Asthma in Adults and Seniors - What You Should Know

About seven to ten percent of adults and seniors in the United States are diagnosed with asthma. Scientifically and medically speaking, asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the lungs that is characterized by tightening of the chest and diaphragm, coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Asthma symptoms can be triggered by different types of triggers such as irritating substances, infections, environment, weather and allergens.

Due to the common misconception that asthma is a prevalent childhood sickness, asthma in adults and seniors is overlooked and sometimes ignored. Adults and seniors who are diagnosed with asthma can still manage to travel for long periods of time with the help of asthma specialists and medications. Perhaps the most common issue when adults and seniors have asthma is that it can serve as interference and obstruction to their work and career. However, with the help of asthma medications, adults and seniors can achieve a more or less normal daily life, as long as they follow the instructions of their doctors and take the medications faithfully.

A study in 2007 revealed that adults and seniors who were diagnosed with asthma suffered a longer duration of the disease. They were also found to have intense daily symptoms, require more aggressive health care intervention, and are more at risk for respiratory complications such as pneumonia and sinusitis.

Hidden Symptoms

Most cases of asthma in adults and seniors go unrecognized because the symptoms may be mistaken as effects of pollution, smoking and aging. There may also be difficulties in diagnosing patients who seem to be disoriented or those who have physical disabilities. Full and thorough assessment of asthma requires the cooperation of the patient.

Proper Diagnosis of Asthma

As mentioned earlier, diagnosing asthma in adults and seniors can be quite difficult and challenging because there may be coexisting conditions such as sinusitis, gastrointestinal reflux, congestive heart failure, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which can potentially affect and mislead the diagnosis.

In addition to that, asthmatics already middle aged and above tend to be less responsive to asthma medications such as bronchodilation and inhaled corticosteroids. In relation to corticosteroids, elderly people can also suffer from osteoporosis since long-term corticosteroid use can trigger the development of osteoporosis.

For asthma to be properly diagnosed in adults and seniors, the doctor should have a detailed history of the patient's medical background, not forgetting to include the information regarding the environment where the person has lived in or worked in.

To further complete the diagnosing process in adults and seniors, the doctor will usually perform an in-office pulmonary function testing. It will measure the airflow and check the performance of the airways. As the doctor will interpret the results, it is important to note that any obstruction in the bronchial tubes paired with persistent and severe asthma may be irreversible and could lead to difficulty in differentiating asthma from other pulmonary and respiratory conditions.