General Nursing©

ASTHMA

Symptoms:

• An Asthma attack can last from a few minutes to a number of hours, often occurring at night and during humid weather conditions. It can be triggered by physical activity, anxiety, stress, or a reaction to an allergic or environmental agent (allergen), such as smoke, pollen, or dust mites.
• The symptoms vary with age, but the usual signs are breathing difficulty, particularly breathing out (emptying the lungs), with a tight, dry-sounding cough, and occasional wheezing (a whistling noise from the chest). As the attack worsens, breathing becomes more labored; the chest feels very tight, and the person experiences an uncomfortable clammy feeling.
• The attack can sometimes be relieved by rest, moving to a cooler (not cold) less humid area, or removing the allergic source until treatment is available.

Any severe case of breathlessness, particularly in the young and elderly, must receive urgent medical attention.

Diagnosis:

Diagnoses studies include sputum specimen; arterial blood gases; spirometry; chest x-ray.

Treatment:

There is no specific cure for Asthma, therefore, treatment is targeted at the symptoms.

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