Asthma, Case Study Example

Asthma is a long term chronic lung disease that narrows and inflames the airways. It has been reported by NHLBI that asthma causes recurring chest tightness, wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath (para 1). It has also been reported that coughing occurs early in the morning or at night.

Causes of Asthma

NHLBI think that a combination of certain environmental exposures and family genes are the causes of Asthma (para 16). The causative factors include; parents who already have Asthma, inherited tendency of developing allergies often called atopy, childhood respiratory infections, exposure to viral infections when a person was an infant or a child or contact with airborne allergens. Airborne allergens include; cockroaches, dog or cat dander, smoke, house dust mites, chemical irritants, industrial dusts or even pollen.

Signs and Symptoms of Asthma

NHLBI have reported that the common signs and symptoms include; coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and others (Para 21). Not all Asthma people have these symptoms while not all people who have these symptoms have Asthma. A function test and physical exam are ways to diagnose the disease.

Treatment of Asthma

Asthma is one of the many long-term diseases that can never be cured. However it can be treated for the time it has adverse effects with medicines such as; inhaled corticosteroids, cromolyn, theophylline, and nedocromil.

Work Cited

NHLBI (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute). What is Asthma? 6^th Jun 2009. 18^th Dec 2009.  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/…/Asthma/Asthma_WhatIs.html