Asthma- Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

What is asthma? It is a chronic disease that affects your airways. Your airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become sore and swollen. That makes them very sensitive and they may react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When your airways react, they get narrower and your lungs get less air.

For those who have asthma, what kind of daily struggles do they encounter? Some people may miss school or work due to their asthma or in order to care for a child or loved one with asthma. For others, asthma impacts us in different ways, like not being able to participate in certain activities. Asthma impacts not only an individual, but society as well.

Asthma can limit one’s ability to get enough exercise and do things that they want and need to do. For example, sleeping well or playing sport with friends are activities that can be challenging for those with asthma. Controlling your condition by using your preventer medication before you go to bed (when symptoms can be worse) and before extensive or intense exercise (where shortness of breath is quite likely), will better equip you will have the energy to join in sports, especially after getting a good night’s sleep.

Experiencing fatigue due to lack of sleep and exercise is going to do little for your overall health, and certainly won’t improve your asthma, so make sure you are not holding yourself back by forgetting to take medication at the appropriate times.

Asthma is also responsible for the following on a daily basis:

●        40,000 missed school or work days

●        30,000 asthma attacks and 5,000 emergency room visits

●        1,000 hospital admissions

●        11 deaths

We all probably know someone whose life is impacted by asthma, actually. 1 in 12 people in the United States, or some 25 million people, suffer from asthma. With asthma so common, it is unlikely that anyone does not know at least one other person with asthma.

Asthma prevalence among children is slightly higher among males compared to females. This condition can be easily found in your area such as San Antonio and unfortunately asthma is poorly controlled. Resulting in 1 in 2 people with asthma experience an asthma attack every 12 months. Asthma is responsible for nearly a fourth of all emergency room visits. In 2009, 20 percent of all children with asthma had to go to an emergency department for care. Which in this case, the population of children in San Antonio would be more than likely to be affected by asthma than most of their citizens can imagine.

An asthma attack can be triggered by exposure to an allergen, such as tree, grass or weed pollen, dust mites, cockroaches or animal dander. Other common triggers are irritants in the air, such as smoke or chemical fumes, and strong odors, such as perfume.

Certain illnesses — particularly the flu, sinusitis or an upper respiratory infection — may also trigger an asthma attack, as can strenuous exercise, extreme weather conditions and strong emotions that change normal breathing patterns.

Warning signs of a potential asthma attack can include an increase in your need for rescue medication (especially albuterol), a worsening cough, shortness of breath (particularly if it wakes you up at night) and diminished tolerance for exercise. These causes can take a toll on one’s life and leave them traumatized if their attacks were to be recurring.

Symptoms of asthma include:

●      Wheezing

●      Coughing, especially early in the morning or at night

●      Chest tightness

●      Shortness of breath

Not all people who have asthma have these symptoms. Having these symptoms doesn’t always mean that you have asthma. Your doctor will diagnose asthma based on lung function tests, your medical history, and a physical exam. You may also have allergy tests.

Like any other chronic disease that exists, there are appropriate treatments one can take to reduce asthma symptoms and possibly control asthma attacks. Asthma is treated with two kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms.

When dealing with an acute attack. In general, it is important to stay calm and use the medications your allergist has prescribed.

Quick-relief medications, often administered via an inhaler, are used to treat asthma attacks as needed. They include short-acting, rapid-onset beta2-agonist and/or anticholinergic bronchodilators (which relax airway muscles) and systemic corticosteroids (which reduce airway inflammation). If symptoms persist, see your allergist.

Maintaining good health and taking care of yourself is a great way of ensuring that you are generally healthy, so as to lessen the effects of asthma. If you are keeping fit, eating well, sleeping well and looking after your general wellbeing, the less likely you’ll be faced with unnecessary risks of illness.

Not only should the focus come from maintaining good health, but as well as monitoring what you eat. Particular food allergies can trigger the symptoms of asthma, so be aware of those foods which you may want to avoid. Yet, most asthmatic people can eat normally.

It’s important to stay informed with whatever the severity of your asthma is, it is advised to keep up-to-date with your doctor regarding your concerns of your condition. The more they know about your problem, the more efficiently it can be sorted out.

Panic can prevent a person with asthma from relaxing and following instructions, which is essential during an attack. Scientists have found that rapid breathing associated with strong emotions, like panic, can cause bronchial tubes to constrict.

Seek immediate medical treatment if coughing or shortness of breath persists or seems to be worsening. Visiting an urgent care clinic can ensure you receive fast treatment for your asthma attack. Gonzaba Urgent Care in San Antonio, Texas is an excellent option for anyone who needs help treating or managing their asthma related health concerns.

Common Causes, Symptoms and Treatments for Arthritis

The word “arthritis” means “joint inflammation.” Inflammation is one of the body’s natural reactions to disease or injury and includes swelling, pain and stiffness. If inflammation lasts for a very long time or recurs, as in arthritis, it can lead to tissue damage.

A joint is where two or more bones come together, such as the hip or knee. The bones of a joint are covered with a smooth, spongy material called cartilage, which cushions the bones and allows the joint to move without pain. The joint is lined by a thin film of tissue called the synovium. The synovium’s lining produces a slippery fluid called synovial fluid that nourishes the joint and helps reduce friction. Strong bands of tissue, called ligaments, connect the bones and help keep the joint stable. Muscles and tendons also support the joints and enable you to move.

With arthritis, an area in or around a joint becomes inflamed, causing pain, stiffness and, sometimes, difficulty moving. Some types of arthritis also affect other parts of the body, such as the skin and internal organs.

What causes this condition from occurring? There are many different types of arthritis and the cause of most types is not known. It’s likely that there are many different causes. Researchers are examining the role of genetics (heredity) and lifestyle behaviors in the development of arthritis. As a matter of fact, there are more than 100 different forms of arthritis and related diseases. The most common types include osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). All of them are known for causing pain in different ways.

In OA, the protective cartilage and fluid inside the joint begin breaking down due to years of use or injuries. This makes the movement of affected joints more difficult and painful. In time, bones may rub directly against one another inside the joint, causing severe pain. Inflammation can also result from this constant, painful friction. OA most often affects knees, hips, hands, and the spine. In most cases, OA does not affect the same joint on both sides of the body, such as both knees.

The intensity of pain varies from person to person. It can range from mild to moderate and may be manageable with drugs and regular physical activity. But for some it can be debilitating, making any movement of the affected joint almost impossible.

To ease pain and reduce inflammation, regular doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are needed. To only relieve pain, acetaminophen may be effective with fewer gastrointestinal side effects. If pain is severe, an analgesic combined with an opioid, such as codeine or hydrocodone, is prescribed. In severe cases, surgery to replace the damaged joint may be the only effective treatment.

Non-medicinal pain relief has proven very beneficial for people with OA. These treatments include hot & cold therapy, topical rubs, exercise, physical therapy, and others.

In RA, the joints are attacked by the body’s own immune system. The immune system normally protects a person from viruses, bacteria and other invaders. In people with autoimmune conditions (like RA), it becomes overactive and attacks healthy tissue. In the case of RA, the immune system goes after the lining of the joints, called the synovium. This causes a severe, chronic inflammation in the affected joints as well as low-grade inflammation throughout the whole body. Over time, the persistent inflammation breaks down the joint and damages it permanently. RA typically affects the joints on both sides of the body, such as both knees or both hands. Besides joints, RA can also affect internal organs like the liver, heart, spleen, and eyes.

People with RA often have flares of pain caused by sudden onsets of severe inflammation. The flares may last for days or weeks.

The pain caused by RA is usually treated by medications to control the disease by calming down the malfunctioning immune system. These include disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologic response modifiers (biologics). In addition, NSAIDs or analgesics may be taken.

In children, this type of inflammatory arthritis is called juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Like in RA, in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) the immune system attacks the joints and causes inflammation and pain. It typically appears in people who have psoriasis. PsA can affect any joint in the body.

Besides swollen joints, PsA often causes tenderness or pain in the connective tissue where tendons or ligaments attach to bones (called the enthesis), such as at the heel or bottom of the foot. Lower back pain is also common.

The pain and inflammation in PsA is managed and treated similarly to RA.

Although the exact cause of arthritis may not be known, there are several risk factors for arthritis. (A risk factor is a trait or behavior that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease or predisposes a person to a certain condition.) Risk factors for arthritis include:

Age. The risk of developing arthritis, especially osteoarthritis, increases with age.

Gender. In general, arthritis occurs more frequently in women than in men.

Obesity. Being overweight puts extra stress on weight-bearing joints, increasing wear and tear, and increasing the risk of arthritis, especially osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, San Antonio, has a significant amount of individuals who are obese and are likely to develop with arthritis.

Work factors. Some jobs that require repetitive movements or heavy lifting can stress the joints and/or cause an injury, which can lead to arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis. Construction workers in San Antonio, for example, could develop arthritis due to all of the construction that occurs in the city on a daily basis.

The symptoms of osteoarthritis may include joint pain and progressive stiffness that develops gradually.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may include painful swelling, inflammation, and stiffness in the fingers, arms, legs, and wrists occurring in the same joints on both sides of the body, especially upon awakening.

Symptoms of infectious arthritis may include fever, chills, joint inflammation, tenderness, and sharp pain that is associated with an injury or infection elsewhere in your body.

In children, intermittent fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, and anemia, or blotchy rash on the arms and legs, may signal the onset of some types of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Other forms of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are associated with joint stiffness, a limp, or joint swelling.

You should call your local doctor from Gonzaba Urgent Care in San Antonio about arthritis if:

●     The pain and stiffness come on quickly, whether from an injury or an unknown cause.

●     The pain is accompanied by fever.

●     The pain develops quickly and is associated with redness and extreme tenderness of the joint.

●     You notice pain and stiffness in your arms, legs, or back after sitting for short periods or after a night's sleep.

5 Health Complaints You Might Experience During Your Vacation This Summer

Summer is the best! It’s an opportunity to do the things you can’t do in other seasons throughout the year. You are more likely to plan and visit a different city, state, and country with family or friends. The weather isn’t an issue, unless you’re visiting cold climate countries such as Russia. Beaches, lakes, and rivers are the most common places for people to visit in the summer time.

We don’t want to be a downer but, while you’re enjoying your vacation experience, sometimes accidents happen. Depending on what you are doing during your vacation, the possibility of an injury occurring can be slim to none or incredibly high. Sight-seers are at a smaller risk than snowboarders, for instance.

Emergency rooms (E.R.) can be useful in scenarios that involve serious injury, but you are unlikely to receive quick medical attention if your injury isn’t life-threatening. The E.R. is notoriously crowded. On the other hand, urgent care clinics are capable of helping you treat your injury with a limited amount of wait time.

Here are five health complaints you can rely on urgent care clinics to treat this summer:

1. Diseases and Infections. While the last thing anyone wants to go through while on vacation is battling a virus, it’s actually common for people to get sick while on vacation. This is all caused due to the certain environment you’re exposed to, the food you eat, or people come in contact with regularly.

Your body takes time to adapt to new environments. There’s more bacteria and germs present than you can imagine when it comes to public places such as hotels or beaches. This type of situation can cause your immune system to be weaker than expected.

If you happen to develop a fever, an upset stomach, or allergies, then urgent care is where you want to get treated. Urgent care clinics are capable of providing you with a correct diagnosis and have a doctor prescribe you with medicine you can take to treat your illness. In urgent care clinics, you are treated the same day in order to prevent rapid worsening health or discomfort.

2. Cuts and Scrapes. If you’re the adventurous type who likes to see what kind of cool tricks you can do, then you’re unfortunately going to consequences one day. For example, if you’re swimming at a lake and you’re in the shallow end of the water, you’re more likely to scrape yourself from the hard surface. Rocks are very common in lake areas and can be found in the water. It’s rare to find a soft surface when you’re at the lake and you’re more likely to fall down if you choose to play around in an area where sharp rock structures are present.

Depending on how gruesome your cut or scrape is from the contact you made with the hard rock surface, you may need to seek medical attention. The pain from a serious cut or scrape can be painful enough and if not treated right, you can develop an infection from the injury. A trip to an urgent care clinic is inconvenient but it is better than letting things get out of hand.

3. Fractures and Dislocations. Typically, this type of injury is caused by falling down from a certain height distance or physical activities such as playing sports. For example, if you’re at the beach and playing beach volleyball, it is possible for you to fracture a limb if you fall incorrectly. Another scenario can include yourself water skiing or surfing in the ocean and you happen to collide with an object or other person. If you happen to be the unfortunate one, you are likely to dislocate at least one limb in your body.

Fractures and dislocations are serious injuries that need to be looked over by a medical professional. You can’t sleep these injuries off! An urgent care will help you avoid the long wait for this urgent but non-lethal injury.

4. Foreign Objects and Splinter Removal. If you are unaware of your surroundings and make contact with a sharp object such as a cactus or rough wood, then you may need help removing all the sharp foreign objects. Walking on any surface barefoot increases your chances of coming in contact with a splinter. The discomfort can vary, but if you have a splinter embedded in the tissue under the skin of your foot, it can be unpleasant to walk. Soft tissue foreign bodies can also cause infection and damage to surrounding tissue.

In the case of larger splinters, you may be able to remove them yourself. However, if there are too many, they are too small, or they are too deep, you may need help to remove all of the splinters.

5. Minor burns. Sometimes, we get careless and in result we get burned. It’s easy to forget how hot some of our tools, like curling irons, really get!

Whenever you are dealing with a burn, it’s important to assess the severity. There are three different degree burns you should take into consideration.

• First-degree burns cause pain and redness but are relatively mild. Only the outermost layer of skin is damaged. They are also known as superficial burns.
• Second-degree burns can result in blistering and swelling. Both the epidermis and dermis are damaged. They are also known as partial thickness burns.
• Third-degree burns char the skin enough that it may be numb. The skin can be white or blackened. These burns impact deeper tissues. They are also known as full thickness burns.

To distinguish a minor burn from a serious burn, the first step is to determine the extent of damage to body tissues. If you experience third-degree burns, you need to be checked into a hospital! However, minor burns can be treated in an urgent care.

Usually, when you get burned from an iron or touching the stove, the pain can be minor, but it still may need treatment treatment. Now if you happen to suffer a burn from a nearby fireplace or firesight, the pain is likely going to be excruciating. The reason is because when your skin comes into contact with fire, depending on how long the contact is, the fire can burn through the layers of your skin. Keep in mind if the burned area is on the hands, feet, face, groin, or over a major joint, treat it as a major burn and get medical help immediately.

If you are in San Antoino, Texas and need to visit an urgent care clinic, drop by Gonzaba Urgent Care for top-of-the-line medical care.