Allergies and Asthma
By: Hope Schneider
Definition
Asthma is a disorder in which a person's respiratory passages become inflamed and narrow significantly in reaction to certain "triggers."
Symptoms
Asthma attack- wheezing, coughing, becoming short of breath, people say it's like breathing through a straw
Causes
Allergies are caused by foreign substances enter the body and cause reactions. Common causes may be pollen, dust, molds, some foods, and even medicine.
Treatment
There are lots of treatments to allergies. Some are shots, over-the-counter medications, and prescription medications. Medications are usually used to ease symptoms and shots are used to get rid of allergies, but are only used on allergies to the environment like pollen, not on allergy like food and pets.
Statistics
ranked 5th among other leading chronic diseases
70% chance a child will have allergies if both parents have them
8% of people in the United States have asthma
percentage of children hospitalized for asthma: 44%
1 in 12 people have asthma
Prevention
Ways to prevent asthma: asthma can't be prevented but you can control it by using medicines prescribed to you and avoid asthma triggers and places where there are a lot of triggers.
Diagnosis
Allergies diagnosed: A doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and habits and will do a couple of tests to determine if you are allergic to something. They may do blood tests or an allergy skin test.
Works cited
- Pruitt, B. E. "Chronic Diseases and Disabilities." Prentice Hall Health. Student Ed. [S.l.]: Prentice Hall, 2007. 616-17. Print.
- Center, Rodney Taylor, M.D., Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist, University of Maryland Medical. "What Are Common Symptoms Of Allergies?" ABC News. ABC News Network, 24 Mar. 2008. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AllergiesOverview/story?id=4513655>
- "Allergies: Treatment & Care." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/allergies-treatment-care>.
- "Allergy Statistics and Allergy Facts." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www.webmd.com/allergies/allergy-statistics>.
- "How Can Asthma Be Prevented?" - NHLBI, NIH. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma/prevention.html>.
- "How to Prevent Allergies." Discovery Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/allergies/allergy-basics/how-to-prevent-allergies.htm>.
- "Allergies: Diagnosis & Tests." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/allergies-diagnosis-tests>
- "How Is Asthma Diagnosed?" - NHLBI, NIH. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma/diagnosis.html>
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