Asthma: Medical Aspects and Vocational Implication

INTRODUCTION

In general, asthma starts out in childhood with 80 percent of cases being diagnosed by the age of 6. It is usually characterized by wheezing and coughing (especially at night) and is clinically diagnosed by pulmonary function testing. Females, those with allergies, those with a family history of allergies, people exposed to cigarette smoke, and those with poor intrinsic lung function are all more prone to the disease (Slaving & Reisman).

Some evidence has suggested that patients can "outgrow" the illness; however, it has been estimated that only about 20% of those childhood sufferers will indeed outgrow it. In one study that followed asthmatic patients for a mean period of 15 years, it was found that 76% of the patients were symptomatic as adults and 54% used asthma medications. The best predictor of the continuation into adulthood was the severity of the illness in childhood (Slavin & Reisman). Adult-onset asthma (after age 40) is also more common in females (Morris & Perkins, December 2004: Asthma).

Asthma is a costly illness. In 1998, 11.5 billion dollars was estimated to be spent on asthma. For children, it is the most prevalent cause for school absences, causing almost 10 million absences per year. Furthermore, it is the fourth leading reason for adults to miss work; almost nine million workdays are lost each year due to this illness.

MEDICAL ASPECTS

Asthma is a disease of the lungs, where airways can become temporarily constricted or blocked when a person encounters a trigger. This leads to shortness of breath, breathing trouble, and other symptoms. Most people have this tendency from infancy, and many are known to have allergic rhinitis, which means they are allergic to pollen, grass, molds, and other airborne particles (Asthma FAQs and Answers).