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Asthma

LTC Nursing Assistant Trainer, March 9, 2005

Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory lung condition that causes people to have irregularly spaced, reoccurring attacks of breathing difficulty. About 14 percent of adults in the U.S. have asthma.

During an asthma attack, the air containing the oxygen your body needs to survive has difficulty passing through the alveoli-the tiny air sacs in your lungs. The result is a feeling of suffocation from a lack of oxygen.

The following are the three basic causes of asthma:

1. External factors. Particles suspended in the air are the most common cause of asthma in young people. Pollen, dust, smoke, automobile exhaust, and animal dander are particle types most likely to cause an asthma attack.

2. Internal factors. Hypersensitivity to the bacteria that causes infections in the tonsils, adenoids, sinuses, or bronchi can trigger an asthma attack.

3. A combination of internal and external factors. This is often seen in asthma sufferers. Asthma often accompanies allergies and is exacerbated by allergic reactions.

There is no cure for asthma, but the following measures can help your residents control the frequency of asthma attacks.

• Avoidance of substances that cause attacks: Your residents need to be aware of what triggers their attacks and develop a pattern of life that will reduce the frequency of exposure to triggers.

• Medications:Although medications cannot cure asthma, they can reduce the symptoms. Some drugs open the bronchioles of the lungs to allow more oxygen to enter, while others thin mucous secretions to help expectorate them from the lungs.

• Fluids: Consumption of extra fluids replace those lost during attacks of wheezing and coughing. Fluids also help thin secretions, making them easier to expel by coughing.

• Breathing exercises: Many people with asthma develop a shallow breathing pattern because they are afraid that breathing deeply will cause them to wheeze or cough. However, by developing a deep breathing pattern, residents will be able to take in more oxygen and breathe more easily.

Although asthma can have very serious consequences, for most people it is just a inconvenient part of life. With knowledge, prevention, and proper treatment, asthma can usually be kept under reasonable control.

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