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Can Older Adults Develop Asthma

The Differences Between Childhood And Adult

Many adults developing asthma

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , asthma affects more than 25 million people in the United States, or about 8 percent of the population. Seven million of them are children.

Asthma is common in childhood, but you can develop it at any point in your life. Its not uncommon for people over the age of 50 to be diagnosed with this lung disorder.

Childhood asthma and adult-onset asthma have the same symptoms, and both have similar treatments. However, children with asthma face different challenges.

Many cases of adult-onset asthma are triggered by allergies. Allergens are substances that can cause an immune reaction in people who are sensitive to them.

Children with allergies may not experience asthma from exposure to allergens when they are younger. Yet over time, their bodies can change and react differently. This can lead to adult-onset asthma.

According to the American Lung Association, of the estimated 7 million children in the United States with asthma, more than 4 million experience an asthma attack each year. Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalizations of American children age 15 and younger. Fortunately, asthma-related deaths in children are quite rare.

If you suspect your childs symptoms are the result of asthma, make an appointment with their doctor. Untreated childhood asthma may have lasting impacts.

Q: How Well Does Treatment Work For Adults With Asthma

Asthma can be more difficult; to control in adults for several reasons:

  • Asthma medications;can be less effective;later in life, particularly for those who are obese.
  • Oral steroids can worsen glaucoma, cataracts and osteoporosis.
  • Being on beta-blockers;for heart problems can increase the severity of asthma.
  • The lungs and chest walls are stiffer;and the muscles supporting deep breathing are weaker in adults.

For these reasons, adults with asthma are at increased risk for flare-ups and even hospitalization.

Do I Need To Wear A Helmet To Recover Damages In A Motorcycle Accident

Not necessarily. Under Texas law, all riders who are less than 21 years of age must wear a helmet. Those who are 21 years of age and older may ride without a helmet, but only if they have either completed a motorcycle safety course or can provide proof of health insurance that will cover injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

That being said, whether or not you are wearing a helmet only becomes a factor if you suffer injuries that could have been avoided or reduced if you wore a helmet. If you were legally required to wear a helmet, but did not, then suffer head injuries, it will be very difficult to recover for your head injuries. But you should still be able to recover for other injuries and damages that werent related to whether or not you wore a helmet.

If you were not legally required to wear a helmet, chose not to wear one, then suffered head injuries in a motorcycle accident, you can still recover for your head injuries, but youll need to show that you would have still suffered head injuries even if you had worn your helmet. But assuming you can do this, any recovery you obtain for your head injuries is still likely to be lower than if you had been wearing a helmet.

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Video: What Happens After Being Diagnosed With Asthma

Transcript of What happens after being diagnosed with asthma?

0:00 It can be really scary to be told you have asthma and its natural to worry about how it might affect your life. The

0:08 good news is that theres lots of support out there to help you manage the condition and to help you to stay well.

0:15 You may wonder if your asthma can be cured. Well, even though we dont have a cure for asthma at the moment, theres so much we can do with the right medicines,

0:25 the right treatments, the right advice and support to help you stay well, so that the asthma wont affect your life,

0:31 whether it be work or your play. You might find that when youre just diagnosed with asthma it takes a little

0:38 bit of time to get your medicines just right so that you are living without symptoms every day. Be patient, hang on in there.

0:47 The most important thing is to develop a really good relationship with your doctor or nurse. With them you can draw up an asthma action plan, which you can

0:56 download from our website. Thatll really help you to manage your asthma well, and we know that youre four times less likely to need to go to hospital if

1:04 youve got one of these. So, if you have just been diagnosed with asthma, try and stay positive. Theres so much you can do to stay well. You can visit our website,

1:14 or phone one of our friendly asthma nurse specialists, or even join a forum. Remember that were here to help.

Prevention And Treatment Of Asthma

Asthma in Older Adults: Diagnosis, Treatment

There is no way to prevent asthma, even if you start treatment early on after your symptoms develop, says Szefler. Researchers are starting to look at whether using biologic medications containing live bacteria could work to prevent asthma, Szelfer says, “but the results are several years off.”

However, even if you can’t prevent asthma, there are steps you can take to prevent asthma attacks:

  • Take all your medications as prescribed. Don’t make any changes without first discussing with your doctor even if your symptoms improve.
  • Schedule regular checkups with your doctor. In particular, let your doctor know if you find yourself relying on an inhaler to relieve your symptoms, as this may be a sign that your asthma is not under control.
  • Find out what triggers your asthma symptoms and avoid those triggers as much as possible. Common triggers include tobacco smoke or allergens like pollen and dust.
  • Get a flu shot. Coming down a respiratory infection can worsen your asthma symptoms and trigger attacks. You can also fight off illness by taking steps to boost your immune system.

Asthma is an ongoing condition and you should “maintain good medical follow-up to keep the disease under control,” Szefler says. You will need to make an individual treatment plan with your doctor, designed to target your symptoms and help avoid your asthma triggers.

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How Common Is Asthma In Seniors

Not everyone agrees that the incidence of asthma in older adults is rising.

This is likely not true, Dr. Sameer Mathur, an associate professor in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, told Healthline.

It is more likely that it is now being recognized more so than in the past, especially since pulmonary and allergy/asthma physicians have been trying to get this message across, Mathur said.

We find that some patients with childhood asthma go into remission, but likely have residual lung changes, and manifest asthma symptoms when they get older, he added. There is also a group of patients that develops the onset of asthma when they are older.

Asthma is also underdiagnosed and undertreated in older adults, Mathur said, because there can be many causes for shortness of breath, including heart disease.

About 10 percent of older patients are considered to have severe asthma and have a high risk of having exacerbations that result in emergency room visits or hospitalizations, he added.

So, we suspect many physicians are focusing on other, more acutely life-threatening conditions and ignore the possibility of asthma, Mathur said.

Testing For Severe Asthma

Before you can be tested for severe asthma, you will need a referral from your primary healthcare asthma provider to either an asthma specialist or allergy specialist . The specialist will review your medical history, your current asthma treatment plan and do a physical exam to assess your symptoms. If the specialist thinks you may have severe asthma, they will discuss additional testing with you to determine your specific type. This often starts with testing to identify a biomarker.

Biomarkers help determine what is causing the inflammation in your airways. Taking a blood sample, analyzing a mucus sample or taking a breathing test that measure substances in your breath droplets are all common tests doctors use. These tests are performed in a doctors office or an outpatient clinic setting. Your specialist will recommend one or more of these tests based on your medical history and current symptoms. Once the biomarkers are identified, your doctor can determine the type of severe asthma and the different treatment options that are available to treat that specific type.

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How Can Adult Onset Asthma Be Managed

If you manage your asthma, you can expect to lead a normal lifestyle. Basically, there are four key steps to managing asthma successfully:

1.;;;Learn about asthma and stay up-to-date on new developments.

2.;; Take prescribed medications. Dont make any changes until you check with your physician. Dont use over- the-counter medications unless prescribed by your physician!

3.;; Check your lungs daily at home by using a peak flow meter. Asthma patients often can detect lung changes with a peak flow meter before they actually experience any changes. Visit your physician regularly for further in-office tests. Lung testing is painless and provides valuable data that helps your physician make adjustments in your medication.

4. ;; Make an asthma management plan with your physician. A plan establishes guidelines that tell you what to do if your asthma symptoms get worse.

Asthma Can Cause Short

Asthma on the rise in older adults

Asthma complications that develop over the short run, include:

Problems Engaging in Normal Daily Activities According to;David Rosenstreich, MD, chief of the division of allergy and immunology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, symptoms of asthma like coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath may prevent you from attending work or school, impacting your productivity.

Asthma symptoms may also interfere with sleep or prevent you from exercising or engaging in other leisure or social activities. Disengagement from all of these activities can affect your overall health and increase your risk for conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

People who have;poorly controlled asthma, either because of failure to adhere to treatment or because asthma is difficult to control with treatment,;are more likely to experience work and overall activity impairments than people who have asthma under control.

Severe Asthma Attacks Up to 10 percent of people who have asthma may have whats termed severe asthma. For these people, asthma symptoms occur daily and are often difficult to control, says Patricia Takach, MD, an associate professor of clinical medicine in the Section of Allergy and Immunology at the University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Some severe asthma attacks may require a trip to the emergency room or require hospitalization. Seek immediate medical attention if your symptoms are not responding to your usual treatment.

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Asthma Symptoms Can Mimic Other Illnesses Or Diseases Especially In Older Adults For Example:

  • Hiatal hernia, stomach problems, heart failure, or rheumatic arthritis can create asthma-like symptoms.
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has many of the same symptoms as asthma. COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is very common in older adults especially those who are or have been smokers.

Cellular Biology Of The Aging Lung

The physiologic and histopathologic findings in the airways of aging subjects are driven by important cellular age-associated changes. Acknowledging the importance of aging and lung disease, the American Thoracic Society highlighted this topic at the 2014 annual meeting. The summary statement recommended to address several of the following tentative hallmarks of mammalian aging: genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, and altered intercellular communication when studying lung disease in older patients. At present, most work investigating these cellular hallmarks of aging in the lung has focused on COPD and pulmonary fibrosis. However, a reduced telomere length in peripheral blood mononuclear cells correlated with increased asthma severity in a small group of patients and in another study, was more likely detected in patients with childhood-onset persistent vs adolescent-onset asthma. Additionally, in a murine model of asthma, inhibiting thymic stromal lymphopoietin decreased cellular senscence. Additional future work is needed to more fully address the impact of cellular senescence with asthma.

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How Can Asthma Symptoms Be Controlled Or Reduced

If your asthma symptoms are caused by allergies, take steps to control known or potential triggers in your environment. Allergy-proof your house for dust, mold, cockroaches and other common indoor allergens to which you are allergic. Reduce your outdoor activities when pollen counts or ozone levels are high. Choose foods that don’t contribute to your asthma or allergy symptoms. Evaluate your workplace for possible allergens and take the necessary steps to reduce your exposure to them.

What Are The Symptoms Of Hay Fever

What Is Adult

Most of us are familiar with the main symptoms of hay fever: watery, itchy, or irritated eyes, congestion, coughing and sneezing. However, as many don’t realise they can develop hay fever as an adult, they assume they are suffering from a cold.

With hay fever taken off the table, many adults put their symptoms down to having a drawn-out cold – and without the right remedies or approach, may suffer for several weeks unnecessarily.

People whose symptoms are drawn out may also go on to develop secondary symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, headaches and low mood, simply because they have felt under the weather for some time.

Conversely, some people who have been diagnosed with hay fever may write off other symptoms they are experiencing, assuming they are also to do with their allergy. However, this is not necessarily the case and any new or unusual symptoms should be treated with individual concern.

“It’s important to remember that typical hay fever symptoms are very mild,” explains Ali. “People need to remember, too, that hay fever symptoms are primarily airway-related and there aren’t often strange symptoms that go with it.”

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Asthma Uk Is Here To Support You

We have expert advice on how to manage your asthma well and what to do if you have an asthma attack.

We also have lots of tips on living with asthma, from doing sports and going on holiday, to studying with asthma and having relationships.

Explore our health advice web pages and . The more you know about your asthma, the better youll be able to work with your GP or asthma nurse to manage it well.

Speak to someone about your asthma;

You can also call our Helpline on;00 222 5800; to speak to a respiratory nurse specialist. Or you can WhatsApp them on 0307378 606 728.;

You can ask them anything from symptoms and treatments to living life without asthma getting in the way.;;

Next review due February 2024

Complete Pulmonary Function Testing

Your asthma care provider may want to determine your lung volumes and diffusing capacity. This is often done if your asthma diagnosis is unclear. The test requires you to sit inside a special box that helps determine how much air you breathe in and out.

  • Lung Volumes: Your asthma care provider may order body plethysmography test to determine your lung volumes. Asthma may cause certain changes in lung volumes that will assist your asthma care provider in diagnosing or treating your asthma.
  • Diffusion Capacity: Diffusion capacity measures how well oxygen flows from the lungs into your blood. Poor diffusion indicates damage to the lung where the oxygen and blood meet in the lungs. Diffusion capacity is usually normal in asthmatics.

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The Aftermath Of A Car Accident

Some people are lucky and survive motor vehicle collusions with few to no injuries. However, it is best to prepare for the worst just in case it comes to pass. The most common injuries stemming from car accidents are those to the head and neck. When a car, motorcycle, or truck comes to an abrupt stop, drivers and passengers can easily strike their heads against steering wheels, dashboards, projectiles, and even windshields. Traumatic brain injuries often result, and while some may be temporary concussions, those who survive car accidents can still suffer lasting cognitive damage. Whiplash, the ligament and muscle damage that occurs in the neck when the head is jerked back and forth, is also common.

Other injuries that follow car accidents include trauma to the spinal cord, which can lead to permanent nerve damage; herniated disks, caused by displaced cartilage in the spinal column; tears in the anterior cruciate ligament ; broken bones; and even collapsed lungs. All these injuries can be a burden to overcome, and it is important to document every last detail. This way, your Houston car accident attorney will be better able to help you receive necessary health insurance coverage.

Why Is Asthma Difficult To Diagnose In Older Adults

Adult Onset Asthma

A diagnosis of asthma may be missed in an older person because symptoms of other health conditions are similar to asthma symptoms and may mask the specific symptoms. Asthma symptoms among older adults are more likely to take the form of coughing with the production of sputum from the lungs. Your physician might interpret those symptoms as being due to other illnesses, such as chronic bronchitis or congestive heart failure.; In particular, heart disease and emphysema, much more common in older adults, especially smokers, can mimic asthma symptoms.

Good to know . . . One of the ways in which asthma is recognized among younger people is by the symptoms of wheezing and difficulty breathing following exercise. When older adults become inactive, the opportunity for asthma to present itself lessens. If you experience asthma symptoms wheezing, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, chronic cough with your regular activities such as housework, shopping, gardening, or walking, be sure to talk with your physician as soon as possible.

When the asthma symptoms are not recognized correctly, they may remain untreated, likely worsening and creating very serious health risks.

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