All right, here’s the final installment of the glossary, basically the leftovers from the earlier sections. As always, you can read the whole Glossary in the tab above or check out individual subjects.
Asthma action plan – an individual step-by-step written plan for preventing and treating asthma flares. Asthma action plans use the patient’s peak flow numbers and flare symptoms to determine the course of treatment. Babysitters, relatives, school personnel, and other caregivers often keep action plans on file for the asthmatic children in their care.
Breath sounds – sounds the lungs make while breathing, heard through a stethoscope. Doctors often listen for abnormal or decreased breath sounds in asthma patients.
Bronchitis (acute) – inflamed bronchi, usually because of a viral or bacterial infection. Chronic bronchitis is not caused by infection and is actually a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Symptoms of acute bronchitis include heavy coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, and phlegm production. Repeated diagnoses of bronchitis sometimes make doctors suspect asthma in a patient.
Bronchoconstriction – tightening of the smooth muscles around the bronchi (airways), resulting in narrowed airways and reduced airflow.
Contraindication – any situation, reason, or previous condition that means a patient should not use an otherwise appropriate medicine or medical treatment. An allergy to certain drug is a type of contraindication.
Irritant (airborne) – inhaled substance that causes irritation, soreness, or inflammation in the nose, throat, or airways but does not cause an allergic reaction. Common irritants like cigarette smoke can trigger flares in asthma sufferers.
Oral medicine – any medication that is swallowed as a pill or liquid. Some asthma medications come in inhaled and oral forms.
Personal best – a term used in measuring peak flow rate, meaning the highest peak flow number a patient is able to produce while in good health. Green, yellow, and red zones on the Asthma action plan are based on the personal best peak flow number.
Triggers – the irritants, allergens, or other factors (like exercise or viruses) that can start an asthma flare.
ABOUT THIS POST
This is part of the asthma glossary which I compiled for myself and originally published as BellaOnline’s asthma editor. Because the entire list is so long, I arranged the definitions into mini-glossaries by subject, and I’ll post each section over the next few weeks. When I’m done, you’ll be able to read the entire glossary through the tab above or find the mini-sections through the Asthma Glossaries category in the right sidebar.
I hesitate to use the word comprehensive here. That’s a pretty big word. What I’ll say, instead, is this glossary feels comprehensive to me. As with everything else I write on this blog, I don’t claim expert knowledge so much as I pass along what helped me, in case it might help you.
This is awesome! Thank you for putting this up!
Heartily recommend a good action plan. It will save your bacon!