Final Asthma Essay
Final Asthma Essay
Final Asthma Essay
Caroline Reynolds
English 1201-509
21 March 2022
Every day, an average of ten people die from asthma in the United States. This
statistic may be depressing, but it can give you an idea of how serious a chronic
disease like asthma can be. Asthma is not known to be a deathly disease when treated
right, but not knowing how it can affect a person might be one of the things that could
potentially make it more harmful than it should be. Many people in the world today
struggle with asthma, but not all people know how or why they have it. Asthma is most
commonly diagnosed in children 5-12 years old, but it can be diagnosed later in life as
well. If not diagnosed early, asthma could lead to other major health problems that could
be life threatening. Many treatments are used to provide relief for a person’s asthma,
but what ways are the best? The best ways to treat asthma are the treatments that have
the most overall benefits, rather than those that are expensive, difficult to administer,
“Asthma” comes from a Greek wording with the meaning of “short of breath”
(Holgate). This first was named by a scholar in the 19th century by the name of Henry
Hyde Salter. He started using this term to help diagnose people that were struggling to
breathe. He started diagnosing them as “asthmatic”. At this time, doctors used any
treatment they could to help these “asthmatic” people. They started using a technique
called allergy immunotherapy in the early 1900’s. This treatment adapted into giving
people shots of adrenaline in the 1940s-50s. Shortly after these new treatments came
some that are similar to the ones doctors and medical professionals use to help treat
people with asthma in today’s world. Treatments doctors use now include a wide variety
of things: different kinds of inhalers (a small breathing device that lets out a drug you
decrease the effect asthma has on someone, etc. Asthma has been around for as long
disease that makes it harder to move air into and out of your lungs'' (American Lung
Association). This simple definition is a quick way to describe the inflammation and
swelling of the airways in the lungs. This swelling can develop because of things like
allergies, cold air, smoke, mold, etc. These things can be in our everyday lives, which is
what makes asthma so serious towards certain groups of people. There are many
different triggers of asthma and medical professionals are finding new triggers
everyday. Depending on what makes a person's asthma flare-up, there are different
treatments that can help. Most people with allergic asthma or another lower impact type
with other more complicated forms of asthma can be treated with an asthma plan and
other medications that are stronger to help their breathing. If not treated correctly,
asthma can lead to some other health problems that would cause a whole other host of
issues. This is just one reason why having an appropriate asthma treatment is
important.
Depending on what type of asthma a person has, they can be treated in many
different ways. These treatments could be to reduce the swelling in the airway, reduce
the effect certain allergies have on a person’s asthma, relieve coughing or wheezing,
etc. There are different kinds of medications for each of these things. Bronchodilators
are used to relax the airway and help with inflammation while breathing (Mayo Clinic).
These are most commonly used to help shortness of breath while doing everyday
activities. Most people with these everyday asthma symptoms are prescribed an inhaler.
Inhalers are small breathing devices that puff out a small amount of medication into
someone's lungs when used. These can be an immediate help when someone is having
an asthma attack or sudden asthma symptoms. Some medications are used to help
more than one thing that causes you to have bad asthma symptoms. These are called
medications a person can take every 12 hours at home. More specialized medications
such as biologics are used to target specific cells that cause inflammation in the lungs.
These medications are used when doctors want to treat the direct area of the source
that is causing the inflammation. These medications are administered at a doctors office
Treatments for asthma can range from a single pill taken in the morning to an
inhaler used every 12 hours, but what are the costs of these medications? In a study
done in Brazil, researchers interviewed people aged 5 and up twice a year according to
how they were being treated for asthma, and the cost of the treatments (Costa,
Caetano, Werneck, Bregman, Araújo, Rufino). This study showed that people who had
asthma and had other health problems such as obesity, paid much more for their
medications than those with just asthma. The people who had these other health
problems paid more for their medication because they had many costs adding up, not
only their asthma medication. The medication for their asthma may have also been
stronger or a higher dosage, causing it to be a higher cost as well. People with a higher
severity of asthma also were more likely to pay more for their medications. “The overall
cost of medications for this type of asthma accounted for 62.2% of the direct costs of
asthma” (Costa, Caetano, Werneck, Bregman, Araújo, Rufino). The researchers' final
conclusions about this study were that things like environmental factors, other major
health issues, and asthma medications had the biggest overall impact of the cost of
treatments. This study showed that some asthma medications are not the overall
problem sometimes when it comes to costs, and that a person’s health issues combined
Some asthma treatments have been proven to be more effective than other
treatments. Many patients who are diagnosed with asthma have to find the best way to
control their asthma before they lose control of it. In an article done by the Karolinska
Institute, a group of authors tell about the lack of “effective, focussed treatments' ' there
are around the world. The authors focus on the unmet needs of treatments when it
comes to treating children. First, the authors state what the “unmet needs'' are in
pediatric asthma. These needs include, “Lack of clinical efficacy and safety evidence of
alternative therapies, lack of available therapies for children with severe asthma, etc.”
(Karolinska Institute). The article tells the most effective treatments for asthma, and how
they can be used in pediatric asthma situations. The authors state that, “The mainstay
controller medication used in pediatric asthma to limit airway inflammation is an ICS, as
it has been shown to significantly improve lung function, and reduce exacerbations' '
(Karolinska Institute). An ICS is rather known as “Inhaled Corticosteroids' ' and is the
most effective asthma medication used today. These ICS medications may be very
effective, but they can come with some very serious side effects. According to the
article, “ ICS use in children may be the most important and effective type of treatment,
however there are some potentially serious and harmful effects associated with using
such medications. These include things like growing problems, increased ability to get
causing adrenal crisis or growth retardation in children '' (Karolinska Institute). This is
just one example of an “unmet need” in the world of pediatric asthma. The medication
used can significantly help a child’s asthma, but with what cost? Another common type
Corticosteroids” are another form of medication which helps exacerbations. While this
type is also very effective, it also comes with some harmful side effects. According to
the article, OCS can cause “impairment with growth, difficulty with bone density, and
behavioral issues'' (Karolinska Institute). With these two treatments having some
negative effects on children, there was research done to help find new ways that did not
involve steroids or anything like them to help children’s asthma. One of these newer
treatments is called “omalizumab”, and works to fight allergic asthma in children. This
new found way to help children with asthma is a better combination treatment to help
children who suffer from severe asthma. This new medication is currently being tested,
but so far it has effectively and safely helped children with asthma. Omalizumab is
somewhat higher in cost compared to other asthma treatments, but it is still in its testing
phase and will very likely drop in cost shortly after being tested and made available for
patients.
One easy way someone with asthma can help control it is by taking steps
towards asthma prevention. Asthma prevention is one form of “treatment” that occurs
when a person takes the necessary precautions so they have less asthma flare ups.
These precautions could be anything from staying away from things that cause asthma
to worsen to taking medication regularly. These very small actions can make asthma
much easier to control. The first thing someone with asthma should do to help decrease
their flare-ups is following an asthma management plan (see image below). This plan
will assure staying on track to better manage asthma, and when it is time to go to the
doctor because of it. Asthma can develop and get worse throughout a person’s life, so
noticing it is getting worse can help a person because that means they need to see a
doctor or physician. These professionals can help you get asthma back on track with a
better plan to manage asthma. Many other small things someone could do to prevent
asthma attacks are not smoking, knowing all major triggers, and using an inhaler or
taking medication when needed. It’s really the little things that can help a lot in treating
someone’s asthma.
Asthma Action Plan (AAFA)
Some asthma medications are hard to administer or keep up with, while some
other medications are easy to receive and do not require a doctor visit every month.
These medications can vary depending on what causes asthma, how bad asthma is,
and so on, but there are some general medications that are better for everyone with
asthma. Asthma medications that are meant to give fast relief are usually the
medications that people use the most. These medications are known as
“Bronchodilators help the muscles around the airways relax (breathing tubes)”
(American Lung Association). These medications come in the form of inhalers which are
small breathing devices that puff out medication into a person’s lungs. Some
bronchodilators are used for fast relief when someone is struggling to breathe in a
sudden moment, but some are used to help over a period of time. Anti-Inflammatories
are used to help the build-up of any mucus or swelling that can occur in the airways.
“Most often, anti-inflammatories are used as inhaled medications and after using such
medications you must make sure to rinse out your mouth with water ensuring there is no
risk of getting a yeast infection in the throat” (American Lung Association). Combination
Medications are those that are used with two forms of asthma medications to improve
the outcome of the treatments. Anticholinergics are used to prevent muscles from
closing in around the airways in the lungs. This form of treatment is most commonly
how bad it can be. Severe asthma can be diagnosed when asthma has almost complete
control over a person’s life and everyday living. When someone’s asthma is causing
them to lose sleep, stay in instead of going out, and so on, this causes a person to be
unhappy and uncomfortable in their daily life. Treating this severe form of asthma can
be done in many ways. One way to treat severe asthma is with Macrolide Antibiotics,
which are used to help a person’s body fight off serious infections. This medication
takes control of the white cell count in the airways, regulating it and making sure it is
right. These medications are not to be taken long term, as they can cause some overall
side effects like antibiotic resistance, which can cause harm for people in the future.
Another type of medication that can be used to treat severe asthma is Oral Costeriods.
This type of medication is used specifically for reducing inflammation in and around the
airways. This medication is a good one for adults and children, but should not be taken
long-term for children, as it can cause harmful effects on the body over time. Although it
may not be practical, there is an outpatient surgery that can be done to help a person’s
asthma. This is called “Bronchial Thermoplasty”, and is used to smooth muscle tissues
with radio frequency waves. This is a last resort for people who have tried every form of
treatment. “BT is a last resort option but is generally allowed to patients whose severe
medications and they rely on oral-corticosteroids more than twice yearly to manage
asthma attacks and other asthma problems” (American Lung Association). These
severe asthma medications may not be a practical choice for everyone, but when no
other treatments work for someone with asthma it is necessary to find a treatment that
provides relief.
Some people argue that the best treatments for asthma are those that provide
relief without taking pills and using other medical treatments. Alternative treatments of
asthma include yoga, herbs and vitamins, acupuncture, and biofeedback. All of these
alternative treatments can be helpful when treating asthma in many ways. One of the
herbal treatments that has been known to help asthma is a Chinese herb called Ma
Huang (ephedra). This herb has been used to act as a bronchodilator for people who
prefer an all-natural remedy, rather than a type of pill or other medication. This herb was
later banned by the FDA because it was causing health problems in people using it.
Yoga is one form of treatment that could be hit or miss. Yoga can allow people to
practice slower breathing, but it has not been proven to help asthma in the long run.
Acupuncture is another way that asthma can be treated, but it is not certain it will be a
big help. “There are some studies that show acupuncture helps treat asthma, but this
has not been proven yet” (Cleveland Clinic). Biofeedback too has yet to be proven to
help the overall aspect of asthma. These treatments can be used to help some parts of
a person’s breathing, but there overall impact is nothing like those of real medications
that are prescribed. Compared to these alternative treatments, things like inhalers, anti-
inflammatories, and combination medications significantly help more. They have been
proven to act quickly in asthma relief, and help asthma over time. Prescribed
medications focus on the exact issue that is causing someone’s asthma, while things
like herbs and yoga are just efforts to provide relief, not for-certain solutions. Natural
supplements have been used to help reduce asthma symptoms, but the overall use of
them has not been proven to treat asthma like bronchodilators, and other types of
medical-approved treatments.
About 260 million people in the world are known to have asthma. This chronic
disease makes it difficult for people to breathe comfortably. This disease can make
living difficult for many people; but when provided with the correct treatment, symptoms
can be helped. Treatments for asthma could be anything from an oral costeriod, to a
procedure done by a doctor to help the muscles around the airways. Asthma treatments
can be different depending on the person, but the best treatments are those that have
the most overall benefits. These treatments are those that cost the least, are the most
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