Asthma:
1. What is Asthma?
Asthma is known as a COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Asthma is a
chronic, inflammatory disorder which leads to the spontaneous narrowing of the
airways. Attacks are bought on by spasms of the smooth muscle in the bronchial
walls (in th lungs), this constriction leads to partial or full closing of the airways.
SEE SCANNED PIC OF LUNGS P718?
People who suffer from asthma are hyperactive to a variety of external stimuli that
would usually not lead to bronchioconstriction.
Asthma is not serious when kept under control…. It can however seriously damage
the airways.
Triggers:
These can sometimes be related to some kind of allergic reaction. For exampole to
pollen or dustmites. Other common triggers also include emotional upset, aspirin,
exercise and breathing cold air –although skiing often helps improve asthma!
Symptoms:
Periods of coughing, tightness of chest, and wheezing.
In the early stages of an asthma attack there is often an excess secreation of mucus
from the glands in the airways, which can potentially clog the bronchi and
bronchioles, thereby worsening the attack. In the later stages of an attack
inflammtion (OF WHAT?) continues , and also death to bronchial epithial cells.
During an attack the person has to work a lot harder than normal in order to breath
effectively.
The classic tight chest symptom is thus explained by this bronchi constriction
preventing complete inhalation into the lungs.
The wheezing sounds are caused by turbulent airflow in the narrowed airways.
2. Types of Asthma
3.
Causes
4. Treatment -Different medication:
Treatment for asthma acts to relax B2 receptors in the bronchial smooth muscle
Asthma along with many other COPD’s is often treated via a method known as
nebulization. This is a procedure where by the drug is administered in the form of
tiny droplets that are suspended in air into the respiratory tract. This type of treatment
can be used with a variety of different medications, such as chemicals which relax the
smooth muscle of the airways, chemicals which redus the thickness of mucus, and
antibiotics (anti-inflamitory).
The treatment of acute asthma attacks is by drugs such as epipherine which is a betaadrenergic agonist and simply acts by helping to open up the airways, and leads to fast
effective releaf. This can be taken through an inhaler when the sufferer feels short of
breath /likely that an attack may occur.
Long term therapy for asthma however, tries to suppress the underlying inflammation.
In this case anti-inflammitory drugs such as glucocorticoids are more effective.
The most common form of asthma treatment is by use of an inhaler. Inhalers contain
different types of medication depending on the type of asthma it is designed to treat.
Most of which are B2 receptors and act by relaxing the smooth muscle within the
throat leading to bronchi dilation and thus greater ease of breathing.
Drugs include Terbutaline
Salmeterol
Salbutamol
Ritodine
There is also a relatively new drug which is becoming increasingly more popular –
especially in the United States called Advir …
5. Herbal Remedies
6. Ouiz