Case history: bronchial asthma

Asthma is a disease of the respiratory tract, manifested in coughing, shortness of breath, a feeling of tightness in the chest, wheezing. Symptoms occur more often at night and in the early morning, respectively, as well as reaction to certain stimuli.

The disease is characterized by chronic inflammation and increased sensitivity of the bronchi. The exact cause of the disease is unclear, but there are factors contributing to its occurrence: heredity, allergies, viral infections.

Asthma usually begins in childhood or puberty, but it can also appear in an adult. Symptoms may be similar, but some important points of the course of the disease are different in children and adults. Significantly speed up the diagnosis can help properly and correctly designed personal medical history.

Bronchial asthma, the more correct name for the standard form of asthma

The term "bronchial asthma" is used to differentiate it from cardiac asthma, a separate type, caused by heart failure. Although the two types of asthma are characterized by similar symptoms, including stridor (wheezing) and shortness of breath, they have very different causes.

Symptoms of one person's illness differ from the symptoms of the other. They can appear sporadically or steadily. Bronchospasm can be so strong that there is a threat to life. At an attack of an asthma, first of all, the exhalation, accompanied by a wheezing breath is complicated. There are partial coughing attacks. In children, coughing is usually a key symptom, so the diagnosis of "bronchial asthma" can sometimes be delayed.

Difficult breathing, lack of air can lead to psychological problems - nausea, difficulties with speech, feelings of fear, anxiety.

Protection from the risks of development of complications of asthma is considered the main principle of documentation - the history of the disease for bronchial asthma, based on the patient's memories and observations.

Physical examination (or personal inspection)

The basic researches - diagnostics of a pulmonary function, tests for allergic reactions, procedures for exception of other diseases.

In addition, it is necessary to determine the severity of asthma, which need not necessarily coincide with the subjective perception of the patient.

A personal examination represents a physical examination, including listening (auscultation) and percussion (percussion) of the lungs. In the history of the disease all the moments of the patient's examination are inscribed to further control the course of the disease. The necessary information is contained in the patient's medical record, otherwise referred to as the "Case record".

Bronchial asthma usually begins in childhood and is the most common chronic disease. Women suffer from asthma more often than men.

Anamnesis of life and anamnesis of the disease (recollection or personal history of the disease)

Bronchial asthma, like other diseases, can be identified according to the information received by the doctor from the patient. An anamnesis should not be confused with the history of the disease or the medical chart made by the doctor.

From a medical point of view, the complaints recalled by the patient are mentioned in the patient's card as symptoms, unlike the clinical signs established after the medical examination.

It makes a lot of sense to give the medical worker all the information about his observations. First of all, in an interview with a specialist, you need answers to the following questions:

- What diseases are there in the family (especially the respiratory tract)?

- Are there allergies or diseases similar to them (for example, hay fever or rhinitis)?

- Are there any symptoms when contacting animals and plants?

- Allergies to food, medicine?

- When the symptoms characteristic of bronchial asthma appeared for the first time?

- What methods of treatment does the patient use?

- What is the degree of physical activity and how do they affect health?

- Whether there are complaints on deterioration of state of health in separate places (on a workplace, in connection with a change of place or on holiday)?

- Do the complaints from the seasons?

- How does tobacco smoke affect health?

From the information thus obtained, together with the clinical examination carried out, a diagnosis is formed: bronchial asthma. The history of the disease is of great importance for the doctor, as it is an important key to the concept of the development of the disease and, accordingly, the choice of appropriate methods in further therapeutic actions.

With this pathology, allergic reactions are quite acceptable, what causes the specific history of the disease. Bronchial asthma is considered an incurable disease, but it is relatively successful to cure it, if necessary, targeted therapy.

In the world, the leaders in the incidence of bronchial asthma are the Scots (18.4 percent of the total population). In general, this pathology is often called "British disease".