ASUHAN KEPERAWATAN

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects your airways. Your airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become sore and swollen. That makes them very sensitive, and they may react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When your airways react, they get narrower and your lungs get less air. This can cause wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble breathing, especially early in the morning or at night.

When your asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it's called an asthma attack. In a severe asthma attack, the airways can close so much that your vital organs do not get enough oxygen. People can die from severe asthma attacks.

Asthma is treated with two kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Source : http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/asthma.html

Asthma Treatment

Since asthma is a chronic disease, treatment goes on for a very long time. Some people have to stay on treatment for the rest of their lives. The best way to improve your condition and live your life on your terms is to learn all you can about your asthma and what you can do to make it better.

• Become a partner with your health-care provider and his or her support staff. Use the resources they can offer -- information, education, and expertise -- to help yourself.
• Become aware of your asthma triggers and do what you can to avoid them.
• Follow the treatment recommendations of your health-care provider. Understand your treatment. Know what each drug does and how it is used.
• See your health-care provider as scheduled.
• Report any changes or worsening of your symptoms promptly.
• Report any side effects you are having with your medications.

These are the goals of treatment :

• prevent ongoing and bothersome symptoms;
• prevent asthma attacks;
• prevent attacks severe enough to require a visit to your provider or an emergency department or hospitalization;
• carry on with normal activities;
• maintain normal or near-normal lung function; and
• have as few side effects of medication as possible.

Source : http://www.emedicinehealth.com/asthma/page6_em.htm#Asthma%20Treatment

A nebulizer turns your asthma medicine into a mist. It is easy and pleasant to breathe the medicine into your lungs this way. If you use a nebulizer, your asthma medicines will come in liquid form.

With a nebulizer, medicine goes into your lungs when you take slow, deep breaths for 10 to 15 minutes.

Many patients with asthma do not need to use a nebulizer. Another way to get your medicine is with an inhaler. Inhalers work just as well, and they are easier to use.

Most nebulizers are small, so they are easy to carry with you. Most nebulizers use air compressors. A different kind uses sound vibrations. These are called "ultrasonic nebulizers." They are quieter, but they cost more money.

It takes some time to keep your nebulizer clean and working properly.

These are the basic steps to set up and use your nebulizer:

1. Connect the hose to an air compressor.
2. Fill the medicine cup with your prescription.
3. Attach the hose and mouthpiece to the medicine cup.
4. Place the mouthpiece in your mouth. Breathe through your mouth until all the medicine is used. (Most times, this takes 10 to 15 minutes). Some people use a nose clip to help them breathe only through their mouth. Small children may do better if they wear a mask.
5. Wash the medicine cup and mouthpiece with water, and air dry until your next treatment.

Update Date: 10/26/2008

Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

By : By Johnson Star

Asthma is known as one of the chronic diseases that many people around the world suffer from. There are many ways in which asthma can be treated. It can be through doctor's prescription or by alternative asthma treatments such as natural treatments. Alternative asthma treatments are those that are used without the help of drugs.

Most alternative asthma treatments are done at home and is much cheaper compared to buying medicines or drugs. One good example of this is by drinking a cup of hot coffee. The major symptom of asthma is having trouble in breathing because of narrowed airways due to inflammation.

Coffee has a substance called caffeine which is found to dilate bronchial tubes and opens up airways for better breathing. Caffeine is known to be chemically similar to asthma drugs and has been used to treat asthma. It is related to theophylline which is an old-fashioned asthma drug. Numerous studies have shown the positive effect of coffee as an asthma treatment.

As we all know, drinking a cup of coffee is one of many people's daily routine. It is usually done during the morning or the afternoon. But we should also take in consideration that too much drinking of coffee can also be bad for our health.

Many people have tried this kind of alternative asthma treatment when they feel that asthma symptoms are starting to come out, and it worked pretty well for them. But of course it is not applicable to everyone because maybe caffeine is not what they need in order to relieve their symptoms.

Be sure that you also don't have an allergic reaction to coffee or to any substances that it has because it will just lead to an allergy attack and might as well trigger your asthma and make it severe. Before deciding to take this kind of alternative asthma treatment, always see to it that you first consult with your doctor and ask for advice whether it can be good for you or not.