Unite 6 Asthma&

Supplement reading:Oil spill’s human health impacts might extend into the future

Speaker: Ya-Wen Tasi

Instructor: Yu-Yan Zhang

Unite 6Asthma

Unit 6 Asthma

brainstorming•How does Asthma affect Asthmatics the

most?

brainstorming•What are the causes of Asthma?

Main idea

•Asthma Asthma (from the Greek ἅσθμα, ásthma,

"panting") 

•The Causes

•Treatment

•Health education

Vocabulary-1

•Asthma  [ˋæzmə] (n.)   respiratory disorder

characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin

•Asthmatic [æzˋmætɪk]  (n.) a person suffering from

asthma•Bronchial  [ˋbrɑŋkɪəl] (adj.) elating to or associated with

the bronchi; "bronchial tubes"; "bronchial pneumonia“

Vocabulary-2

•Assiduously [əˋsɪdʒʊəslɪ] (adv.) with care and persistence•Wheezing [hwiz]  (n.) breathe with difficulty•Exacerbate [ɪgˋzæsɚ͵bet]  (v.) make worse; "This drug aggravates the

pain“•Airborne [ˋɛr͵born]  (adj.) moved or conveyed by or through air

Vocabulary-3

•Allergen  [ˋælɚ͵dʒɛn]  (n.) any substance that can cause an allergy•Irritant  [ˋɪrətənt]  (n.) something that causes irritation and

annoyance• inhaler [ɪnˋhelɚ]  (n.) a dispenser that produces a chemical

vapor to be inhaled in order to relieve nasal congestion

•Pharmacotherapy medical treatment with medicine

Asthma

•Chronic disease

•Appears in youth and continues throughout adulthood

Definition

•Airflow obstruction

•Bronchial hypersensitivity

•Underlying inflammation

The causes

•Environment pollution

•Genetic inheritance

•Immune system problems

•Combination of factors can lead to or exacerbate asthma

Symptoms

•Recurrence of chest tightness

•Coughing

•Shortness of breath

•Wheezing

•Asthma attack

Condition

Control the symptoms

•There is no cure, but the symptom can be controlled and managed.▫Appropriate use of asthma medication▫Avoidance of environmental irritants

•The frequency and severity of asthma attacks can be lessened.

Asthma care•Asthma care begins at the time of

diagnosis and should continue with ongoing followed-up care.

▫Controlling factors causing asthma severity▫Assessment▫Monitoring▫Pharmacotherapy▫Education for asthmatics

Suggestions

• Not smoke & not take cough medicine without consulting a doctor.

• Not use non-prescription inhalers▫Non-prescription inhalers may contain short-

acting drugs that may not last long enough to relieve an asthma attack and cause side affects.

• Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can cause asthma to worsen in certain individuals.

Summary

•Asthma is a long-term disease but it is manageable.

•Medical treatment during the early stages of an attack is very important.

• The patient’s active involvement on treating this disease is vitally important.

Discussing-1•How come the proportion of asthmatics

rise in the recent decades?

Discussing-2

•If you suffer from asthma, what kind of life/treatment will you choose?

•Will you live in the fear of “asthma attack” ?

Supplement reading:Oil spill’s human health impacts might extend into the future

The Mexico oil spilling

The Moxico oil spilling

Brainstorming

•What impacts does oil spilling put on to the environment?

Brainstorming

•What impacts does oil spilling put on to the human?

Main idea

•The physical health problems caused by the oil spilling▫Breathing difficulties▫Skin irritation▫DNA damage

•The psychological ailments▫Higher rate of depression▫Anxiety ▫Posttraumatic stress disorders

Vocabulary-1

•Crude oil [rɔt] (n.) ▫a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons

•Dermatitis  [͵dɝməˋtaɪtɪs]  (n.)▫inflammation of the skin; skin becomes itchy and

may develop blisters•Volatile  [ˋvɑlət!]  (adj.)

▫evaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures; "volatile oils"; "volatile solvents"

•Dissipate [ˋdɪsə͵pet]  (v.)▫to cause to separate and go in different

directions•

Vocabulary-2

• Clump  [klʌmp] ▫gather or cause to gather into a cluster

• Dermal  [ˋdɝməl]  ▫elating to or existing on or affecting the skin;

"cutaneous nerves"; "a cutaneous infection"• Inhalation [͵ɪnhəˋleʃən]  (n.)

▫ the act of inhaling; the drawing in of air (or other gases) as in breathing

• Ingest  [ɪnˋdʒɛst]  (v.)▫Absorb; take in

• Detrimental  [dɛtrəˋmɛnt!]  (adj.)▫causing harm or injury

Spill-related symptoms• More than 300 people had come forward with

Spill-related symptoms▫Chest pain▫Coughing ▫dizziness▫Headaches▫Respiratory distress▫Vomiting

• It is difficult to clinically distinguish toxic symptoms from other common illness.

Damage caused by VOCs

•Respiratory problems

•Temporary central nervous system troubles

•Cancers

•Dermatitis & skin infection

Supporting literature

•Scientist combed the literature for clues about long- and short-term impacts

▫270 people who work on clean-up of the Exxon Valdez spill filed claims for respiratory problems.

▫Those who worked most closely with the spilled oil had “a greater prevalence of symptoms of chronic airway disease," ”

Spill-related health damages

•Workers & volunteers

▫Exposed to the most VOCs evaporating from the light oil floating on the ocean surface

▫Exposed to compounds from chemical dispersants being used

▫Contact with weathered oil, which clumps up and can coat beaches and animals

Spill-related health damages•Residents in the affected communities are

also at risk of

▫exposure to wither crude oil in the water or weathered oil on the beach

▫Inhalational exposure to chemical compounds

▫Eating potential contaminated sea food

Spill-related psychological ailments

•The psychological ailments prompted after dealing with spilling

▫Higher rate of depression

▫Anxiety

▫Posttraumatic stress disorders

Conclusion

•“The impact of frequent natural and human-caused disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and now the oil spill, further strains populations that are already experiencing a great deal of stress."

•“Psychological and social impacts may be as significant as the physical impacts of the Gulf oil spill.”

Discussion-1

•Why do people suffer from psychological ailments after the oil-spilling disaster?

•What is the deeper meaning?

Discussion-2

•How can we approach to the balance between Nature & Culture?

Discussion-3

•How will our future world become?

Thank you for your attention!