This guideline covers diagnosing and managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD (which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis) in people aged 16 and older. It aims to help people with COPD to receive a diagnosis earlier so that they can benefit from treatments to reduce symptoms, impr...ove quality of life and keep them healthy for longer.
more
asthma is a chronic inflammatory and a heterogeneous condition of respiratory system whose pathogenesis is linked with variable structural changes. The clinical manifestation of asthma includes attacks of breathlessness, cough, chest tightness and wheezing. Provision of basic equipment and test for ...asthma diagnosis and access to essential medicines by asthmatic patients reduces morbidity and mortality rates. Significant progress has been made in the diagnosis and management of asthma in other countries but not in the health care delivery system in Zimbabwe. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop algorithm for asthma diagnosis and management for Zimbabwe.
more
Research globally has shown that metered dose inhaler (MDI) technique is poor, with patient education and regular demonstration critical in maintaining correct use of inhalers. Patient information containing pictorial aids improves understanding of medicine usage; however, manufacturer leaflets illu...strating MDI use may not be easily understood by low-literacy asthma patients.
more
In 2014, the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) reported that the highest prevalence of symptoms of severe asthma was found in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Nigeria. While exposure to biomass fuel use may be an important risk factor in the deve...lopment of asthma, its association with asthma symptoms severity has not been well-established. The aim of this study is to extend the spectrum of environmental risk factors that may be contributing towards increasing asthma morbidity, especially asthma symptoms severity in rural schoolchildren in Nigeria and to examine possible asthma underdiagnosis among this population.
more
The National Asthma Education Programme (or NAEP for short) was started in 2008. We are a registered Non-Profit Organisation that aims to disseminate impartial information about asthma diagnosis and treatment to health professionals and the South African public.
How to detect signs of Asthma
Asthma is a long term illness of the lungs that causes the airways to become inflamed and produce lots of mucus. Viral infections, cold air, allergens, exercise, and smoke make the airways “twitchy”; they close easily causing asthma attacks with coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath (see wh...at is asthma). Between attacks the airways are inflamed (see what is an allergy).
more
Using an inhaler is the most common and effective way of taking asthma medicines. If you’re NOT using your inhaler correctly, you might not be getting the full dose of medicine your doctor or asthma nurse prescribed because the medicine can’t reach your
lungs. Instead it might be hitting the ba...ck of your throat, orstaying on your tongue or in your mouth where it won’t help atall.
more
Manual:
Know How to Use Your Asthma Inhaler.
Using a metered dose inhaler (inhaler in mouth).
When someone is having an asthma attack, their airways go into spasm which causes tightness of the chest; the linings of the airways become inflamed and phlegm is produced further obstructing the airways and leading to severe difficulty in breathing (Fig. 1). Asthma does lead to fatalities and shoul...d always be taken seriously.
more
Adults and adolescents 12+ years. Asthma medication options: Adjust treatment up and down for individual patient needs
There is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure
Secondhand smoke can travel within multiunit housing and common areas through doorways, cracks in walls, electrical lines, ventilation systems and plumbing.
Opening windows and using fans does not completely remove secondhand smoke.
Heating, air... conditioning and ventilation systems cannot eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.
more
Asthma is a heterogeneous condition characterised by chronic inflammation and variable expiratory airflow limitation, as well as airway reversibility. The diagnosis of asthma in young children is limited by the inability to perform objective lung function testing in this group of patients and the wi...de variety of conditions that can phenotypically present with asthma-like symptoms.
This article provides an evidence-based approach for clinicians to accurately diagnose asthma in young children and to assess the level of control to guide therapeutic decisions.
The South African Childhood Asthma Working Group (SACAWG) convened in January 2017 with task groups, each headed by a section leader, constituting the editorial committee on assessment of asthma epidemiology, diagnosis, control, treatments, novel treatments and self-management plans. The asthma diagnosis and control task groups reviewed the available scientific literature and assigned evidence according to the Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system, providing recommendations based on current evidence.
more
Secondhand smoke can infiltrate into other units through hallways and stairwells. Don’t be shy when it comes to your health. Talk to your building manager about making your apartment smokefree.
Secondhand smoke and the harmful chemicals in it are known causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS, ear infections.and asthma attacks in infants and children. They are also known causes of HEART DISEASE,stroke, and lung cancer in adult nonsmokers.
Asthma is a chronic lung condition that affects your airways or bronchial tubes. It causes your airways to narrow, swell and produce extra mucus, which in turn makes it more difficult to breathe. The narrowing of the airways causes you to feel short of breath, wheezy or trigger fits of coughing.
Asthma is a chronic (long-term) lung condition that affects your airways or bronchial tubes. It can cause your airways to narrow and their lining to swell and to produce extra mucus, which makes it more difficult to breathe. The narrowing of the airways causes you to feel short of breath, wheeze, or... cough. Asthma is there even when you don’t have any symptoms.
more
Research globally has shown that metered dose inhaler (MDI) technique is poor,
with patient education and regular demonstration critical in maintaining correct use of
inhalers. Patient information containing pictorial aids improves understanding of medicine
usage; however, manufacturer leaflets i...llustrating MDI use may not be easily understood by
low-literacy asthma patients.
more
This video is meant to train the public on how to use some of the devices for delivery of asthma medications.