CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS: ASTHMA - Assignment Example

Cultural Considerations: Asthma Cultural Considerations: Asthma Introduction and Risk Factors Asthma is a long-termmedical condition which affects the respiratory system, notably the airways that produce extra mucus and swell, hence becoming narrow. The primary symptom of asthma is difficulty in breathing that comes about because of chest tightness. That notwithstanding, it is far-reaching to acknowledge the fact that the severity of the symptoms may vary in different patients based on the immunity of the affected persons.

According to the CDC (n.d.), about 7% of the American population suffers from asthma. Additionally, some regions register a higher incidence of the condition than others. An example of such a constituency is Etowah County in the state of Alabama, where the patient population is about 10.5% of its overall inhabitants (CDC, n.d.). Though genetics is a major actor in the occurrence of asthma, the high incidence of the condition in Etowah County cannot be wholly attributed to the genome organization of the inhabitants.

Surveys carried out by various stakeholders in the State of Alabama have over time pointed towards the fact that too much exposure to second-hand smoke, which often brings about air pollution, is an integral agent in the high incidence of the condition in Etowah County and the State of Alabama as a whole. In like manner, the rate of asthma in Etowah County has been attributed to excessive smoking by a portion of its inhabitants. As is always the case, once the adult population is affected, the children they bear often become highly susceptible to the condition (University of Alabama, 2012).

This is majorly because smoking affects the immunity of the body to pulmonary diseases. Consequently, sections of the affected children inherit hypersensitive conditions such as allergic rhinitis, which in turn increases the risk of individuals to asthma. Patient Education In a situation where asthma is not controlled early, the condition is often likely to escalate by causing frequent asthma attacks in patients. To this effect, it would be of great significance to educate the patients and the overall population on some of the risk factors of the condition.

One of the educational approaches would be for health facilities to organize asthma clinics, where the patients interact with healthcare experts who bring them up to speed on some of the ways they can best manage the condition to avert its severity (Murphy, 2013). Apart from health clinics, various establishments within the region should come in and organize asthma management training for their employees, as the condition is highly prevalent in the area, and corporate responsibility may be one of the ideal steps towards preventing health complications.

Schools should similarly not be left behind as the disease affects persons of all age groups. Consequently, teachers should make an attempt at enlightening most of their students on some the strategies of managing asthma. Conditions such as diabetes have aggravated over the last fifteen years because the fight was left to health experts. It is critical for the current generation not to back the wrong horse, as the only way of averting asthma is by the entire society joining hands.ReferencesCentre for Disease Control (CDC). (n.d.). Asthma surveillance data.

Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/asthma/asthmadata.htm.Murphy, W. B. (2011). Asthma. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books.University of Alabama. (2012). Issues in asthma research and treatment. Alabama Press.