Online Class: Asthma 101

Welcome to Asthma 101, an introduction into the medical condition known as asthma. Do you know the difference between asthma and allergies? We'll explain that in this course. Students will also learn about the usual suspects when it comes to asthma symptoms and the different types of asthma that an individual can be diagnosed with, depending on occupation, lifestyle and hypersensitivity to foods, drugs, and the environment.

In this course, students will also learn how to identify risk factors for contracting asthma as well as a understand the background into genetic information that may be associated with the condition. Managing asthma is also a focus of this course, and students will learn how to provide and contribute to long-term therapy and approaches to asthma treatment following a diagnosis.

In this course, we'll cover a number of commonly prescribed medications and alternative treatments for relief of asthma symptoms. Both prescription and over-the-counter medications used to treat asthma are also covered in this course, as is the use of a variety of diagnostic methodologies to develop a well-rounded and effective short-acting and long-term treatment plan for management of asthma symptoms.

You'll learn about some of the more common complications that those diagnosed with asthma need to watch out for as well as steps that you can take to create a cleaner, safer and healthier home environment.

Students will also learn how asthma affects children, pregnant women and the elderly in different ways and steps that each group can take in their fight against asthmas by discussing medications, lifestyle changes, and knowledge that helps reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks in a variety of environments.

Courses Frequently Bought Together:

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Aging and Long Term Care 101

Course Motivation

Understanding asthma, what it is, and how it affects the body is the foundation of this course. The first thing to know is that people of all ages, socioeconomic, and geographical backgrounds are diagnosed with asthma every day. Some medical experts believe asthma is directly linked to indoor air pollution, exposure to chemicals, and unhealthy lifestyles. More people in developed countries around the world suffer from asthma than others.

What Is Asthma?

Asthma is a condition that affects the airways. The airway (trachea) is the tube that extends from the back of your throat down the neck and then branches off into two passageways that access the lungs. Individuals diagnosed with asthma, or experiencing an asthma attack, produce a variety of symptoms, and individuals can react to these symptoms in different ways.

During an asthma attack, the airways swell, narrowing the amount of oxygen that enters or exits the lungs. This creates shortness of breath. This shortness of breath can be mild or severe, extremely brief or last for hours -- again depending on the individual and the trigger that precipitated the asthma attack.

According to the Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 22 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with asthma. Roughly 6 million are children. 

Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention helps individuals learn to live with the condition and make changes in habits and lifestyles that increase comfort and quality of life. The ultimate goal in treating asthma is to create management and long-term therapy treatment plans that offer immediate relief, help prevent asthma from worsening, and facilitate quick response to an asthma attack.

Note - If you, or a loved one, or a friend experiences an asthma attack and lips or fingernails are turning blue, you (or they) are having trouble talking or walking, call 911 immediately. Don't wait for the attack to subside.

What's the Difference Between Asthma and Allergies?

While asthma directly affects the lungs and their function, as well as passageways that serve the lungs, allergies are described as a sensitivity disorder that more or less affect the sinuses, the eyes, and the throat. Allergies are defined as overreactions by the body to certain substances, such as dust, cat fur, or plant pollen.

Physicians and scientists believe there is a direct link between allergies and asthma, and individuals diagnosed with asthma are often also diagnosed with specific types of allergies.

Both allergic and asthma reactions are caused by a malfunction of your immune system. The immune system is your body's way of defending itself against attack from bacteria, injury, and invasions of substances the body considers dangerous. While dust may make a non-allergic or non-asthmatic person sneeze, to a person who is allergic to dust, or one who has asthma that is sensitive to it, may experience severe bodily reactions that cause extreme discomfort and difficulty breathing. 

Asthma Anatomy

During an asthma attack, the body automatically tries to prevent substances that trigger the attack from entering the body. An asthma attack is also called asthma exacerbation. Basic knowledge of the respiratory system is important for individuals diagnosed with asthma and their loved ones, so they understand what happens during an asthma attack and how to provide care.

The respiratory system works like this:

Air then travels into the trachea, the major airway that extends from the throat to about the mid-chest. The trachea in turn branches off into the right and left bronchi, which extend into the right and left lung.

The bronchi, in turn, branch multiple times inside the lungs into bronchioles, which terminate in clusters of air sacs called alveoli. These tiny air sacs are where actual gas exchange (oxygen and carbon dioxide) occurs. When a person inhales, the ribs lift upward and outward. During exhalation, the ribs float downward and inward. During an asthma attack, you may notice a person taking longer to exhale than inhale, or you may even notice a type of panting or rapid breathing that fails to offer adequate oxygenation to the blood. In such cases, hyperventilation is possible.

Most of us breathe between 15 and 18 times a minute, exchanging roughly 500 ml of air during each breath. The force of the amount of air that you can exhale out of your lungs averages about four liters. This action is called vital capacity. Roughly 1200 mm of residual air remain in the lungs following a normal exhalation. During an asthma attack, the constriction of the bronchi and bronchioles make it extremely difficult for the lungs to facilitate the action of breathing in and breathing out.

The airways of an asthmatic are sensitive to inflammation, irritation, and swelling. During an attack, excessive mucous is produced, further blocking the airways, whose walls have become so thick that, between muscular constriction and airways narrowed due to inflammation, little air can enter or exit.

During an attack, the linings of the lungs and airways swell and increase their production of mucus as a response to a perceived assault or attack of the airways. Muscles around airways automatically tighten, making breathing difficult and painful. One of the most common symptoms of an asthma attack is the sound of wheezing or whistling as air struggles to move through these narrowed air passageways.