Patient Teaching for Asthma.
Asthma is a lung disease, which is an
irritation and swelling in your airways where the air is carried in and out of your
lungs. This disease causes breathing to be very difficult because your airway is
narrowed. Patient teaching for asthma is so very important to enable all asthma
patients to better understand the specificities of their disease. Asthma is a
leading cause of many people staying away from work, as well as students away
from classes.
Here are some
common symptoms of asthma
Wheezing. This is a high-pitched, coarse whistling sound you make
when you breath.
Chest Pain. This is a chest pain caused when your heart muscle doesn’t
get enough oxygen-rich blood.
Dyspnea
(Shortness of Breath). This is an uncomfortable situation which makes it
very hard to adequately get air into your lungs.
Cough. It is a reflex action to clear your airway of mucus and
irritants like smoke and dust. This is usually at night or early in the
morning.
Inability to perform your daily
activities. The above symptoms may lead to a
victim not being able to perform their routine activities. At this stage, it is
really life-threatening and needs urgent medical attention.
Here are some risk factors for asthma.
Gender. Females outnumber males in asthma attacks.
Age.
Asthma is common in children than with adults, and girls are less likely to
have it compared to buys. In adults, women are more vulnerable than men.
Race
of Origin. My research reveals that more African has asthma
in America relatively than Americans. People from the Caucasians race have 4
times fewer chances of asthma compared to people from the Hispanics race.
Heredity.
If one of your biological parents has asthma, then your probability of asthma
is high.
Frequent
exposure to smoke. During pregnancy, if you are too expose
to smoke then you newborn baby may suffer asthma.
Allergies.
If you are allergic to dust mites and mould spores then you can easily develop
asthma.
Pollution.
The more you are exposed to toxic chemicals and air pollutants, the more
chances to develop asthma.
Obesity.
Obese people are more prone to asthma than a normal-weight person.
Infections.
A respiratory tract infection goes a long way to expose you to asthma.
How to Manage Asthma.
Asthma is a manageable medical condition but can
become a serious situation if untreated asthma leads to chronic airway
obstruction that cannot be completely cured. If you are diagnosed with asthma, it
is vital that you manage it to avoid frequent hospital visits. Here are some of
the approaches to manage it:
Medications.
It’s very important to consume your asthma medications as prescribed by your
doctor.
Monitor your asthma. It is important as an asthma
patient to have your peak flow meter to monitor your symptoms changes.
Quick
relief inhaler. You should always be in possession of
your quick-relief inhaler
How
to control your triggers.
Those things that make your asthma symptoms to
worsen or cause asthma attack is called triggers. With the help of a doctor, you
will have to study those things causing your asthma an try to control them.
Smoke.
If smoke is your causal factor and you are a smoker,
do well to stop the habit. Your doctor can also help you to ensure that you
stop smoking and even family members who smoke should be persuaded to stop. In
fact ban smoking in your home, car or around you.
Dust mites or dust.
If dust mite is one of your causal agents, use dust-proof covers
on your bed. Ensure that your bedsheets and blankets are washed at least once
a week with hot water. Avoid
cloth-covered furniture, someone else should
vacuum and dust your house or use a dust mask to do it yourself.
Pets
with fur or feathers.
If pets with fur cause
your asthma, ensure that pets are out of your bedroom and bed completely. You
should also avoid carpets or cloth-covered furniture at home.
Exercise.
Understand the type of exercise that you can do, without an
asthma attack or what you can do to avoid an attack after exercising.
Window
Always endeavour to keep your windows closed especially during
pollen seasons and when mould counts are very high.
Cold
and Wind.
On windy and cold days or seasons, always remember to cover your
nose a scarf.
Flu.
Avoid people who are sick
of flu. Also, endeavour to use hand sanitizers often or wash hand often.
Conclusion.
Asthma is a manageable disease but when your symptoms are
getting out of hands, it’s very important to contact your doctor without
delays. With a close follow up of the details in this article, your asthma will
not be a problem for you in the months ahead.
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