Pulmonary/Lung Disease

Asthma treatment means life and breath
The very word emergency connotes urgency. But many people don't realize how important it is to recognize emergencies and react by seeking emergency care. This is especially true when it comes to breathing, said Dee Grimm, R.N., Northern Nevada's emergency department manager.

"With the Truckee Meadows' elevation, prevalence of smoking and high air particulate count, especially in winter, this can really be asthma country," said Grimm. The disease may often be undiagnosed and affects children as well as adults. "Secondhand smoke exposure can be a big factor here, one that often is underestimated by adults who are smoking around children," she added.

While it's known that pollutants and other factors are triggers, no definitive cause or cure for asthma has been discovered. Asthma is defined as a chronic condition in which the air passages in the lungs become inflamed and swollen. Any irritation of these overly-sensitive air passages can lead to an asthma attack with symptoms including chest tightness, coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing or feeling of inability to catch one's breath.

Grimm stresses not waiting to seek emergency care when symptoms of respiratory distress appear. Asthma can become critical or even fatal if ignored.

"Deaths from asthma have continued to increase in recent years," noted Ray Evans, R.T., C.P.F.T., cardiopulmonary manager at Northern Nevada Medical Center. The disease now affects one in 20 people. Evans reinforced that many deaths occur with people who know they have asthma but wait too long for medical attention. "These people might start taking their medication, but if they wait too long, they can't inhale deeply enough to receive benefit from it at home," he added.

Adults who know they have asthma often will delay coming to a hospital until they appear in complete respiratory distress. "They'll arrive here with hardly enough breath to say, 'I can't breathe!'," said Grimm.

Don't wait to bring in your child or to come in if you have these symptoms, Grimm emphasized:

• Shortness of breath when walking or talking
• Feeling of constant fatigue
• Inability to sleep or eat
• Inability to tolerate regular activities without breathing difficulty

One or more of the symptoms above with a family history of asthma especially signals emergency attention.

Treatment for asthma can involve medications including IVs, heart monitoring and multiple breathing aids including inhalants. "This is another reason not to wait to seek treatment," said Grimm, "because care for asthma can be much more complex and expensive if it's delayed."

Grimm added that people should remember to take care of any breathing problem whether on vacation or at home. "Seek prompt attention wherever you are," she said.

For more information on asthma and local asthma resources, please call Northern Nevada Medical Center's respiratory department, 356-4949, or the American Lung Association of Nevada, 829-5864.