Question

Jeannie is a 16-year-old female that has gone in for an evaluation of her episodes of wheezing and shortness of breath. These episodes resolve spontaneously, but her incidence of them seems to be increasing. While playing sports she is having shortness of breath and wheezing. She uses her friend’s bronchodilating inhaler on occasions when her symptoms seem especially bad, and interfere with her playing of lacrosse. Of late, Jeannie has been dealing with itchy, watery eyes and sneezing with the onset of spring.

The family lives in the suburbs but only moved there a year ago from an urban setting. The family does own a pet dog, Rusty. Her Dad smokes 2 packs of cigarettes a day. Her mother has seasonal allergy problems and because of this her mother is a fanatic about cleanliness. Neither of her siblings is having any respiratory issues.

When questioned about her use of tobacco, or marijuana, Jeannie denies using either. She is a good student that works hard and often stays up late at night. Her vital signs are “normal” but upon pulmonary auscultation, wheezing is heard on both sides of her chest during inspiration and expiration. Her coloring is normal

Please respond to each of the following

1. List possible factors that may be contributing to Jeannie’s asthma.
2. List signs and symptoms of asthma and underline the ones that Jeannie is exhibiting.
3. What additional tests may the physician order?
4. Why is the using of someone else’s medicine (inhaler) not a good practice?
5. What treatments may the physician use to relieve her symptoms?

Answer 1

1.Possible factors contributing to asthma

1. Family history of mother with allergic disease increases the chances of asthma in children with 3-6times.
2. Climate
3. Physical atctivity
4. Parental smoking will contribute to child's and family member's health issues specially respiratory illness.
5. Skin particles or dried saliva from pet dog.
6. Irritants and chemicals from school and other places.

2.Signs and symptoms of asthma

• Shortness of breath.
• Wheezing when exhaling,
• cough or wheezing that are trigered or worsened by virus(respiratory)
• Trouble sleeping due to shortness of breath.
• Tightness of chest or pain.

3.Diagnostic tests for asthma

1. Spirometry: To check the lung function, mainly speed and amount of air that is inhaled and exhaled.
2. Pulmonary function test:A comprehansive test to check lung capacity in all variations.
3. Bronchial challenge test: A common test used widely to diagnose asthma.
4. Skin allergic test:This is performed occasionaly to check for presence of any allergic reactions.

4.Using someone else inhaler is a bad practice

Using others onhaler is too bad for ones health due to different reasons.It is well known that sharing inhalers will not help the patient rather than it worsen the condition to more extent.The after effects change according to the medicibe being shared which is not prescribed there are medications which do harm more than help by using and also these shared inhaler plays a great vector to pass infections.The medicine in someone else's inhaler may differ with medication that needed for you to rescue.

5.Treatments to control symptoms

There are two main types of medication to treat asthma.

1. LONG TERM CONTROL MEDICATIONS: Medications like corticosteriod inhalers to keep asthma in control.
2. QUICK RELIEF INHALERS: Medications contain fast acting salbutamol albuterol, these are also called as rescue inhalers which can be used in asthma attacks and to make breathing easier.

Long term medications are more dependable were they control symptoms and keep asthma in control.

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