Recently, asthma has become one of the common diseases. Being hard to prevent, it affects both the children and adults, mainly inhabitants of the developed countries (Yacoub, 1). The illness can have several forms, from infrequent to persistent, and is generally characterized by inflamed breathing ways and, as a consequence, hard breathing. Because of the enormous speed of the illness spread, dealing with asthma is becoming a burning issue of the modern medicine.
Even though there is a multitude of theories about the causes of the increasingly spreading disease, the scientists still have not reached any agreement (Bateman, 37). Genes and the specific features of different organisms are the main factors which are claimed to be the reasons for the disease’s development. However, there are several factors which are considered to influence the development of the disease. One of them definitely needs a precise analysis, as this factor is very spread among the developed countries’ populations. That thing is obesity.
Indeed, the fact that the overweight people are most likely to have problems with breathing is not surprising. The whole breathing apparatus is a system of muscles, which have to be in tonus so that the streams of air while inhaling and exhaling could move with no obstacles. The overweight people, especially the obese ones, have the extra level of fat, which is covering their muscles. Therefore, the lung muscles are most likely to be not fit enough to function properly.
Furthermore, the overweight children often have their breathing organs developed in a wrong way. The extra fat prevents the lungs from functioning fully; thus, they stay “half-closed” during the whole life. The obese adults also have their asthma attacks more severe because of obesity (Orriols, 252). This is due to the fact that the muscles of the broche lack the appropriate tonus.
This hypothesis, however, has been disapproved by some scientists. The numerous experiments conducted showed that the obese people are often given the misleading diagnosis of asthma. The breathing problems can be connected solely with the extra weight, and not necessarily are the symptoms of asthma. Moreover, while assuming that the obesity may not influence the development of asthma, it is worth mentioning that it does decrease the sensitivity of the organism to the medications (Beuther, 662).
Thus, following either of the given theories suggests that avoiding the obesity is better to either prevent asthma or ease its symptoms. One of the ways to keep fit is the regular exercise. The organized physical activity helps to improve the blood circulation in human organism. The bronchi, lungs, and other components of the breathing system are all covered with an intense net of arteries; therefore, the proper blood circulation can improve these organs’ functioning. As a result, the planned exercise can help to deal with asthma attacks. In addition, exercises help to avoid the obesity, which, as mentioned, can worsen the asthma’s symptoms.
Controversially to the stated idea, some scientists claim that the asthma attacks can be not prevented, but triggered by an exposure to exercise (Lazo, 14). This idea is quite logical, as asthma is often defined as the difficulties with breathing as a result of the contact of the bronchi muscular layers. During the exercises, all the muscles change the tense state to the relaxed one and back. During these movements, the muscular layers can most possibly touch, which proves an impediment for the free flow of the air stream. The predispositions for being affected or treated by exercise during asthma probably depend on the personal peculiarities of different organisms.
Besides the exercises which, as mentioned, can be ineffective, there are also many other methods to cure asthma. The most popular ones are the medications for maintenance treatment of asthma. For instance, Seretide is often prescribed to the patients who need to deal with the asthma attacks. Seretide 500/50 is one of the spread dosages of the medication. This dry powder inhaler is claimed to decrease the number of attacks and improve the patients’ breathing for 12 hours after taking (Yacoub, 2). The medication has almost no precautions and can be used by people of all ages. However, if a 14-years boy has asthma, is it necessary to treat him with such a powerful medication?
Many medics would be positive about Seretide 500/50 to be prescribed to the boy, as the medication is rather effective. However, there is also another side of the coin. For instance, the mentioned kind of Seretide contains 500 mcg of fluticasone in every dose. This element can be harmful to the young organism, especially in such great doses. 14 years is the age when the organism is not formed fully yet; the organs of breathing are also not finally developed.
The mentioned medication can affect the development of the boy’s organism and be harmful for the successful formation of his breathing ways. In addition, the cough attacks are casual phenomena at this age; this is due to the fact that the immune system is developing. That is why it may be relevant to concentrate on the physical development of the teenager and try using more natural methods of treatment. Only in case if asthma is persistent and intensive, there is a need for medications.
Thus, it can be stated that taking the Seretide 500/50 in such young age is rather insufficient. In any case, the question whether this therapy is hazardous for the boy can be answered by different medics differently, as the modern medications have a tendency to be concentrated and extremely active.
Besides the traditional medications, however, there are also many other methods of treating asthma that are being developed at the time. The therapies of the new age include different immune modifiers, such as the famous anti-IgE agent. The principles of immune modifiers work are based on increasing the resistance of the organism to the external irritators. Such therapies can be really helpful, as the asthma attacks are always caused by some factors, such as fur, mound, viruses, etc.
However, just like any other medications, the immune modifiers can be disadvantageous in some respects. For instance, the anti-IgE agent is proved to cause dependency, as the human organism is not capable of keep its immune system in a good condition after such powerful stimulator. In any case, the immune modifiers are effective and their implementation should be used more widely.
All in all, asthma is a very spread disease, and the deeper investigation of its roots and development is of a vital importance. The different methods of treating asthma have their benefits and disadvantages; considering the peculiarities of one’s organism is very important while choosing an appropriate therapy. Various details which may influence the disease development, such as obesity, age, ecology, etc. should also be taken into account.
Asthma is believed to be one of the greatest threats for the health of the inhabitants of the industrialized world. The heavy molds, dusts, gases are the main irritators of the cough and wheeze, known as the basic symptoms of asthma. The dissatisfactory state of ecology and consequently weak immune systems suggest that people nowadays have a lot of predispositions to this disease. Every of us is under the threat of becoming asthmatic; that is why the question of the precautions and effective treatment are crucial.
Ironically, despite the high risks of the asthma to be developed in any organism, there is neither clear definition of the disease, nor its reasons. The difficult breathing and cough can be explained by the genes, viruses and other factors. Moreover, detecting the disease in children can be even harder. The wheeze is a common feature of all the children, and the parents do not usually worry about the possibility of a significant disease to occur. However, we all should be aware of the fact that asthma is one of the most progressing diseases.
If a person has asthma, they have to be aware of some conditions which may worsen the state of the ill person. One of the most significant features that contribute to the general state of the health and to the development of asthma in particular is obesity. Both the children and adults are proved to have their asthma progress fastened in case of being overweight (Bateman, 42). For instance, the children and teenagers all have some cough attacks, which may vary in frequency; however, the overweight children have such attacks twice more often than those with the normal weight (Wittczak, 82).
The obese children often suffer from suffocation, especially when sleeping, as the minor airways are closed in this state, and there is not enough air coming into the lungs and delivered to the whole organism. For adults, obesity is also extremely harmful. The asthma attacks are much more frequent for the obese people comparing to fit (Bateman, 36). What is more, the experiments showed that losing weight led to a significant improvement and reduction of asthma attacks.
Thus, the role of exercise in asthma management cannot be underestimated. As it was mentioned, fit people have less difficulties dealing with asthma; therefore, exercise is important as it helps to burn fats. Furthermore, the appropriately organized set of exercises helps to gradually develop the organs of breathing ways. As an example, we can compare the lungs and bronchi of an ordinary person and a person who is jogging constantly. The latter one would have these organs almost 30% bigger and their capacity greater (Yacoub, 1544). The exercise also helps to intensify the blood circulation in the whole organism, which strengthens the immune system of an individual, making them resistant to different kinds of asthma irritators. Indisputably, exercise is one of the essential and effective methods of asthma management.
However, exercises alone can be not enough to cure the disease fully. The human organism often needs the more powerful support, such as the supply of some elements which are fighting the illness. The modern world offers such conditions of life which make a person vulnerable to different viruses and other disorders. The dissatisfactory ecological state and living in non-greened cities suggest that people nowadays have the immune system becoming weaker and weaker. Thus, the help of some medications for dealing with asthma is sometimes unavoidable. The doses and sorts of the medications are usually dependent on the age of a patient and severity of illness.
However, there are cases when even the right calculation of dosage can be harmful for an organism. For example, let’s analyze the Seretide 500/50 medication. It is proved to be rather effective, as it is capable of softening the cough and guarantees the free movement of streams of air through the breathing ways. But in case of a 14 years old being prescribed this medication there can appear some doubts. First of all, it is worth mentioning that this age is known as a period when the reproductive genes are forming.
Taking the Seretide 500/50 is rather hazardous at this period, as the high concentration of the chemicals in the medication can be harmful for the process of a teenager’s development (Lazo, 14). Such intensive therapy can be rather hazardous in such young age, as it also can “program” the organism to take the concentrated medications only. As a result, taking some natural preparations in future can be less helpful because the organism will be accustomed to the great doses of chemicals. If there is a strong need in some medications to be taken, the Seretide 100/50 can be prescribed to the teenager, as it is definitely less harmful.
Among the modern methods of treating asthma, there are also different other therapies. Among them are the popular immune modifiers, which are being widely implemented for the patients with various diseases. The immune modifiers have a range of positive qualities, such as quick effect, low risk and high efficiency (Zetterstrom, 265). In case with a teenager, the immune modifiers could be recommended. Firstly, they are very helpful for managing asthma.
Secondly, many viral diseases can be avoided when a teenager is taking the immune modifiers. And finally, these preparations help to form the strong immune system at the young age, which will protect the patient during all their lives. Taking into consideration all the mentioned benefits, it can be concluded, that the immune modifiers are an efficient solution for those who suffer from asthma.
Being asthmatic does not mean being unable to lead the ordinary way of life, but it does mean a lot of work that has to be done. An asthmatic should try to maximally decrease the number of factors affecting their health. Exercises, healthy way of life, proper nutrition, and use of medications can help to successfully manage the disease. In addition, everyone should take precautions to prevent asthma from developing in their organisms. Additionally, to the mentioned points, the pregnant women should remember that smoking during pregnancy and infancy can guarantee the development of asthma in children.
To sum up, it can be said that asthma is a disease which can hardly be prevented in a modern world. Being under the constant threat of catching the disease, we should be aware of its peculiarities. Despite the unclear roots of asthma, there is a number of methods of dealing with the disease. They include exercising, taking medications and other therapies. The choice of the treating method should be made after consulting an expert, who will consider the peculiarities of a specific organism and define the needed preparation and its dosage. In addition, every individual should also try to do everything possible to avoid asthma and strengthen their organism with the help of physical training and leading a healthy way of life.
Works cited:
Bateman, E. “Can guideline-defined asthma control be achieved?” Am J Respir Crit Care Med 170 (2004): 36-44.
Beuther, D. “Overweight, Obesity, and Incident Asthma.” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 175 (2007): 661-666.
Lazo, J, Gilman, A, Brunton, L, Parker K. The pharmacological basis of therapeutics.11th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.
Orriols R, Costa R, Alberti C, Castejon J, Monso E, Panades R, Rubira N, Zock J-P “Reported occupational disease in Catalonia” Occup Environ Med 63(2006): 255-260.
Wittczak T, Dudek W, Krakowiak A, Walusiak J “Occupational asthma” Int J Occup Med Environ Health 21 (2008): 81-83.
Yacoub MR, Lemiere C, Labrecque M. “Occupational asthma” European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Imm 60 (2005) : 1544-1545.
Zetterstrom, O. “Improved asthma control with budesonide/formoterol in a single inhaler, compared with budesonide alone.” Eur Respir 18 (2001): 262-268.