Asthma Attacks

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Asthma is a disease that affects the breathing passages of the lungs (bronchioles). People who have asthma always have difficulty breathing. In the United States alone, over twenty-five million Americans are diagnosed with asthma. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), asthma is known to be the third most common disease as well as a leading cause to hospitalization in America. In 2008, one in two people were reported to have asthma attacks which is roughly about twelve million asthma attacks a year. In 2007, the United States spent more than fifty-six million dollars on medical costs, lost school and work days, and early deaths from asthma. Asthma is not visible to the human eye, so it is difficult in an emergency situation for the lay responder to tell whether the victim is having trouble breathing or having an asthma attack. Unlike people who are diabetic and have to wear medical ID bracelets, people with asthma are not required to wear them, but it should be recommended to help the lay responder, the doctors and the paramedics identify the situation they are dealing with at hand. For hours, days or even months a person may be normal but then an attack may suddenly happen out of nowhere. When people hear the word asthma, the first thing that comes to mind is a nerd wheezing and taking an inhaler almost every five minutes, but that is not the case for everyone who is diagnosed with this disease. A person with asthma will often wheeze, become breathless, experience tightness in the chest, and cough at night or early in the morning. Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition and a disease marked by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs, caused by chronic inflammation within the breathing passages. This may... ... middle of paper ... ...p://www.cdc.gov/asthma/faqs.htm Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014, Feb. 25) “FastStats and Asthma.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 9 May 2014. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm Karriem-Norwood, V. (2014, Jan.5) "Asthma Treatment: First Aid Information for Asthma. “WebMD. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/first-aid/asthma-treatment Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (1998-2014) "Asthma." Symptoms. Web. 26 May 2014. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/basics/symptoms/con-20026992 Miles, Matthew C. (Apr. 2013) "Asthma.” And Related Disorders: Merck Manual Professional. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.Web. 9 May 2014. Retrieved from http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/pulmonary_disorders/asthma_and_related_disorders/asthma.html?qt=&sc=&alt=

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