Nicholas Gibas

Dr. Green
Biology 1090 011
November 21, 2014

Asthma

Every day 44,000 people suffer from an asthma attack, 36,000 kids miss school due
to asthma, 27,000 adults will miss work daily for their asthma issues, 1,200 people
are admitted to the hospital from complications due to asthma, and nine people will
die today from their asthma. Obviously asthma is very prevalent in the lives of the
Americans, so prevalent that if one parent has asthma, their offspring will have a
one in three chance of genetically obtaining the breathing disease.
The definition that the Human Biology book from Salt Lake Community
College gives for asthma is, an allergic response that results in the constriction of
the bronchial walls and an overproduction of mucus. (Page 370) This means that
when the bronchial walls are constricted due to a allergic reaction it makes it very
hard for a person to breathe, some have this so badly that it can cause them to have
no passage way for air to go through the lungs or airways which can result in death.
What causes the allergic reaction is airborne particles will speed up the process of
mucus which will cause the damage of the cilia lining, making it very hard to get rid
of these particles resulting in the allergic reaction. closing the airways and making it

impossible to breath. This compromises the airways where oxygen needs to reach
our lungs, which also compromises the lungs making them functionless if they have
no oxygen to get put into them.
Why the body has this idea that it needs to create all of this mucus and
constrict the bronchial walls is because of the environmental surroundings. When
someone has asthma they need to be aware of their asthma triggers. The Center
for Disease Control and Prevention states that, An asthma attack can happen when
you are exposed to asthma triggers. Your triggers can be very different from those
of someone else with asthma. Know your triggers and learn how to avoid them.
Watch out for an attack when you cant avoid the triggers. Some of the most
common triggers are tobacco smoke, dust mites, outdoor air pollution, cockroach
allergen, pets, mold, and smoke from burning wood or grass. Knowing your triggers
can help you easily control your asthma and live a very normal and easy life.
What someone with asthma has to know is that there is no cure for asthma.
The treatment options for asthma can come in two forms, quick relief and long term
control. You can take either a pill form or an inhaler for your medicines, which with
an inhaler the medicine will go right towards your lungs. Some long term control
medicines are cromolyn, which the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says,
This medicine is taken using a device called a nebulizer. As you breathe in, the
nebulizer sends a fine mist of medicine to your lungs. Cromolyn helps prevent
airway inflammation. This medicine makes your airways open up and will send a
mist to a persons lungs making it possible to breathe.

The main thing about asthma is that an infected person has to be aware of
their surroundings in order to prevent their triggers. As I stated earlier in this paper
is that genetically it is very easy for a person to obtain this disease. Every one out of
three children with an infected parent will get this disease and will have to learn
how to live with it. But someone who has asthma can very easily life a happy life as
long as the person consults with his or her doctor and never puts it off. Asthma left
untreated can turn into something a lot worse if a person waits to see a doctor for
treatment options.

Bibliography

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Learn How to Control Asthma.
November 18, 2014. http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/faqs.htm

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Asthma Facts and Figures.

Published date unknown. https://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?sub=42&id=8

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. How is Asthma Treated and
Controlled?. August 4, 2014. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/healthtopics/topics/asthma/treatment.html

Human Biology Second Custom Edition for Salt Lake Community College.
Collen Belk and Virginia Borden Maier. 2013, 2014.

Asthma Reflection
I learned a lot from doing this signature report that I dont think I would have
learned anytime soon. Being in a relationship with someone who does have asthma I
thought all you had to do was keep your inhaler handy and you will be fine. Turns
out that it is much more complicated than just that, someone with this disease needs
to constantly be aware of their surroundings to ensure their own safety and being
very careful about what they breathe in. After writing this paper I talked to my
boyfriend and got a more in depth understanding about his experience with asthma
and how it has affected his life. I am happy that I had to write this report because it
allowed me to understand the severity of asthma but also become closer with my
boyfriend.