ASTHMA TEACHING 1

Asthma Teaching

Name

Institutional Affiliation
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Asthma Teaching

Asthma is a chronic disease which involves the inflammation of the air passage in the

lungs as a result of high sensitiveness in the airways nerve endings (Reddel et al. 2015). Nurses

have a significant role in supporting self-management of the condition in patients by giving them

education and information on how to embrace healthy lifestyles, manage the long-term

conditions, and self-care routine that will control the disease. Other essential details include the

importance of taking their medicine on a daily basis as well as additional information relevant to

the patients to maintain health status. The article aims to come up with the health education and

information strategies that are significant when working with asthmatic patients.

The content of health education for patients with asthma entails various aspects meant to

help them stay healthy. The patients should be thought on diet because it is among the basic

needs of humans. Also, the patients should be taught about the importance of exercise as well as

the exercises fit to them and the time to engage in physical activities. The patients should also be

educated about the importance of and how to use their medicine and the inhaler to manage the

condition (Reddel et al. 2015). The patients should be given knowledge on the side effects of the

drugs and encourage them to do self-monitoring. Patients with asthma need also be taught on the

different precautions including avoiding damp areas as well as avoiding pet allergens. Other

strategies to improve the asthmatic patients’ health include stopping smoking as it is among the

primary risk factors for asthma. All asthma patients should be educated on how to use inhalers as

well as the asthma self-management guidelines which entails the symptoms, peak flow meter,

and the management plan. The importance of skilled training on inhaler use to patients is that it

relieves and improves the symptoms of the patients with asthma.

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Various strategies can be used to deliver health education and information for asthmatic

patients. The methods to be used include verbal education whereby healthcare professionals train

both the patients and the caregivers. Group education is more effective as the patients are

allowed to ask questions concerning the disease. Another strategy is through demonstration

which involves the use of peak flow meters, placebo inhalers, as well as offering education to the

caregivers on the essential devices (Gaude, Hattiholi, & Chaudhury, 2014). Social media is

another arena where the education can be offered which can be through posting videos tailored to

a specific population, for instance, using cartoons to educate the patients on the symptoms,

prevention of asthma attacks, as well as the treatment options. Other social media strategies

include the use of Facebook, Twitter pages, and posters to inform patients on the importance of

using the inhalers and implementing the asthma prevention strategies. Patients should be

encouraged to go for follow-up visits. Home visits is an efficient but expensive method of

offering health education and information but very beneficial. This is because the health

practitioner can be able to assess the living environment of the patient as well as give the patient

the privacy required to reveal all their personal information for example if they are smoking.

It is essential for asthmatic patients to have an asthma action plan. This refers to a

written set of instructions for the day to day management of asthma including strategies to

manage worsening asthma as well as emergencies for the disease (Gaude, Hattiholi, &

Chaudhury, 2014). The importance of asthma action plan includes empowering the patients to

manage their symptoms from worsening, guide them to take their prescriptions As well as know

when to seek medical help. Other benefits include reducing the number of missed work and

school days, unscheduled hospitalizations and clinic visits. Key elements of asthma action plan

include recommended schedules and medication doses and possible adjustments to the
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prescription depending on the peak flow measurements. It also has the record of the peak flow

measurements of the patient. The action plan also has the warning symptoms that need the

attention of a doctor and emergency phone numbers of the healthcare professionals. Finally, it

must have the list of possible asthma triggers and the other triggers to avoid.
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References

Gaude, G. S., Hattiholi, J., & Chaudhury, A. (2014). Role of health education and self-action

plan in improving the drug compliance in bronchial asthma. Journal of family medicine

and primary care, 3(1), 33.

Reddel, H. K., Bateman, E. D., Becker, A., Boulet, L. P., Cruz, A. A., Drazen, J. M., ... &

Lemanske, R. F. (2015). A summary of the new GINA strategy: a roadmap to asthma

control. European Respiratory Journal, 46(3), 622-639.