Essay On Reactive Airway Disease

Reactive airway disease, also known as asthma, is characterized by a constricting of the airway that carries oxygen to our lungs. This is caused by the air passages inflaming. Although, there are many treatments for asthma, it is still a very severe and hazardous disease that causes almost 2 million emergencies a year and affects nearly 26 million Americans (What 1). There are many aspects to this disease that are very important including; the 3 main features, the types of asthmas along with the signs and symptoms, who it happens to, treatments, and other important facts.
The 3 main features of asthma include airway obstruction, inflammation, and airway irritability. Normal breathing for the human body includes air moving freely to and from the lungs but, with asthma the bands of muscle around the airways tighten causing the airway to not be able to go through freely. In other words, the lungs do not get enough air and this causes the human to feel a shortness of breath or to have trouble breathing—this is known as airway obstruction.
The bronchial tubes in people with asthma also get red and enlarged. This inflammation can cause damage to the lungs over a long period of time, if not treated or managed correctly. Also, the airway will become a lot more sensitive and have
It also does not discriminate against gender or race. In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control stated that 8.2% of the American population had asthma. That includes 18.9 million adults (What 2). Asthma in children has more than doubled since 1980 causing scientists to investigate the cause. An estimation according to the CDC is that one in every ten children has this ever-growing disease. Even though this disease can come about to anyone, it has been proven that if you have a family history of asthma, you are at higher risk of developing the disease,