# P6 by Adisa Nicholson

Asthma

Asthma is an illness which tightens the airways which makes it difficult for
people to breath. It is an illness which has very effective treatments which
prevent people from suffocating to death.
The long term effects of asthma include weakening of the lungs and and
severe breathing difficulties such as needing home oxygen treatment all the
time.

If someone does not control their asthma, has uncontrolled asthma they will
get serious consequences. Pregnant women will be exposing their unborn child
to low amounts of oxygen. There will be an increased risk of being
hospitalised, having a loss of lung function. These people will have to have
time off work.

The treatments for asthma have various side effects depending on which drug
is taken. There are too many drugs and side effects to mention.

To generalise, using treatments for asthma in the long-term will decrease the
symptoms of persistent asthma but will have side effects. One adverse effect
caused by these medications is adrenal insufficiency (damages the body's
ability to cope with trauma, surgery, and infection). Growth suppression,
osteoporosis, skin thinning, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, cataracts, and
muscle weakness are just some of the other possible scary side effects of long-
term use of asthma medications.

In fact any medication which is taken for long periods of time will produce side
effects because they mess with the way that the body works. But asthma
sufferers will have no choice but to take the medication, or keep changing
medication every couple of months; as they don’t wish to die of an asthma
attack.

Arthritis

The long term effects of arthritis means that people will have difficulty either
using their hands or getting around. They may need walking sticks or
wheelchairs.

But in terms of the disease, arthritis is one that always gets progressively
worse. People will eventually need wheelchairs and will need a lot of
painkillers.

“There are four levels of osteoarthritis, depending on how much of cartilage

has worn out. In stage four there is no space between bones, no cartilage left,
one bone sits on the top of the other. Ouch that hurts. Usually this occurs in
hip, knee and ankle joints.”
References for Asthma

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_some_long-term_and_short-
term_effects_of_asthma
(Accessed 23rd march Wednesday 2009)

http://www.healia.com/healthguide/guides/uncontrolled-asthma/what-are-the-
long-term-effects-of-uncontrolled-asthma
(Accessed 23rd march Wednesday 2009)

http://organizedwisdom.com/Adverse_Effects_of_Long-
Term_Asthma_Treatment
(Accessed 23rd march Wednesday 2009)

http://uk.ask.com/web?
q=What+are+the+long+term+effects+of+asthma&search=search&dm=all&qs
rc=0&o=0&l=dir&siteid=
(Accessed 23rd march Wednesday 2009)

http://www.healia.com/search?
q=uncontrolled+asthma&formid=guides&sc=false
(Accessed 23rd march Wednesday 2009)

References for Arthritis

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-arthritis.htm
(Accessed 12th march Thursday 2009)

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-physical-therapy.htm
(Accessed 12th march Thursday 2009)

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-arthritis-gloves-work.htm
(Accessed 12th march Thursday 2009)

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-nsaids.htm
(Accessed 12th march Thursday 2009)

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-osteoarthritis.htm
(Accessed 12th march Thursday 2009)

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-rheumatoid-arthritis.htm
(Accessed 12th march Thursday 2009)

http://arthritis.about.com/od/arthritisdrugs/Arthritis_Drugs_Arthritis_Medicatio
ns_Arthritis_Medicines.htm
(Accessed 12th march Thursday 2009)
http://arthritis.about.com/od/arthritismedications/Arthritis_Medications_Drug_
Information_Drug_Side_Effects.htm
(Accessed 12th march Thursday 2009)