About Asthma
Asthma is a
lung condition that causes difficulty breathing, and it's common among kids and
teens. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Anyone can
have asthma, even infants, and the tendency to develop the condition is often
inherited.
Asthma affects
the bronchial tubes, or airways. When someone breathes normally, air is taken
in through the nose or mouth and then goes into the trachea (windpipe), passing
through the bronchial tubes, into the lungs, and finally back out again.
But people with
asthma have inflamed airways that produce lots of thick mucus. They're also
overly sensitive, or hyperreactive, to certain things, like exercise, dust, or
cigarette smoke. This hyperreactivity causes the smooth muscle that surrounds
the airways to tighten up. The combination of airway inflammation and muscle
tightening narrows the airways and makes it difficult for air to move through.
More than 23
million people have asthma in the United States. In fact, it's the No. 1 reason
kids chronically miss school. And flare-ups are the most common cause of
pediatric emergency room visits due to a chronic illness.
Some kids have
only mild, occasional symptoms or only show symptoms after exercising. Others
have severe asthma that, left untreated, can dramatically limit how active they
are and cause changes in lung function.
But thanks to
new medications and treatment strategies, kids with asthma no longer need to
sit on the sidelines, and parents no longer need to worry constantly about
their child's well being.
With patient
education and the right asthma management plan, families can learn to control
symptoms and asthma flare-ups more independently, allowing kids to do just
about anything they want.
Analice y busque en el diccionario las siguientes palabras, indicar función
gramatical.
Treat
Lung
Untreat
Constantly
Cause
Change
Transcriba y traduzca lo
siguiente
1 oración con
verbo modal
1 oración con
verbo tener
1 oración con
adjetivo comparativo
1 oración en
voz pasiva presente
Responda lo siguiente en
forma completa
a.
¿Qué
es el asma
b.
¿Quiénes
la sufren?
c.
¿Cuáles
son los síntomas?
d.
¿Cuántas
personas sufren de Asma en los EEUU?
e.
¿Qué
es lo que ha ayudado recientemente?
ASMA
PARTE 2
About Asthma Flare-Ups
Many kids with asthma can
breathe normally for weeks or months between asthma flare-ups (also
called asthma attacks, flares, episodes, or exacerbations) that cause the
airways to narrow and become obstructed, making it difficult for air to move
through them. Although flare-ups often seem to happen without warning, they
usually develop over time during a complicated process of increasing airway
obstruction.
All children with asthma
have airways that are inflamed, which means that they swell and produce lots of
thick mucus. In addition, their airways are overly sensitive, or hyperreactive, to certain asthma triggers.
When exposed to these
triggers, the muscles surrounding the airways tend to tighten, which makes the
already clogged airways even narrower. Things that trigger flare-ups differ
from person to person. Some common triggers are exercise, allergies, viral
infections, and smoke.
So an asthma
flare-up is caused by three important changes in the airways:
1.
swelling of the lining of the
airways
2.
excess mucus that results in
congestion and mucus "plugs" that get caught in the narrowed airways
Together, the
swelling, excess mucus, and bronchoconstriction narrow the airways and make it
difficult to move air through (like breathing through a straw). During an
asthma flare-up, kids may experience coughing, wheezing (a breezy whistling
sound in the chest when breathing), chest tightness, increased heart rate,
sweating, and shortness of breath.
Analice y busque en el diccionario las siguientes palabras, indicar función
gramatical.
Breathe
shortness
Swell
Move
Narrowed
Without
Warning
Triggers
overlly
Transcriba y traduzca lo siguiente
1 oración con
verbo modal
1 oración con
verbo tener
1 oración con
adjetivo comparativo
1 oración en
voz pasiva presente
Responda lo siguiente en
forma completa
a.
¿Qué
ataques de asma? ¿Que otros nombres recibe?
b.
¿Qué
ocasiona el asma?
c.
¿Cuáles
son los disparadores?
d.
¿Qué
cosas ocasionan los ataques?
e.
¿Qué
provoca en los chicos cuando tienen estos ataques?
PARTE 3
How Is Asthma Diagnosed?
Diagnosing
asthma can be tricky and time-consuming because kids with asthma can have very
different patterns of symptoms. For example, some kids cough constantly at
night but seem fine during the day, while others seem to get frequent chest
colds that linger. It's not uncommon for kids to have symptoms like these for
months before being seen by a doctor.
When considering a
diagnosis of asthma, a doctor rules out other possible causes of the symptoms.
He or she asks questions about the family's asthma and allergy history,
performs a physical exam, and might order a chest X-rays or lung function tests.
During this
process, parents must provide the doctor with detailed information, such as:
·
symptoms: how severe they are,
when and where they occur, how often they occur, and how long they last
·
allergies: the child's and the
family's allergy history
·
illnesses: how often the child
gets colds, how severe they are, and how long they last
·
triggers: exposure to allergens
and things in the air that can irritate the airways, recent life changes or
stressful events, or other things that seem to lead to a flare-up
This
information helps the doctor understand the pattern of symptoms, which can help
determine what type of asthma the child has and how best to treat it.
To confirm the
diagnosis of asthma, a breathing test may be done with a spirometer, a machine
that analyzes airflow through the airways. A spirometer also can be used to see
if the child's breathing problems can be helped with medication, a primary
characteristic of asthma.
The doctor may
take a spirometer reading, give the child an inhaled medication that opens the
airways, and then take another reading to see if breathing improves with
medication. If medication reverses airway narrowing significantly, as indicated
by improved airflow, then there's a strong possibility that the child has
asthma.
If your child is diagnosed
with asthma, it's important to learn how to manage asthma so it
won't control your family. Educate yourself about asthma and learn to identify
and eliminate triggers.
Help your child keep an
asthma diary, develop and follow an asthma action plan, and take medications as
prescribed. In addition, a peak flow meter —
a handheld tool that measures breathing ability — can be used at home. When
peak flow readings drop, it's a sign of increasing airway inflammation.
Analice y busque en el diccionario las siguientes palabras, indicar función
gramatical.
Tricky
Time consuming
inhale
breathing
peak
stressful
pattern
Transcriba y traduzca lo siguiente
1 oración con
verbo modal
1 oración con
verbo tener
1 oración en
presente simple
1 oración en
voz pasiva presente
Responda lo siguiente en
forma completa
a.
¿Cómo
se diagnostica el asma?
b.
¿Qué información brindan los padres?
c.
¿Cuál
elemento que mide la respiración del asmático?
d.
¿Cuántas
personas sufren de Asma en los EEUU?
e.
¿Qué
es lo que se debe aprender si el niño tiene asma?
Exercise-Induced Asthma
Kids who have
exercise-induced asthma (EIA) develop asthma symptoms after vigorous activity,
such as running, swimming, or biking. Some develop symptoms only after physical
exertion, while others have additional asthma triggers. With the proper
medications, most kids with EIA can play sports like any other child. In fact,
asthma affects more than 20% of elite athletes, and one in every six Olympic
athletes, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
Usually, a
doctor can diagnose EIA after taking a history alone. But sometimes further
tests, including an exercise challenge in a lung function laboratory, are
needed to confirm the diagnosis. The doctor might want to target a child's
tolerance for a particular exercise, as not every type or intensity of exercise
affects kids with EIA the same way.
If exercise is
the only asthma trigger, the doctor may prescribe a medication for the child to
take before exercising to prevent airways from tightening up. Of course, even
after taking a preventive medication, asthma flare-ups can still occur.
Parents (or
older kids) must carry the proper rescue medication to all games and
activities. The school nurse, coaches, scout leaders, and teachers must be
informed of a child's asthma plan of care to ensure that kids will take their
medication as needed even when away from home.
Allergy-Triggered Asthma
An estimated
75% to 85% of people with asthma have some type of allergy. Even if the primary
triggers are colds or exercise, allergies can sometimes play a minor role in
aggravating the condition.
How do
allergies cause flare-ups in kids with asthma? Kids inherit the tendency to
have allergies from their parents. With any kind of allergy, the immune system
overreacts to normally harmless allergens. Those substances, such as pollen,
can cause allergic reactions in some people. As part of this overreaction, the
body produces an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) type, which
specifically recognizes and attaches to the allergen when the body is exposed
to it.
When this
happens, it sets a process in motion resulting in the release of certain
substances in the body. One of them is histamine, which causes allergic
symptoms that can affect the eyes, nose, throat, skin, gastrointestinal tract,
or lungs. When the airways in the lungs are affected, symptoms of asthma can
occur.
The released
histamine is what causes the familiar sneezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery
eyes associated with some allergies — ways the body attempts to rid itself of
the invading allergen. In kids with asthma, histamine can also trigger asthma
symptoms and flare-ups.
An allergist can usually
pinpoint allergies and, once identified, the best treatment is to avoid
exposure to allergens whenever possible. Environmental control measures for the
home can help reduce exposure to allergens. When avoidance isn't possible,
antihistamine medications may be prescribed to block the release of histamine
in the body.
Nasal steroids may be given
to block allergic inflammation in the nose. In some cases, an allergist can
prescribe immunotherapy, a series of
allergy shots that gradually make the body unresponsive to specific allergens.
Analice y busque en el diccionario las siguientes palabras, indicar función
gramatical.
Allergy
Shots
Cause
Pinpoint
Treatment
unresponsive
Transcriba y traduzca lo
siguiente
1 oración con
verbo modal
1 oración con
verbo tener
1 oración con
adjetivo superlativo
1 oración con
verbo modal en voz pasiva
Responda lo siguiente en
forma completa
a.
¿A
qué tipo de asma se refiere el articulo?
b.
¿Quiénes
la padecen?
c.
¿Cuáles
son los síntomas y el tratamiento?
d.
¿Qué
es el asma alérgico?
e.
¿Qué
es lo que se prescribe en estos casos?
Asthma Categories
The severity of
a child's asthma symptoms will fall into one of four main categories of asthma,
each with different characteristics and requiring different treatment approaches:
1.
Mild intermittent asthma
A child who has brief episodes of wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath occurring no more than twice a week is said to have mild intermittent asthma. Symptoms between flare-ups are rare, with the exception of one or two instances per month of mild symptoms at night.
A child who has brief episodes of wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath occurring no more than twice a week is said to have mild intermittent asthma. Symptoms between flare-ups are rare, with the exception of one or two instances per month of mild symptoms at night.
2.
Mild persistent asthma
Kids with episodes of wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath that occur more than twice a week but less than once a day are said to have mild persistent asthma. Symptoms usually occur at least twice a month at night and flare-ups may affect normal physical activity.
Kids with episodes of wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath that occur more than twice a week but less than once a day are said to have mild persistent asthma. Symptoms usually occur at least twice a month at night and flare-ups may affect normal physical activity.
3.
Moderate persistent asthma
Kids with moderate persistent asthma have daily symptoms and require daily medication. Nighttime symptoms occur more than once a week. Flare-ups occur more than twice a week, last for several days, and usually affect normal physical activity.
Kids with moderate persistent asthma have daily symptoms and require daily medication. Nighttime symptoms occur more than once a week. Flare-ups occur more than twice a week, last for several days, and usually affect normal physical activity.
4.
Severe persistent asthma
Kids with severe persistent asthma have symptoms continuously. They tend to have frequent flare-ups that may require emergency treatment and even hospitalization. Many children with severe persistent asthma have frequent symptoms at night and can handle only limited physical activity.
Kids with severe persistent asthma have symptoms continuously. They tend to have frequent flare-ups that may require emergency treatment and even hospitalization. Many children with severe persistent asthma have frequent symptoms at night and can handle only limited physical activity.
Asthma severity
can both worsen and improve over time, placing a child in a new asthma category
that requires different treatment.
All kids with asthma should
follow a custom asthma action plan to
control symptoms. And even mild asthma should never be ignored because airway
inflammation is present even in between flare-ups.
Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD
Date reviewed: August 2011
Originally reviewed by: Nicole Green, MD
Date reviewed: August 2011
Originally reviewed by: Nicole Green, MD
Analice y busque en el diccionario las siguientes palabras, indicar función
gramatical.
severity
require
treatment
Symptom
Inflamation
daily
Transcriba y traduzca lo
siguiente
1 oración con
verbo to be
1 oración con
verbo tener
1 oración con
adjetivo comparativo
1 oración en
voz pasiva presente
Responda lo siguiente en
forma completa
a.
¿Qué
tipos de asma se mencionan?
b.
¿Quiénes
la sufren?
c.
¿Cuál
es la mas leve? Y la mas aguda?
d.
¿Cuántos
tipos de tratamiento puede haber?
e.
¿Es
un articulo actualizado?
f.
Nombre
los autores.
