Causes of Asthma - Essay Example

A Discussion on Asthma Asthma is a very serious public heath issue worldwide. It is a chronic disorder of the air passages, affecting people of all age groups. People affected with asthma find it difficult to breath. It can even be fatal. More than 100 million people, throughout the world are affected by this disorder and its occurrence among children is increasing (Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention, xiii). Asthma Asthma, also known as Bronchial Asthma is a disease of the air channels connected to the lungs. It is chronic but not contagious. Asthma patients have inflammation of the air passages, which causes serious trouble in breathing. During asthma attacks the air passages swell up and the associated muscles of the tracts also stiffen. The passages can also get blocked by mucus. All these constrict the internal space of the airways, causing very difficult for air to enter the lungs and also to move out of it. An asthma attack may continue for a certain amount of time or even for several days. Its nature is also intermittent i.e. it comes and goes. (Peacock, 4-6). Types of Asthma The disease can be classified either by its severity or by the frequency of attacks. For some asthma patients it can be mild but for others it is really severe. It has been classified into four levels basically i.e. severe persistent asthma, moderate persistent asthma, mild persistent asthma and mild intermittent asthma. It has also been categorized by the agent that triggers it. (Peacock,.12). Causes of Asthma Asthma attacks are triggered by various things which can range from air pollutants, various allergens to emotional stress, weather extremes, exercise and even other respiratory infections. (Peacock, 1999, p.4) The air channels of the people with asthma are very sensitive to things to which other people are not so. Air borne irritants of various kinds are very common triggers for this disorder. Among allergens, pollen, mold, feathers are very common triggers along with animal saliva and dander. People can be allergic to hundreds of things. Many people are allergic to foods like nuts, fish, eggs, milk. These can trigger allergic reactions in such people which in turn can instigate asthma. (Peacock, 7-8). However, it does not mean that a person with asthma will always be allergic to one or the other things or vice versa. According to data, 80% children and 50% adults suffering from asthma have been found to have allergies. Also environmental pollutants like soot, smog, sulphur dioxide, automobile exhausts are serious instigators of asthma. Among indoor pollutants, smoke from fire places, cigarettes, stoves are bad triggers for asthma. For children, infections of the respiratory tract like common cold, flu, sore throat are very common triggers. Also, various weather conditions can trigger asthma. For example, a windy day scatters more irritants in the atmosphere which is bad for asthmatic patients. Next, any such emotion like, anger, yelling, fear, and even laughter which causes to increase the rate of breathing can also instigate it. Vigorous exercise is another trigger (Peacock, 8-10). Diagnosing Asthma It may take quite a number of attacks of the respiratory tract, before asthma can be identified. Its symptoms of coughing and wheezing are similar to that of other medical conditions like chronic bronchitis, walking pneumonia etc. However, these intermittent respiratory attacks if continue further, serves as a diagnosis point of asthma. These attacks or flare-ups as called by doctors often start at night. Sleep is interrupted alarmingly by severe cough and breathlessness. This is when specialists are asked to intervene for further diagnosis and the required treatment (Murphy, 28-30). Controlling Asthma Since several years, doctors told patients to take medications only when he or she was wheezing, coughing or gasping for breath. Patients were advised to take the medicine only in the midst of a flare-up. However, by that time the patient’s air passages have already inflamed, swollen and blocked with mucus. Patients gain relief but very slowly. But, today, for patients with severe symptoms, medication has changed drastically. Aim is to completely prevent the disorder or to substantially reduce the severity of the attacks much before they take a dangerous shape. Doctors, today, combine two kinds of medication to fight asthma. The two groups are called relievers and controllers. Relievers are for short term relief and controllers are used for long term benefits. It’s more of a very individualistic treatment. The doctor frames the combination of medications in a much customized way for each patient knowing his or her each and every aspect of asthmatic attacks (Murphy, 42-44). Asthma is a health problem world wide. Data says that it is increasing in children and a very likely reason can be increased environmental pollution. Asthma has a serious effect on the quality of life. Sufficient relevant data regarding the various aspects of asthma from all over the world are needed for making better guidelines and plans for asthma management worldwide (Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention, 1996, p.10). Medical Science has come far in the treatment of asthma. However, it still has a long way to go for finding all the answers. Meanwhile the National Institute of Health has recognized the benefits of various alternative medicines, in this case. Acupuncture, Homoeopathy, etc are some of those alternative ways to treat this disorder. However, both of these are age-old sciences which work on certain principles. (Murphy, 100-102) Concluding remarks One of my papers in my public health course is “Environmental Health”. It is a subject which deals with environment (natural and built) instigated public health issues. As already discussed, asthma attacks are triggered by a number of factors. One very common factor is air borne irritants. These air borne irritants can range from smoke, exhausts to tiny flakes of skin. Thus the quality of the atmospheric environment is a serious matter of concern for patients suffering from asthma. It is one of those serious public health issues which are very much dependent on the environment. References Murphy, Wendy. Asthma. USA: Twenty-First Century Books, 2011, Print. Peacock, Judith. Asthma. Minnesota : Capstone Press , 1999, Print. Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention, Darby: DIANE Publishing Company, 1999, Print. Read More