Chronic and Acute Asthma Essay

Overview

According to Vasileiadis, Alevrakis, Amepelioti, Vigionas, Rovina, and Koutsoukou (2019), asthma happens to be rather common. Although it could be deemed a minor health concern amongst some people, the condition could be life-threatening for others – especially in relation to asthma attacks. It should be noted, from the onset, that “an acute asthma attack occurs in the midst of the chronic disease of asthma” (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2019). Asthma does not have a cure. This effectively means that for those with the condition, the relevance of working closely with a qualified medical professional in tracking (and responding to) symptoms cannot be overstated.

Discussion

According to Lynn (2015), there are various physiologic factors involved in as far as asthma is concerned. From a general perspective, at the time of the asthma exacerbation (i.e. an asthma attack), the inflammation as well as swelling of the airways becomes apparent. While this occurs, the bronchial/breathing tubes narrow as a consequence of the contraction of the muscles around the airways as well as the production of excess mucus. It is the constriction of muscles as well as inflammation of bronchiolar that presents as wheezing, breath shortness, as well as coughing episodes (Lynn, 2015).

In acute asthma, the airway obstruction mechanism that appears inherently predominant is acute bronchoconstriction. However, in chronic asthma, it should be noted that “the acute smooth muscle contraction producing narrowing of airways is complicated by the development of edema and cell infiltrates in the bronchial wall and by retention of abnormally viscid sputum” (Austen and Lichtenstein, 2013, p. 177).

To a large extent, it is the exposure to certain riggers that results in the swelling and inflammation of bronchial tubes as a result of an immune system that happens to be overly sensitive.…

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…concerned. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute – NHLBI (2019), in as far as susceptibility to asthma is concerned, “environmental exposures, including those at work, may increase the risk of developing asthma or making asthma symptoms worse.” These factors include, but they are not limited to, exposure to certain chemical irritants and related particles at the workplace. In such a case, an individual could develop chronic asthma. On the other hand, in as far as acute asthma is concerned, poor quality of air (mostly as a consequence of the presence of dust, pollen, etc.) could result in an asthmatic attack. Thus, in as far as treatment is concerned, control medicines (i.e. daily medicines) could be used in chronic asthma. On the other hand, when poor quality of air is the cause of an asthmatic attack, the avoidance of risk factors and the utilization of Inhaled Short-Acting Beta2-Agonists (SABAs)…