Gasping for Air Essay

Submitted By blaze1155
Words: 788
Pages: 4
Open Document
Professor Flores
English 1301 M44
3 Nov. 2012

Gasping for Air Ever felt out of breath? Like maybe after a long argument, or a hard workout? Well now picture that, but ten times worse. Basically just envision yourself trying to breathe under six feet of water. Doesn’t sound very enjoyable or amusing, does it? That’s because it isn’t and that’s exactly what having an asthma attack feels like. One of the vilest feelings anyone could ever feel. And how would I know? I know because I have asthma. Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects the airways that carry air to and from your lungs (“What Is Asthma?” par. 1). Researchers think some genetic and environmental factors interact to cause asthma, but the exact cause of it isn’t known yet. The inside walls of an asthmatic's airways are swollen or inflamed (“Asthma” sec. 1). This swelling or inflammation makes the airways extremely sensitive to irritations and increases your susceptibility to an allergic reaction. Usually allergies and asthma go hand-in-hand. The same substances that trigger your hay fever symptoms may also cause asthma signs and symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing and chest tightness. “This is called allergic asthma or allergy-induced asthma” (“Allergies and asthma: They often occur together” par. 2). Substances such as pollen, dust mites and pet dander are common triggers. So people like me with both, have double the trouble.
To aid you to receive a better insight on the disease I went ahead and interviewed my uncle Dr. Mateo Reyes, MD. Dr. Mateo Reyes has been a doctor for over a decade now and has two offices located here in Laredo, TX. One office located on loop 20 in the south and the other in the north at the Medical Center on McPherson rd. He graduated from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX and specializes in family practice and is board certified. He has worked in numerous hospitals and has a lot of experience with children and asthma. When we spoke on the phone I explained to him that I was writing a paper on the disease, asthma, and asked if he had any recommendations for people with the disease. He then replied and said “people with this disease have to really be cautious and know what their triggers are.” Because anything in the air can affect it such as: “dust or pollen, strong odors, outdoor air pollution, tobacco smoke, or any different type of smoke can trigger an asthma attack instantly, depending on the severity.” Dr. Reyes has dealt with many different cases of asthma and says he too knows it is a very terrifying feeling not being able to breath, but the proper treatment and medication will sustain the disease.
Asthma has had a grasp on my life for a while now. I was diagnosed with this disease close to the age of six, so I’ve had it for about twelve years now. And trust me, it really isn’t a pleasurable thing to have. When I first was diagnosed with asthma, it was pretty severe. About every
Show More

Related Documents: Gasping for Air Essay

What Does The Air Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

Imagine you are under water gasping for air as water is entering your lungs. The open air is just above your fingertips as you flail and writhe for the necessity of oxygen, the only goal in your mind is to breathe the air that fuels your life. You feel the air graze your bluing fingers until a sense of bliss courses through your body. You go limp; unable to flail anymore, and death eventually consumes you. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby portrays this analogy in his writings of Nick Carraway…

Words 270 - Pages 2

Essay on the monitor that rang in my ears

shoulder. My eyes blinked slowly as tear drops escaped each time. The room 126 was where hearts gleamed as eyes appeared in disgust. As I relaxed on the couch next to the window I wondered of how life would be without me. I inhaled a long deep gasp of air and let it out easy as I turned my head to glance at my Aunt; sleeping in the small barred bed attached to tubes and liquids. My heart sunk to my stomach when I scanned her wrinkly, skinny, body that lied peacefully in the covers. I sat there in a puddle…

Words 1028 - Pages 5

Pros And Cons Of Midazolam

Botched executions seem to be plaguing the United States. Most recently, in Arizona, Joseph Wood was set to die at the hands of the state in 2014. Wood’s execution lasted two hours where he was seen gasping for air while receiving 15 rounds of injections (Herskovitz). The drug that has caused controversy is a sedative called midazolam. This drug is supposed to induce unconsciousness in inmates before they are injected with a heart-stopping narcotic, hydromorphone. However, attorneys for seven Arizona…

Words 289 - Pages 2

Dbq On English Factories

This shows that they were in a very dangerous situation and got hurt many times. Another reason they were bad is they were not very clean and it was hard to breath. In document A is states “...we could not remain ten minutes in the factory without gasping for breath.” That show that it was hard to breath and the workers health was not very good due…

Words 299 - Pages 2

Emily: Oxygen and Ice-cold Water Runs Essay

coach pulls her out of the game. She desperately searches for her water bottle, and grabs it as soon as it comes into her sight. The ice-cold water runs from the sides of her mouth while she briskly consumes as much of the fluid as possible, gasping for air in between each gulp. She feels the lactic acid burning through her legs in result of her strenuous exercise. Sweat profusely drips down the sides of her forehead; she senses a salty taste as some accidentally trickles into her mouth. She inches…

Words 301 - Pages 2

Color and Bright White Light Essay

head started to hurt with troubling pain as if my mind was remembering the past memories in my head. I still remember the sound of burning tires when they slam hard on the breaks and screaming woke me up from a nightmare. I was on the ground gasping for air and broken glass in my skin. My sister shouted with fear “Are you okay? Wake up Wake up!” My eyes felt heavy and hard for me to open. The sky went from being blue to pitch black. A bright white light turned on, a soft voice kept repeating in…

Words 313 - Pages 2

English 300 Case Against Air Conditioner 1 Essays

Addiction The wind was silent and motionless. Trees were unmoving and stationary. Even the birds and the beasts were all gasping for breath. The blistering heat was continuing. The sun was getting hotter and hotter making the summer day intolerable in Sacramento. Instead of beads of sweat rolling down the backs of Sacramentans, they were comfortably chilled with their central air conditioning. The ability to cool our homes with a touch of a button sounds pretty magical. But all that magic chilling…

Words 775 - Pages 4

Article Review Essay

spasms in the airway periodically and the airway then becomes smaller and narrow. The person then proceed to wheezing and gasping for air. Air flow obstruction can either respond to a variety of treatments or spontaneously resolve, but when the inflammation continues, the airway can become hyper responsive to different stimuli, for example, exercise, air pollutants, cold air, dust mites, and even anxiety and stress (The Free Dictionary). In the articles, “Asthma treated with integrative medicine”…

Words 635 - Pages 3

Canada's Involvement In Canada During World War I

Ypre over night from the German army the entente started to see Canada as a separate country " Here, through terrible fighting, withered with shrapnel and machine-gun fire, hampered by their issued Ross rifles which jammed, violently sick and gasping for air through…

Words 420 - Pages 2

How Would You Describe The Relationship Between She And Mr. Maloney

heard a rather high pitched laugh, then it turned to a scream of bloody murder. They quickly came out of the kitchen and they saw what may have looked liked the end of Mrs. Molany. Mrs.Maloney was in the room sprawled out on the floor. She was gasping for air and yelling. It was a accident! Sweet heart I truly love you! Please don't be mad. You wanted to split up with me! I really was mad! Please, stop! She felt a very cold hand, that was so cold that it was burning her neck. She was yanking at her…

Words 371 - Pages 2