Asthma Sufferers Can Manage Their

¶ … asthma sufferers can manage their disease. Asthma is one of the most common ailments in the United States, and it is especially prevalent in children. Asthma can be fatal, but asthma patients can learn to manage their disease by using a variety of techniques and/or medications. In fact, managing asthma can reduce healthcare costs and improve the quality of life for just about any asthma sufferer, but often, receiving the proper education about managing asthma can be difficult.

Asthma is a disease of the lungs or airways in the lungs. Sometimes they become inflamed and produce excess mucus, and breathing can become labored. It can also cause coughing and wheezing, panic and anxiety (Hamm, 2004). Often, the asthma attack comes on as a result of triggers in the environment. The disease is especially widespread in children. One researcher notes, "Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood, affecting nearly 5 million children under the age of 18. Children with asthma account for 3 million hospital visits and 200,000 hospitalizations yearly" (Hamm, 2004). Clearly, teaching children to manage their asthma effectively can help in their overall well-being and quality of life, but it can cut down on healthcare costs dramatically, as well. Research indicates proper management can also add to their performance in school. Researcher Hamm reports, "The side effects of medications used to control asthma may interfere with a student's ability to concentrate, increase feelings of depression and anxiety, and interfere with short-term memory" (Hamm, 2004). Thus, learning how to manage asthma is more than a health issue, it is an educational and personal issue, as well, and it can affect just about every aspect of a person's life.

One of the easiest ways to manage asthma is to know the triggers, and avoid them. Researcher Hamm notes these are the most common triggers, "Viral upper respiratory infections, exercise, stress/strong emotions, lung infections, weather changes, exposure to environmental irritants and allergens, including: chalk dust, dust mites, pets, fungi and mold, tobacco smoke, strong chemical smells, wood smoke, pollen, perfumes, and paint fumes" (Hamm, 2004). Clearly, many of these triggers can be avoided, and some are far more difficult to control. However, learning what triggers an asthma attack, and avoiding those triggers, is one of the most common ways to manage asthma effectively. Another common trigger is allergies, and many children suffer from allergies, as well, so if the allergies can be managed, the asthma may become more manageable.

Several studies on managing asthma in children have revolved around early education and management in pre-school or Head Start classes, and continuing management in the classroom environment. Parents can remove triggers in the home, but in the schoolroom, they need more input with teachers to help remove triggers and educate staff about triggers they may not recognize. Researcher Hamm notes, "Common triggers can be reduced or eliminated by diligently monitoring and maintaining the classroom environment. Dust, fungi, mold, and cockroach droppings can be kept to a minimum with proper cleaning. Educators can minimize strong smells in their room by eliminating the use of perfumes or chemical sprays" (Hamm, 2004). Clearly, parents will have to work with educators so they understand the nature of an asthma attack, what can trigger it, and how to recognize it.

Recognizing the symptoms of an asthma attack is another element of managing the disease. Some of these symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, chest tightening, dark circles under the eyes, sneezing, and abrupt speech. Before the attack, they may be restless, thirsty, need to urinate, have an irritated throat or nose, or be irritable (Hamm, 2004). Educators of very young children need to be especially diligent about recognizing the symptoms, because the children may not recognize them, themselves. Recognizing the symptoms early helps manage the disease by acting on the symptoms quickly to gain quicker relief from the attack. In addition, educators and caregivers need to know how to manage an asthma attack in a child or adult, so the attack does not intensify and create the need for medication or a hospital visit.

Once an attack occurs, it can be extremely frightening, especially to children, who may feel their inability to breathe could lead to suffocation. This adds more stress to the situation, which can help trigger the asthma to get worse. Knowing how to calm the sufferer is paramount in managing the attack, and some of the ways to help manage the situation include getting the sufferer into a quiet environment, showing them how to deep breathe into their stomach/diaphragm which will calm them, and allowing them to remain calm until the attack is over.

Amazingly, some caregivers and parents tend to ignore the need for asthma management, and do not see their child's condition as serious or chronic. A group of writers note, "The resistance to the concept of asthma as a chronic illness may be linked to the fact that a majority of the children had symptoms consistent with mild, intermittent asthma, which caregivers interpreted as contradictory to the concept of chronic" (Nelson, et al., 2006, p. 274). If asthma is to be managed effectively, parents and educators must be involved in the management, and they must understand the severity of the disease, even when the symptoms do not seem chronic or severe. Clearly, education is the key to this aspect of managing the disease, but some caregivers and parents report education, even from their own doctors, is often lacking, especially when the symptoms are less severe.

Another group of authors conducted a study of doctors and patients with varying levels of asthma, and measured the education caregivers received about managing the disease. The results were very interesting, and may point to why some caregivers tend to ignore the need for asthma management. The authors note, "In looking at specific content areas, education reported was significantly different between groups of children with mild symptoms vs. children with more severe symptoms in the areas of medication management, written plans of care, and smoking as a trigger" (McMullen, et al., 2007, p. 39). Most caregivers report instruction on how to use an inhaler, and how to manage an asthma attack, but far less report talking about management goals or when to seek emergency medical attention with their doctors or other healthcare providers. The researchers continue, "These less concrete issues included the health care provider asking the parent about the child's feelings about asthma, sharing their goals for successful asthma management, and collaboratively developing with the parent a written plan of care on how to treat an [attack] (McMullen, et al., 2007, p. 41). Thus, caregivers are not receiving all the information they need to create a workable plan to manage asthma, and they may not even be receiving information on what triggers asthma (McMullen, et al., 2007, p. 41) so they may be exacerbating the problem without knowing it. Many healthcare workers wait to give some of this vital information until the attacks or condition worsens, and if they had been more proactive at the beginning of the process, perhaps some of this worsening could have been avoided. Another aspect of care that is often ignored is developing a written Asthma Management Plan, which can be useful for anyone dealing with an asthma sufferer.