Asthma – Respiratory SystemEach year, more than 20 million Americans suffer from asthma, a respiratory disease that inflames the airways connecting the lungs, nose, and mouth. Asthma symptoms can be caused by allergens or irritants inhaled into the lungs, leading to inflammation and constriction of the airways. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness. In severe cases, asthma can even be fatal, with more than 4,000 deaths occurring each year due to asthma. This disease is more common in children, but does not discriminate based on age, race or gender. Due to its lower mortality rate than other diseases, it tends to be neglected. Yet each year, asthma affects twice as many people as diabetes and five times as many people with cancer. A brief education about the disease can not only help raise awareness in our society, but it may also one day save someone's life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Typically diagnosed at an early age, asthma can hinder a child's full development. It is thought to be a mixture of genetic and environmental factors. One in three Americans who have a parent with asthma also have the condition, but many indoor allergens, such as dust mites, can also be major culprits. The disease can be classified into several categories, including asthma, brittle asthma, exercise induced, and work. Regular asthma has varying levels of severity and is diagnosed by the chronic symptoms of airway inflammation, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Brittle asthma is characterized by severe and recurrent attacks. This type of asthma is usually seen in people who suffer from "asthma attacks." Linked to low levels of vitamin D, Astham attacks are an intensification of normal symptoms as well as a change in skin color due to lack of oxygen. It can also sometimes be due to athletes with exercise-induced asthma who are overexerting or poorly managing their asthma. Occupational asthma is diagnosed when specific and clear links to work conditions create asthma. The American Thoracic Society suggests that 15 to 23 percent of new asthma cases are directly work-related. The most common jobs that cause this are those dealing with animal proteins and enzymes, rubber products, and high levels of indoor allergens. Asthma has no known cure, but it can be properly managed and treated so that one can lead a normal life while suffering from the disease. Each case of asthma is different, so treatment must be tailored to each person. A general rule that applies, however, is to remove elements from the patient's environment that they know are factors that aggravate their asthma. When these measures aren't enough, it's usually time to try one of the many medications available to control symptoms. Most asthma medications are divided into two types, one being quick relief and the other long-term control. Like all medications, these treatments have minor side effects, but asthma medications are known for their mild, self-treating side effects. Quick-relief medications are used to control the immediate symptoms of an asthma episode. Likewise, the..