The long drive
1.
What factors can trigger an asthmatic episode?
Excitement and anticipation of seeing her grandchildren, dust, mold, and allergens from the old teddy bear the baby was holding, and pollen and allergens from the new environment 2.
What do you think triggered the asthmatic episode in this case?
The old teddy bear that had never been washed.
3. Imagine that you are performing a lab in which you are monitoring breathing in a student volunteer. Draw a graph, with time on the horizontal axis and breathing movements on the vertical axis. Draw a line to show the results you would expect for a healthy student, assuming that inhaling produces an upward deflection of the line and exhaling produces a downward deflection of the line.
4. Draw a second line to show the results you would expect from someone having an asthmatic episode. Pay close attention to the slopes of the lines (the rate of air movement) and the amplitude of the waves (the amount of air fl owing in and out of the lung during each breath).
5. Which of the airways (trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles) do not contain rings of cartilage, and are therefore more likely to collapse?
Bronchioles
6.
Why is air flow restricted during an asthmatic episode?
The airway is inflamed due to a reaction to a trigger such as dust, smoke, and or pollen.
The airway narrows and swells causing air flow restriction.
7.
Why is wheezing usually worse when asthmatics exhale?
During exhalation, the pressure increases which causes the bronchioles to constrict which makes it harder to exhale. The pressure decreases during inhalation, which relieves the bronchioles making is easier to breathe.
The Long Drive
Part 2 – That night
1.
Do you think that this episode is simply a bad asthmatic attack?
No
2.
What could have brought on this episode?
The cat usually slept on the bed she slept on. The cat’s fur and dander caused her to become even worse. The cat was also not
What factors can trigger an asthmatic episode?
Excitement and anticipation of seeing her grandchildren, dust, mold, and allergens from the old teddy bear the baby was holding, and pollen and allergens from the new environment 2.
What do you think triggered the asthmatic episode in this case?
The old teddy bear that had never been washed.
3. Imagine that you are performing a lab in which you are monitoring breathing in a student volunteer. Draw a graph, with time on the horizontal axis and breathing movements on the vertical axis. Draw a line to show the results you would expect for a healthy student, assuming that inhaling produces an upward deflection of the line and exhaling produces a downward deflection of the line.
4. Draw a second line to show the results you would expect from someone having an asthmatic episode. Pay close attention to the slopes of the lines (the rate of air movement) and the amplitude of the waves (the amount of air fl owing in and out of the lung during each breath).
5. Which of the airways (trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles) do not contain rings of cartilage, and are therefore more likely to collapse?
Bronchioles
6.
Why is air flow restricted during an asthmatic episode?
The airway is inflamed due to a reaction to a trigger such as dust, smoke, and or pollen.
The airway narrows and swells causing air flow restriction.
7.
Why is wheezing usually worse when asthmatics exhale?
During exhalation, the pressure increases which causes the bronchioles to constrict which makes it harder to exhale. The pressure decreases during inhalation, which relieves the bronchioles making is easier to breathe.
The Long Drive
Part 2 – That night
1.
Do you think that this episode is simply a bad asthmatic attack?
No
2.
What could have brought on this episode?
The cat usually slept on the bed she slept on. The cat’s fur and dander caused her to become even worse. The cat was also not