Estudiante

BTC: My Asthma Attacks and Allergic Reactions

Gregorio Gonzalez P
Biology 10-2
Cody Starke

The Columbus School
January 22, 2013

For this beyond the classroom activity analyzed my allergic and my asthmatic activities and related it anatomy and physiology. Since I didn't have all the necessary information on the subject I also had to investigate a little and understand the source ofthese reactions. Allergies have been very common in my family, but my case was abnormal. I have serious allergic reactions and suffer from constant asthma attacks. The problem was discovered when I was about 6 or 7 years old when I suffered my fisrt asthma attack. Doctors never found the cause for my other allergies, the allergic reactions are still present and nothing seems to cure them. Myallergies are concentrated on my nasal cavity and basically my throat. For this activity I will narrate my experience and as i narrate I will also explain in detail the relationship of each problem to anatomy and physiology.
It all started when I was a baby. When I was two, I had to get surgery because my nostrils where too small and my body needed a higher oxygen supply. Since then, I started takingallergy pills such as Allegra and Zyrtec that weren’t very effective. Doctors where worried that I might suffer from asthma. As suspected, I had my first asthma attack by the time I was 6 years old. I don’t quite remember the events but my mom told me I got so purple at times that she would just scream crazy things because she thought I was going to die. The structure (anatomy) of my respiratorysystem wasn’t fully developed, and I needed surgery to fix this. What worried my family members the most was the fact that my body wasn’t functioning (physiology) properly and the fact that I could die due to low oxygen supply. Allergies have a deep connection to asthma; people who suffer from allergies are more susceptible to being asthmatic. Doctors where never able to give a diagnosis, for thisreason I take loads of pills that might help me, but are not treating the problem directly. Concerning the asthma attacks, I have and inhaler that I carry with me all the time. Usually my allergies and asthma attacks only occur in humid places. the reason for this to happen is because moisture triggers the release of chemicals in the blood that cause different reactions. Dust, moisture, animalhair, concentrated smells, paint, animals, seawater among others cause allergies in my body. Not all the allergies are related to my respiratory system, some are just rashes that grow in my chest, face and thighs. These are annoying, and the reason why I have so many allergic reactions is still unknown. I’ve tried many treatments but the allergies are so diverse that some treatments help some of theallergies but the others so I’m never completely satisfied. No diagnose is available for my allergies, and asthma has no cure but it can be controlled by inhalers and other medcicines that go directly into the respiratory system. The only problem is that I suffer from tachycardia and the medicine used to treat asthma significantly increase my heart beat so much I always en up fainting and I have tolay down for a couple of days. Today, I am healthier than expected and my asthma and allergies are easier to control.
I really enjoyed this activity because I looked back at how unhealthy I was as a child and this gives me a reason to be thankful. I enjoy the fact that on this BTC I got the chance to share my personal experience rather than writing about someone else’s. I like the fact thatBTC’s give you the opportunity to choose what type of paper you want to write. By sharing my personal experience I realized how close are daily life is related to science. I liked the fact that on this BTC I didn’t have to read that much because I don’t enjoy reading articles. The fact that I could use knowledge I gained from years of visiting the doctor was great, I love sharing my knowledge. By...