How Does Asthma Affect People?

How Does Asthma Affect People?
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Asthma is a condition that currently afflicts more than 16 million adults in America and an added seven million children, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This disorder is a condition of the respiratory system where inflammation and constriction of lungs takes place. Typically affecting children, it is known to have several side effects on the overall health and development of human beings.

Physical Effects of Asthma on People

Chronic Cough from Asthma

Asthma patients often suffer from a cough that lingers on even when no particular respiratory disease exists. This cough typically grows in severity when an asthmatic is plagued with other diseases affecting his or her respiratory system. It’s very common to see asthmatics taking sick leaves frequently from work due to weakness. Asthma attacks can also be triggered from respiratory infections.

Reduced Capacity for Physical Exertion

Asthma patients often have a reduced capacity for activities requiring physical exertion. In fact, strenuous exercises can even bring along an asthma attack in some cases. When an asthma attack takes place, there can be severe compromise on breathing. The patient’s diminished capacity for engagement in physical work can get worse if not treated.

Breathing Impairment

If left unchecked with no regular visits to a doctor, an asthma patient’s breathing capacity can progressively get worse over time. In the most severe cases, impairment of breathing can go to the extent where it is impossible to respire without ventilators.

Deprivation of Sleep

Lack of sleep and disruption of regular sleeping patterns is another effect of asthma on people, especially when an asthma attack is actually taking place. In spit of inhalers being used to relieve symptoms, it can significantly reduce the patient’s ability to fall asleep. Asthma symptoms making sleeping difficult, and severe symptoms might even require hospitalization.

Sluggish Rate of Growth

Very often, asthma requires intake of medicines for management and limitation of asthma attacks and symptoms. When such inhaled medications for asthmatics are used over the long ter, they can slow down the growth rate in asthmatic kids. This is due to the fact that they contain corticosteroids, which in spite of its many effective benefits in treating asthma is known to have adverse side effects on health.

Emotional Effect of Asthma on People

Asthma can also affect an individual emotionally. It can cause embarrassment and stress when an asthma attack suddenly comes on in a public location. The typical result of the emotional effect is an aggravation of symptoms in such situations.

In fact, certain asthma medications can have side effects that creat an uneasy and nervous sensation. Asthmatic children tend to miss school more often than their peers. This causes them to have more work to catch up on, and feel different from the others. Also, dince physical activity is known to aggravate asthma symptoms, patients might avoid sports and other new adventures with the mental fear of asthma attacks being triggered.

When one tries to understand how does asthma affect people emotionally and how they can help the asthmatic to ease their fear of trying out new things, treatment of the mental status can begin.

References

Web: Livestrong.Com: Effect of Asthma on Development and Health https://www.livestrong.com/article/181381-effects-of-asthma-on-development-health/

Web: MayoClinic: Asthma Complications https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/asthma/DS00021/DSECTION=complications

Web: The New York Times Health Guide for Asthma https://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/asthma/overview.html