Asthma and Certain Chemical Mediators Essay

Submitted By Roshelita-Denee'
Words: 934
Pages: 4
Open Document
gbb hmm nv bi kcbjgfhj ff Asthma is a disease of the airways. Asthma is a disease of the airways. It is characterized by increased sensitivity of the airways to a number of stimuli- producing spasm of airways; it is also caused by constriction. This ailment causes a pronounced narrowing of the airways, which may be relieved either spontaneously or after treatment.
Asthma can occur at all ages. However, in 50% of the cases it occurs before the age of ten. Asthma may be triggered by exposure to specific allergens and/or external stimuli, in which case it is classified as allergic asthma. Cases of asthma where there is no specific allergen or stimuli implicated, are called idiosyncratic asthma. Asthmatics may have a strong personal or family history of allergies. Asthma is thought to affect close to 3% of the population in most countries. Asthma is an episodic disease that alternates with long periods of normalcy.
Extrinsic or allergic asthma is triggered by a variety of allergen such as dust, smoke, pet dander, chemicals, and certain foodstuff. Underlying respiratory infections, emotional stress, and fatigue can also act as triggers. Viral infections of the respiratory tract may provoke severe asthma. A number of drugs such as aspirin and beta-blockers also act as causes. Quite often more than one factor may be responsible for triggering an episode. The exact mechanism by which the increased reactivity of die airway begins is not clear but the progress of die ailment in its subsequent stages has been well studied. The inflammatory reaction that occurs is mediated by certain cells such as the eosinophils, mast cells, and lymphocytes, as well as by’ certain chemical mediators such as Prostaglandin and Leukotrienes. The inflammation that occurs leads to an exudation of inflammatory material and leads to narrowing and blockage of the airway, producing the typical symptoms of the disease. Air also gets trapped within the airways producing a hyper-inflated chest The severity of the obstruction is not uniform and different parts of the airway may be affected in varying degrees.
The three typical symptoms of asthma are: breathlessness (dyspnoea), cough, and wheezing. Usually all three symptoms may be evident during an acute attack. The accessory muscles of respiration may be active. The presence of a pulsus paradoxus (a type of pulse) and the presence of significant activity of the accessory muscles of respiration, indicate that the episode is severe. The patients may complain of a feeling of tightness the chest – often at the start of an episode. During an episode the patient may lean forward and breathe long and hard. In severe cases the wheeze may appear to reduce and the patient may become cyanosed with severe fatigue and narrow, shallow respirations. A silent chest in a severe episode of asthma is often an ominous sign. Severe cases may lead to status asthmaticus (a form of treated but uncontrolled severe asthma) and eventually respiratory failure.
A typical feature of an asthma attack is its reversibility. Administering a bronchodilator and estimating the improvement in the patient’s expiratory volume during the first second of expiration (FEV1), is a simple and effective method of diagnosis. During an acute attack, an examination of the arterial blood gases would indicate the severity of the episode. A chest X-Ray may be necessary to indicate a hyperventilated chest. It also helps differentiate from other causes of breathlessness such as cardiac failure. The sputum could be thick and viscous and may indicate eosinophils and what are called Char cot-Ley den crystals. The effectiveness of therapy is monitored by assessing the PEFR (Peak Expiratory Flow Rate). Estimation of blood and sputum eosinophil counts (elevated), and raised levels of serum
Show More

Related Documents: Asthma and Certain Chemical Mediators Essay

Essay On Asthma

triggering asthma. The disease is categorized as an inflammatory chronic lung disease of the airways that creates an obstruction of air and symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and cough. It is a problematic condition due to the narrowing of the airways that can make it hard to take in air and breathe (Noutsios, & Floros, 2014). Asthma can be diagnosed at any age, but occurrence in children has become more frequent. The number of preschool children diagnosed with asthma doubled…

Words 1368 - Pages 6

The Left Areas Are Left Are We Need To Level Out

THE HIGHLIGHTED PARTS ARE THINGS WE STILL NEED TO FILL OUT General Test Tips · Read carefully and completely · Take note of “not” phrases or all inclusive/exclusive phrases Week 1 – Introduction and One Health What are our 3 frameworks for this class? What do they mean? Could you explain them to colleagues? 1. Life Course Perspective- Is the concept of evaluating everything that a human being has been exposed to in the past when determining a proper route of intervention…

Words 2971 - Pages 12

Essay on Tutorial workbook

Session 8: Flavonoids Quercetin is a flavonoid. Its known for its powerful antioxidant properties due to its ability to protect against oxidative stress. This is generally done by inhibiting oxidation and scavenging free radicals. Its antioxidant action provides neuroprotective, cardioprotective, and chemopreventive affects on the body (Williams, Spencer and Rice-Evans, 2004), providing protection against disorders such as Alzheimer’s (Heo & Lee, 2004), stroke (Keli et al. 1996) and cancer (Knekt…

Words 9046 - Pages 37

Pathogram: Chronic Respiratory Failure Essay

Chronic Respiratory Failure Shelby Lynch Date of Care: 03/19/2013 Chamberlain College of Nursing NR 340: Critical Care |Assessment |Medical/Nursing Diagnoses |Treatment | |Brief review of the patient |Medical Diagnoses: |Therapeutic Modalities…

Words 7636 - Pages 31

Essay on Case Study

PART ONE Medical-Surgical Cases 1 1 Cardiovascular Cardiovascular Disorders Case Study 1 Heart Failure Difficulty: Beginning Setting: Emergency department, hospital Index Words: heart failure (HF), cardiomyopathy, volume overload, quality of life X Scenario M.G., a “frequent flier,” is admitted to the emergency department (ED) with a diagnosis of heart failure (HF). She was discharged from the hospital 10 days ago and comes in today stating, “I just had to come to the hospital today because I…

Words 33991 - Pages 136