Asthma

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Asthma is a serious ongoing disease that affects the airways of both adults and children.5 It is a type of inflammatory disease in your lungs with multiple triggers which may include the flu, indoor allergies, pets, dust mites, exercise, and tobacco smoke. Asthma has been recognized since ancient Egyptian times. Researchers found prescriptions written in hieroglyphics. Aretaus of Cappadonia an ancient Greek master clinician wrote the initial clinical description of asthma. Aaezein is the Greek word from which the current medical term Asthma come. The original Greek term mean ' sharp breath'. There are many people who have this chronic disease. Approximately 7.1 million children are diagnosed, and 18.9 million adults; 8.2 percent of the population of the United States.
A diagnosis is the first step in coming terms with effective asthma treatments. One way to test for asthma is a physical exam, which is where health professionals ask questions about signs and symptoms, and other possible health issues. Lung function tests can determine the amount of air that moves in and out as you breathe. (Mayo Clinic) Spirometry is another process that estimates the narrowing of bronchial tubes by checking how much air an individual can exhale after a deep breath and how fast the patient breathes out. Peak flow meters are a common test procedure for asthma.1 The peak flow meter is a device that measures how hard you breathe out or exhale. Lower readings on the meter shows a diminished lung capacity resulting in less effective breathing. It is generally a strong signal that an individual's asthma may be getting worse.2 These measurements are taken again after the use of bronchodilators such as Albuterol to open your airways. If the inhaler impr...

... middle of paper ...

... allergies that trigger asthma attacks. Health care professionals should be alerted to changes in a patients physical health. Any new condition can have an effect on asthma treatment. A plan in place today may be obsolete should health conditions change.

Works Cited

"Symptoms of Asthma: Shortness of Breath, Chest Tightness, and More." WebMD. WebMD, . Web. 22 Apr. 2013.

2"Asthma Causes and Triggers: Allergies, Foods, Heartburn, Exercise, and More." WebMD. WebMD, Web. 22 Apr. 2013.

3Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Definition." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 26 May 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.

4"Asthma Medications: Inhalers, Nebulizers, Bronchodilators, and More." WebMD. WebMD, . Web. 22 Apr. 2013.

5Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Definition." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 26 May 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.

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