Course: Health
Unit: Physical Health – Preventing Disease
Section: Chronic Diseases
Tutorial: Asthma
SLIDE 1
Asthma is a non-infectious disease of the airways that affects people of all ages.
Asthma occurs when an allergen or other environmental trigger causes the airways to
constrict, limiting airflow to the lungs. The exact causes of asthma are relatively
unknown, but many people inherit asthma through genetics or develop asthma through
environmental exposures. Some people inherit allergies from their parents; these
allergies can trigger asthma symptoms or attacks.
What are some of the signs and symptoms of asthma or an asthma attack? Click the next
button for some answers.
SLIDE 2
Since asthma reduces the amount of air a person can breathe in, someone with
asthma might show some of these signs: shortness of breath, wheezing, tightness in the
chest and coughing. If you see someone showing these signs, you should always
approach the person to see if 911 needs to be called.
SLIDE 3
An asthma attack can be minor or major. Slight attacks cause shortness of breath and
wheezing. Major attacks can result in hospitalization or death. An attack is often
triggered by an activity or by something in the environment. Can you think of some
possible triggers for asthma attacks? Click below to check your answers.
SLIDE 4
Asthma can surface as an occasional brief attack, or it can be a lifetime condition. To
treat short term attacks, doctors can prescribe inhalers that contain bronchodilators.
Bronchodilators are drugs that help open up the muscles of the airways. For people
suffering long term asthma, doctors often prescribe steroid pills or inhalers that help
lessen the effects of periodic attacks and sometimes help a person avoid an attack
altogether.
Pronunciation for bronchodilator: [brong-koh-dahy-ley-ter, -di-]
On the next page, you will be able to test your understanding of asthma.
© KC Distance Learning
Slide 5
Terms
Associated Term
Trigger
Smoke
Treatment
Steroids
Cause
Genetics
Trigger
Pollen
Cause
Environmental exposures
Treatment
Inhalers
Symptom
Shortness of breath
Symptom
Wheezing
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