Asthma in Adolescents and Adults

¶ … Asthma in Adolescents and Adults: Guideline-Based Diagnosis and Management" by author Susan Corbridge (2010) discusses the fact that many people in the world suffer from the medical condition known as asthma. There are more than 16 million adults in the United States who suffer from asthma. People think of this condition as a regular difficulty, but do not realized that it is in actuality a major medical condition which is potentially life-threatening. According to Corbridge (2010), "Annually [asthma is] responsible for roughly 11 million outpatient visits, 2 million ED visits, nearly 500,000 hospital admissions, and close to 4,000 deaths" (page 29). Susan Corbridge's position is that it is early diagnosis and stable management of the medical condition that are the keys to successful treatment for asthma and increases the likelihood of individuals who have asthma being able to live happy, mostly healthy lives.

In the article, Corbridge (2010) uses the fictional case history of a 24-year-old asthma patient to exemplify how difficult and frightening asthma can be to its millions of sufferers. This young woman has had periods of shortness of breath which worsen when surrounded by aggravating conditions, such as smoke. In a matter of minutes and through the use of up-to-date technological tests the nurse practitioner treating the patient is able to diagnose her with "mild persistent asthma and allergic rhinitis" (Corbridge 2010,-page 28). Because she was able to diagnose the patient expeditiously and efficiently she was also able to provide her with information about how best to deal with her condition and to prescribe her necessary medications. Besides the prescription, the nurse practitioner also gives the patient advice on ways in which she can improve her symptoms and also teaches her how to use a peak flow meter to gauge her breathing in a given day.

In the article, Corbridge (2010) explains that asthma produces chronic inflammation and it is this inflammation which makes breathing difficult. There is a physiological reason why people get asthma. Inside their bodies, patients deal with hypertrophy and hyperplasia of their muscle tissues and production of mucus blocks the airways which hinder breathing (Corbridge 2010,-page 29). The use of medications, such as inhaled steroids can alleviate symptoms. Science has thus far been unable to determine exactly what it is that causes asthma, but what is known is that some catalyst creates inflammation and blockage of the breathing tubes and that there is a potential connection to genetics and heredity and also there is some proof that obesity can lead to asthma as well.

Besides the technological advancements which allows people to test whether or not they have breathing issues, there are other criteria on which a person can be judged to see if they suffer from asthma. Some of the tests that can be performed include a spirometry which tests for airflow obstruction, severity, and response to treatment (Corbridge 2010,-page 30). Nurse practitioners and doctors should take personal history, allergens, symptoms, and potential triggers into account when making a potential diagnosis (page 29). In additions, a chest X-ray can help to reveal the presence of asthma in patients, or serve to rule it out as a potential answer to symptoms. When diagnosing a patient with asthma, it is also necessary to ascertain the severity and degree to which the patient suffers from the condition. The severity is measured by the effort needed in order to stabilize and maintain the condition so that the sufferer can live comfortably with the condition (page 30). Severity is determined and categorized into one of the following labels: "intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent, or severe persistent" (page 31). Those who are labeled as having intermittent asthma have attacks the least frequently and those labeled "severe" persistent" have asthma attacks the most frequently of the four potential categories.

Most asthma conditions are treated with medication. The strongest medications are only to be used in times of extreme asthma attacks when the symptoms are strong enough that it poses a threat to the patient. Science has been able to prove that by undertaking preventive health measures, such as annual flu shots, exercise, weight management, and good hygiene can have a marked effect on the severity and frequency of asthma attacks (Corbridge 2010,-page 32). Most important to productive and positive healthcare for these conditions is to have patients educated and informed as much as possible about their asthma and how they must be on top of the issue in order to get better. Part of this asthma treatment will be in the creation of an asthma action plan. This is an individual plan set up between the doctor or nurse practitioner and the patient him or herself.