What Is Asthma?

 Asthma is a chronic lung disease occur due to inflammation in the airways and makes it
narrower which obstructs the flow of air into and out of the lungs.

 It also makes the airways more sensitive to certain substances that might be inhaled called
allergens.

 Reversible either spontaneously or with treatment

 Asthma may also be classified as atopic (extrinsic) or non-atopic (intrinsic), based on whether
symptoms are precipitated by allergens (atopic) or not (non-atopic). [9]

Types

Allergic asthma (extrinsinc)

- Occurs in response to allergies. ( dust, grass, pollens of flowers, animal dander etc.)

Idiopathic asthma (intrinsinc)

- Factors such as emotional upset. ( stress)

Etiology:

- unknown
- hereditary/ familial
- female gender
- crowded living conditions
- poverty
- prematurity
- smoking
- allergens

signs and symptoms:

- cough, nasal flaring, tachypnea

- dyspnea, shortness of breath
- wheezing
- chest tightness
- tachycardia
anatomy and physiology:

Respiratory system
The function of the respiratory system is to give us a surface area for exchanging gases between the air
and our circulating blood. It moves that air to and from the surfaces of the lungs while it protects the lungs from
dehydration, temperature changes and unwelcome pathogens. It also plays a part in making sounds such as talking,
singing, other nonverbal sounds and works with the central nervous system for the ability to smell.

Upper Respiratory
The upper respiratory system consists of the nostrils (external nares) ,nasal cavity, nasal vestibule, nasal
septum, both hard and soft palate, nasopharynx, pharynx, larynx and trachea. Within the nostrils, course hairs
protect us from dust, insects and sand. The hard palate serves to separate the oral and nasal cavities. There is a
protective mucous membrane that lines the naval cavities and other parts of the respiratory tract. It is secreted over
the exposed surfaces and then the cilia sweeps that mucus and any microorganisms or debris to the pharynx, so it is
swallowed and then destroyed in stomach acid.

Lower Respiratory
The trachea branches off into what is known as the bronchi (more commonly called bronchial tubes). These
two main bronchi have branches forming the bronchial tree. Where it enters the lung, there is then secondary bronchi.
In each lung, the secondary bronchi divides into tertiary bronchi and in turn these divide repeatedly into smaller
bronchioles. The bronchioles control the ratio of resistance to airflow and distribution of air in our lungs. The
bronchioles open into the alveolar ducts. Alveolar sacs are at the end of the ducts. These sacs are chambers that are
connected to several individual alveoli, which makes up the exchange surface of the lungs.
The Lungs
The human respiratory system has two lungs, which contain lobes separated by deep fissures. Surprisingly,
the right lung has three lobes while the left one has only two lobes. The lungs are made up of elastic fibers that gives
it the ability to handle large changes in air volume. The pleural cavity is where the lungs are located. The diaphragm
is the muscle that makes up the floor of the thoracic cavity and plays a major role in the pressure and volume of air
moving in and out of the lungs.
Pathophysiology:

Predisposing factor: Contributing factors:

- Gender (female) - Exposure to indoor and

- Age ( children) outdoor allergens
- Familial/heridetary - Air pollution
- smoking

Inflammation of airway

Hypersecretion of thick mucus in Mucosal edema

bronchial tree

Muscles around the airways will

tighten and it makes the airways to
become narrow

s/sx:

These changes in the airways block -wheezing

the flow of air, making it hard to
-cough
breathe.
-dyspnea
Diagnostic exam:

- chest x-ray
- pulmonary function test (spirometry)
- allergens test.

Medications:

There are two major groups of medication used in controlling asthma:

 Anti inflammatories(corticosteroids)

 Anti inflammatories reduce the no of inflammatory cells in the air ways and prevent blood
vessels from leaking fluid in to the air way tissues. By reducing inflammation, it reduces the
spontaneous spasm of the airway muscle.

Anti inflammatories are used as a preventive measure to lesser the risk of accute asthma
attacks. Eg: flunisolide, triamcinolone

 Bronchodilators.

Bronchodilators are dilators work by increasing the diameter of air passages and easing the flow of
gases to and from the lungs.

eg:Metaproterenol, ephedrin.

Nursing diagnoses:

- Ineffective airway clearance related to airway constriction and excess mucus production
- Ineffective breathing pattern related to difficulty of breathing
- Disturbed sleeping pattern related to prolonged discomfort secondary to cough and difficulty
of breathing.

Nursing intervention:

- administer prescribed therapy, and monitor patient responses.

- Advised increase oral fluid intake to liquefy secretions.
- Plan rest periods between activities
- Instruct client on breathing techniques
- Advised relatives to clean house always