Health and Psychology

Asthma is a medical condition that causes difficulty in breathing.  It can be life-threatening.  It's usually marked by wheezing but can also be noticed by coughing.  Asthma is diagnosed by spirometry.  This test is performed three times in a single visit to ensure the results are accurate.  The person breathes into a tube to evaluate how the lungs function.  Medication may be given to open the lungs to see if there is improvement with a bronchodialator.  Each set of measurements takes less than 15 minutes.  Measurements are Forced Vital Capacity and Forced Expiratory Volume.

Forced vital capacity (FVC). This is the largest amount of air that you can forcefully exhale after breathing in as deeply as you can. A lower than normal FVC reading indicates restricted breathing.

Forced expiratory volume (FEV-1). This is how much air you can force from your lungs in one second. It's a good way to measure the severity of your breathing problems. Lower FEV-1 readings indicate more significant obstruction.

Asthma gets treated in three different stages based on an individualized asthma plan.  The first stage is the preneed stage.  Tools such as a Peak Flow Meter and a knowledge of triggers allow someone to notice that their breathing is becoming increasingly restricted, or they are likely to be involved in an exposure to a trigger, and they have time to prevent an asthma attack.

The second stage is the acute stage.  An asthma attack is occuring and emergency or rescue medication is called for to shorten the attack.  If this is ineffective, the person will require emergency medical treatment.

The third stage is the prevention stage.  This helps the person avoid the need for use of rescue medication and should lessen the frequency of acute asthma attacks.  Often this stage uses inhaled cortical steroids, avoidance of triggers such as allergens and may require changes in the home, such as allergen free bedding, reduction of carpeting, removal of pets, and use of air filters, nebulizers, and other medications to lessen the likelihood of an acute attack.

Health psychologists can assist physicians in developing a patient's individualized asthma treatment plan, work with families to understand asthma and the use and timing of medications.  They can also help patients with understanding their medications and how to use their asthma treatment plan to lessen acute attacks.