Essays on Coughing

Post-stroke dysphagia, a potentially fatal complication, affects an estimated 23-50% of all stroke survivors. It is associated with a seven fold increase in the risk for aspiration pneumonia. Aspiration pneumonia increases the catabolic demands of the body and in the settings of impaired swallowing leads to a vicious cycle of malnutrition, dehydration, and further infections (Shaker & Geenen, 2011). Dysphagia affects a significant number of patients with hemispheric stroke which is the main subtype of ischemic stroke in the general population (Kumar et al., 2011). The functions of swallowing are subserved by a vast brain network. The inferior peri-rolandic sensorimotor ...

Abstract

Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms. Various groups of microorganisms exists and include bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses. Ideally, infectious diseases can rapidly spread from one person to another, or from one animal to another. The signs and symptoms of these diseases vary from one individual to another, but majorly consists of coughing, fatigue, breathing difficulties. In addition, mild infections may sometimes depict responsiveness to rest and home assistance. The case discussed in this paper involves an individual who seems to have contacted some air bone infections while moving up using the lift. The most likely disease, in relation ...

Question 1

The spirometer as well as the peak flow meter are among the key equipment needed in adequate assessment of asthma (Apter, 2014). As such, the spirometer measures the FEV (Force Expiratory volume) and the FVC (Force Vital Capacity) while the peak flow meter measures the efficiency in the flow of air from the lungs.

Question 2

Among the key symptoms and signs associated with asthma include; -Chest tightness -Shortness of breath -Wheezing -Fatigue -Coughing -Sleeping difficulties

Question 3

Asthma is usually associated with various precipitating factors that increase an individual’s likelihood of developing the disease. Among the key precipitating factors include; -Family ...

Differential diagnosis

The patient presents with the a 3-day cough and primary signs including a productive cough with yellow mucus, afebrile indications, no cervical adenopathy, enlarged nasal turbinates and moderate clear rhinorrhea. The father is in fear that the child has bronchitis. However, the patient has does not indicate cervical adenopathy ad is able to take deep breaths without coughing. The respiratory rate is at 18 indicating to be within the normal range (Dains, Baumann & Scheibel, 2007). Bronchitis could be a possible condition in this case as the patient presents with a productive cough, yellow in color as well as afebrile ...

An Assignment Submitted by

Asthma is a disease affecting the lungs. Because of asthma the lung tissues become inflamed and narrowed, and this influences the breathing process of the patient. They feel chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing at night or at early morning. Usually the symptoms of chronic asthma are being observed from childhood, but the disease can affect all age groups and reveal itself in adulthood as well. Asthma is a long-term disease. In most of the cases the inflamed airways react to a specific allergen coming from the environment such as pollen, dust or smoke. In order to ...

Introduction

This paper aims at evaluating concepts of alteration in homeostatic state, secondary to temporal variables. It analyses the case study of Brad, a 45-year old coal cutter who has held the job for 25 years. Brad is experiencing a chronic cough due to prolonged exposure to coal. Importantly, he has not been attending yearly checkups because he fears that his lung is “black.” The disease leads to fibrosis, reduced diffusing ability, and dilation of the small airways. In the final stage, the airways, alveoli, and pulmonary capillaries become damaged.

How the disease described in the case study creates incongruous between ventilation and perfusion

Chronic lung disease may induce mismatch in ventilation and perfusion ...

Introduction

Doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel have a series of duties that they must attend to, and one of them is dealing with patients’ medical grievances. Many of these complaints are quite common, ranging from the mundane to life-threatening. However, it is the job of these medical personnel to pay attention to these complaints, as these are the symptoms and underlying causes of the true medical condition of the patient. Knowing what these complaints mean will prove to be useful in a patient’s diagnosis. In some cases, this can mean the difference between life and death because some ...

The issue/ problem

The case concerns Mr. A. His medical condition relates to terminal cancer that is affecting his lower spine and pelvic bones. The problem with his condition is the complexity of the situation. The patient has decubitus ulcers since the skin around his pelvic bones has developed bed sore and pressure sore. At one point, nurses do not know whether to keep on turning him to avoid any further skin breakdown while other nurses insist that he has to remain in the present position to stop causing pain to the patient. Also, it is critical since Mr. A has a ...

Description of the case

Vivian is an 18-year-old student who was diagnosed with asthma at the age of eight years. Her impairment includes chest tightness, periodic wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Coughing is most prevalent in early in the morning or during the night. Such impairments result in various limitations throughout her life. For instance, she finds it difficult to breathe due to the insistent airflow obstruction, especially at night. In addition, these impairments restrict her from social participation such as school sports and ability to maintain normal activities such as exercise and school attendance. However, despite these limitations, personal factors such ...

Influenza is a highly communicable viral infection that is fundamental for the critical outbreaks of respiratory illnesses; it is usually very common in the winter (CDC, 2015). Influenza, unlike the common cold, can cause brutal, life-threatening complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia as well as a severe illness which must require hospitalization. The flu is more dangerous to pregnant women, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander individuals, elderly people and young children.

The cause of influenza

There are three common types of influenza viruses which infect a human being. These include influenza A, B, and C (Commonwealth of Australia, 2016). Influenza A and B ...

Tuberculosis is a disease, which was known for mankind since ancient times. There are often suffering symptoms of tuberculosis in Egyptian mummies. Information about it is remained in the Indian Vedas, the ancient Babylonian clay tablets in the Greek manuscripts. Even Hippocrates knew how dangerous tuberculosis disease of the lungs is. In the eighteenth century every seventh inhabitant of Europe died because of tuberculosis. Infectiousness of tuberculosis has been already known for a long period of time. German scientist Robert Koch, bacteriologist was the first one 1882 to discover mycobacterium tuberculosis in 1882. This is the microbe that under ...

Edgar Allan Poe was an American poet, writer, editor and literary critic, and a representative of the literary movement called Romanticism. He became popular thanks to his dark and grim short stories. Poe is considered to be the founder of the detective-fiction genre and psychological prose in literature. He is immediately recognized by his famous poem “The Raven.” But the writer proved his ability to create dread and fear not only in poetic lines, but also in prose. The short story “The Cask of Amontillado” that takes an honored place in Poe’s gallery of nightmares and horror accurately ...

Pulmonary emphysema is a pathological condition of the lung tissue, which is characterized by its increased airiness due to the expansion of the alveoli, as well as the destruction of alveolar walls. This disease happens with males twice as often than with females. The risk of development of emphysema among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary illnesses is very high, especially after 55 years (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014).

Factors that Provoke the Development of Emphysema

At the present time there are many causes and risk factors of pulmonary emphysema, with which a person meets almost every day. Some of them we will consider now. The main cause ...

It was the best event I ever experienced in my life – the carnival season just started and it seemed that all the citizens got crazy at one and the same time. They drank wine, cheated on, caroused and hid everything under their masks and costumes. I decided not to fall behind and put on the most expensive clothes that I had in order to have an impressive look of a noble and admired man and one of the best wine connoisseurs. The conical cap with bells completed my costume of motley. At first I wanted to show off and ...

Introduction

G. K is a ten-year-old that comes to the emergency room with his mother and complains of difficulty in breathing, coughing, running nose and a low-grade fever. The patient is diagnosed of respiratory distress with exacerbation, and poor control of asthma and a plan to manage the condition is addressed. G. K. ten-year-old presents with troubled breathing because of asthma exacerbation. The episode began a day ago, and it presented with fever, cough and a running nose with no other complaints. The mother mentioned that they had multiple family members with asthma. G.K.’s asthma began at infancy and ...

The Effects of Climate Change on Allergies and Asthma Cases

Since the discovery of global warming or climate change, scientists have been warning the public of the possible implications this phenomenon could bring. They highlight erratic and severe weather patterns, changing ecosystems and the persistence of diseases that cannot easily be treated. While skeptics remain ignorant over these warnings and governments trying to make amends over their national policies, statistics show that these warnings should be taken seriously especially with regards to respiratory diseases such as asthma and allergies. However, it is a question as to what impacts climate change has towards the prevalence on allergies and asthma cases ...

Respiratory Care related topic and the role of AARC

Postoperative pulmonary complications Postoperative pulmonary complications such as pneumonia, atelectasis, and respiratory failure are among the commonly encountered problems in the respiratory care. Upper-abdominal surgical procedures are found to have an association with increased level of complications, followed by thoracic surgery and lower-abdominal surgery. Usually, preoperative and postoperative respiratory therapies are used to prevent or treat the problem of atelectasis – which is the collapse of an expanded lung, and failure of pulmonary alveoli to expand at birth – and to improve the airway clearance. The chances of complications as well as its severity can be decreased by using therapeutic procedures ...

Upper respiratory disease is a term that encompasses acute infections ranging from the benign common cold to life-threatening conditions (e.g., epiglottitis). Cases of upper respiratory disease are easy to recognize because the patients will complain about the following symptoms (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016):

Runny nose (always)

Sore throat (always) Coughing (common, usually in cases of viral etiology) Sneezing (common, usually in cases of viral etiology) Other symptoms depend on the patient’s age, medical history, and the pathogen causing the infection, so it is important to conduct a thorough assessment which consists of the following steps:

Interview the patient.

Perform ...

Three nursing interventions for a post-operative patient

The three nursing interventions that can be offered to a post-operative patient include the diagnosis for acute pain, diagnosis for nausea and diagnosis for risk levels for infection (Heater, Becker, & Olson, 2008). Acute pain that is related to reflex muscle and surgical incision are diagnosed by complaints of restlessness, pain, irritability and facial grimacing. This type of pain can be corrected by assessing the location of the patient’s pain and giving him or her appropriate analgesic and teaching and then assessing their correct usage of the same. Other than drugs, other methods such as massage, distraction and imagery ...

Introduction

Pulmonary TB is a disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis that attacks the lungs in human beings (WHO). The major symptoms include: coughing; chest pains, shortness of breath; appetite loss; loss of weight; night sweats; and fatigue. If untreated the disease is fatal and leads to death. In 2007, alone there was 13.7 million cases infection and 9.3 million new cases globally (WHO, 2008). In 1993, WHO (World Health Organization) declared TB a global emergency. In addition, the organization predicts that the disease will kill over 35 million people over the next twenty years if strategies are not set to ...