Article Review – Asthma

HCS/457 Public and Community Health

Article Review – Asthma

Asthma is defined as a chronic, inflammatory, disease of the airways. For those who are susceptible to asthma, the inflammation can cause the airways to periodically spasm and swell, compelling the airways to become narrow. The patient, or individual, will then wheeze or gasp for oxygen. Obstruction to the air flow either resolves spontaneously, or responds to a wide range of treatments. But continuing inflammation makes the airways hyper-responsive to stimuli such as cold air, exercise, dust mites, pollutants in the air, and even stress and anxiety. (TheFreeDictionary) The articles “Asthma treated with integrative medicine” and “Asthma linked to celiac disease” both discuss how asthma is a problem to people of all ages, and can ultimately linked to other diseases like celiac disease. No one can actually pinpoint how long asthma has been around for, but it has been traced back to as early as 3000 B.C., the Egyptians era. As we know, some people can have asthma at birth without knowing until they have difficulty breathing. Some may call it a panic attack, but it can become a serious problem if left untreated. Asthma has become a major health issue around the world, and each person has a different experience with his or her asthma. Asthma, in terms, can become chronic, and a long term disease which can affect breathing. Asthma can affect the community in different ways such as allergies, but the biggest way that it would affect the community is by chemicals and smoking.

When chemicals are burned or disposed of improperly, it can pollute the air which makes people that have asthma susceptible to asthma attacks. Depending on how bad the case of asthma is, inhaling secondhand smoke from someone smoking near them can also trigger an asthma attack. Chemicals such as sulfur dioxide and sulfites are used to preserve foods and beverages, which can also trigger an asthma attack. The community around us has responded to this problem by having people test for asthma at younger ages, as well as making more areas smoking free such as schools, hospitals, and parks. The health department has also made policies where restaurants and stores are only allowed to have a certain amount of chemicals in their food to help prevent people with asthma and other related diseases from getting panic attacks.In conclusion, a major problem in the local community is asthma. Asthma can become a chronic, long term disease, which can affect our breathing in all stages of our lives. Asthma has been around for a long time, and it affects our community in many ways. One of the ways it affects us is when chemicals are not disposed of in the correct manner; it affects the way people with asthma breathe. The community has responded to this problem by making more places smoking free, and enforcing policies regarding certain levels of chemicals to be processed with foods.

References

McCook, Allison (2011). Asthma linked to celiac disease..Retrieved August 1, 2011 from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/24/us-asthma-linked-celiac-disease-idUSTRE71N4WF20110224

Neustaedter, Randall(2011).Asthma treated with integrative medicine. Retrieved August 1, 2011 from http://www.naturalnews.com/032000_asthma_integrative_medicine.html

TheFreeDictionary.com, (2008). Definition of asthma. Retrieved August 1, 2011 http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/asthma