reversible chronic lung disease. The treatment is aimed at suppressing the symptoms and at avoiding the triggers (Ramaiah, 2012). While caring for and helping in treating the person suffering from asthma, the personal needs and preferences of the person should be given due consideration. The person should be provided with necessary information regarding the procedures, proposed interventions and treatment. The treatment for asthma includes aerosols which are the drugs given as aerosol inhaler. Such inhaler provides a little dose of drug directly to the airway. Various inhaler devices are available for asthma as different devices suit to different people. Irritants that trigger asthma are advised to be avoided by people who are prone to such disease. However, there are some alternatives for the people who find it impossible or difficult to make the use of an inhaler. In such cases, people are prescribed to take medication in the form of syrup or a tablet in addition to or instead of an inhaler. Oral steroids may be prescribed to the person who experiences prolonged or severe attack of asthma for reducing the inflammation in the airway. The medication dosage is completely dependent on an individual and in response to how the body of the person is reacting to such a treatment. The treatment is provided with the objective of finding the lowest regular dosage with the help of which the symptoms can be kept away (Peate, 2008).
The main aim is to preserve the life of the person when status asthmaticus take place or in other severe cases of asthma. An obstruction is caused to bronchi by mucus plugs which in turn lead to hypoxia and respiratory failure. Moreover, pneumonia and pneumothorax can also take place as a result of asthma. Oxygen therapy may be prescribed to such person. The life threatening cases requires humidification of oxygen and the person may require to be mechanically ventilated. Proper monitoring should be performed while the treatment is being provided to the individual (Harver & Kotses, 2010). The nurse should ensure that the patient is in the upright position comfortably supported by the pillows. In cases where the individual suffers from allergy related to feathers, it should be ensured that the pillows utilized for the purpose of supporting the patient does not contain feathers. At the time of providing treatment and care to an asthma patient, it is necessary that its effectiveness is continuously monitored and assessed in accordance with the response of the patient (Kavuru, 2007). Moreover, there should be continuous monitoring of the respiratory system and vital signs as dictated by the condition of the person. Such monitoring and treatment is justified as it will result in less frequent attacks to the patient. Proper care will assist the patient in living a normal life to a great extent (Burney, Jarvis & Perez-Padilla, 2015).
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provide some equality issues to be faced by the patients suffering from asthma. The patients are not treated well at the time of providing care (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2018). Wearable systems and new devices have been developed by National Science Foundation (NSF) for the purpose of predicting and preventing asthma attacks (National Science Foundation, 2018). But the issue here is that these are very expensive and cannot be afforded by an average person. The infection control and health and safety standards provide that asthma can be prevented by identifying and avoiding the triggers. Although, this is not possible because the symptoms of asthma are sometimes normal which are even found in everyday life and are many times avoided by the patients.
Therefore, it can be concluded that asthma is a respiratory condition marked by spasm attacks in the bronchi of lungs which in turn results in difficulty in breathing. there is a difference in the respiratory system of a patient with and without asthma. The main aim of a respiratory system is perform the function of providing oxygen to various tissues and removing carbon dioxide. There is a possibility for the respiratory system of a person suffering from asthma that this key goal is not realized. During an asthma attack, increased mucus retention, inflammation and smooth muscle spasm results in constriction of airways in the lungs of the patient. Some of the symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, dyspnoea, feeling of chest tightness, cough, expirational wheeze, etc. Immune and nervous system are also affected by asthma and causes a number of problems in the daily routine. There is no cure for asthma but roper treatment and monitoring can result in managing the condition by suppressing the symptoms and avoiding the triggers.
References
Beverly, A. 2017. What Body Systems Are Affected by Asthma?, [Online]. Available at: https://healthfully.com/body-systems-affected-asthma-5554008.html [Accessed on: 29 April 2018].
Burney, P., Jarvis, D. and Perez-Padilla, R., 2015. The global burden of chronic respiratory disease in adults. The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 19(1), pp.10-20.
Currie, G. P. and Baker, J. F. W. 2012. Asthma. OUP Oxford.
Dunne, M. and Hughes, M., 2015. How does asthma affect the day-to-day life of sufferers?. [Online]. Available at: https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/46/suppl_59/PA336 [Accessed on: 29 April 2018].
Harver, A. and Kotses, H. 2010. Asthma, Health and Society: A Public Health Perspective. Springer Science & Business Media.
Kabra, S. K. 2013. Allergy and Asthma – ECAB. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Kavuru, M. S. 2007. Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Professional Communications.
Leigh, D. and Marley, E., 2016. Bronchial asthma: a genetic, population and psychiatric study. Elsevier.
Naff, C. F. 2009. Asthma. Greenhaven Press.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. 2018. Asthma, [Online]. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs25/chapter/Using-the-quality-standard [Accessed on: 29 April 2018].
National Science Foundation. 2018. New devices, wearable system aim to predict, prevent asthma attacks, [Online]. Available at: https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=138822 [Accessed on: 29 April 2018].
Peate, I., 2008. Caring for the person with asthma. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 2(11), pp.540-545.
Powell, J. 2007. Asthma. Evans Brothers.
Ramaiah, S. 2012. Asthma. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Vieira, W.A. and Pretorius, E., 2010. The impact of asthma on the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Journal of asthma and allergy, 3, p.123.
Vries, J. D. 2011. Asthma and Bronchitis. Random House.
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