Free Essay Example on Asthma Camps

Asthma camps are paramount events for people living with asthma. The events aim at the provision of positive experiences for people with asthma. During the camps, individuals are to participate in various activities including campfires, swimming, hiking, and rope games. Through the camps persons with asthma receive training on asthma management skills and ways of improving the quality of their lives. The world is full of diseases, and asthma is just one of them. Asthma is a medically chronic disease that inflames and narrows the bronchi in the lungs. Over the years, medical personnel have figured out ways to manage asthma and taught others this concept through asthma camps.

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Asthma

Asthma is a life-threatening disease affecting the lungs hence making breathing difficult among human beings. The disease has no cure but can be managed and treated in such a way that the victim lives a normal life. An approximate twenty-six million Americans live with Asthma of which more than seven million of that number is children. The disease is the third leading reason behind hospitalization of kids. Asthma causes the swelling of airways which become sensitive to particular triggers in the environment. On breathing the triggers, the swelling increases and breathing become more difficult.

Causes and Symptoms

There are several causes of asthma including genetics, respiratory infections, allergies, and the environment. Exposure to irritants and allergens such as dust, chemicals, and pollen grains are the primary causes of asthma (Association). The disease also runs in families hence are hereditary. Early childhood exposure to viral infections is also a leading cause of the disease. It is because the immune system is not entirely mature at that time. Several symptoms of asthma are identifiable. Difficulties in breathing and coughing are the common symptoms. It is essential for one to recognize the signs so as to consult a medical expert for treatment procedure and advice.

The disease requires diagnosis by a doctor and continuous assessments throughout the lifetime. The doctor determines the severity level of the illness and advice on a treatment plan. Every time the patient visits the doctor, he/she assesses the asthma control of the patient and can even adjust the treatment plan if necessary. Asthma is not curable, but the management of the disease is possible through the close working and partnership with a health professional. The medical professional can create a plan of avoiding asthma triggers and appropriate use of medication. Asthma is an episodic disease hence, it can come and go. However, the positive news is that close relationship and partnership with the doctors aids one to live a healthy life without complications.

RAM Model

The RAM (Roy Adaptation model) explains four adaptive modes for teens attending an asthma camp concerning asthma responsibility acquisition. The model assumes an individual as a bio-psycho-social being. Therefore, the individual is in frequent interaction with changing environment. The individual uses both acquired and innate social, psychological, and biological mechanisms to cope with the changing environment. Therefore, the person must adapt so as to respond positively to the changes. The victim has four adaptation modes. They are interdependence, role function, self-concept and physiological modes.

The physical mode applies whenever an individual gets exposure to asthma-causing substances and gets knowledge on environmental management. The behavior in the physiological mode is a reflection of the physiological activity of all organs, systems, tissues, and cells of the body. Protection, exercise and rest, elimination, nutrition, and oxygenation needs serve to promote physiological integrity during the stage.

The self-concept mode involves personal feelings and beliefs (Ellen B. Buckner). Psychic integrity is the fundamental underlying need in the style. It includes ethical and moral beliefs, goals, ideas, and physical perceptions of the victim. It deals with the personal and physical self of the person. They include things such as body image, body sensation, self-expectancy, and self-consistency.

The role function mode deals with the position occupied by the individual in the society and the behaviors connected with the person role. Social integrity is the primary underlying need. The role is primary, secondary or tertiary. Primary role is based on developmental state, sex, and age. The secondary role is the role an individual assumes to complete jobs associated with developmental stage/primary role. The tertiary function is temporary, freely chosen and is concerned with accomplishments of goals/tasks. The interdependence mode deals with interactions and relationships with others. It also deals with receiving and giving of value, respect, and love. Nurturance and affection are the basic underlying needs of the mode. The nurse/health professional identifies stimuli in all the four modes. The patients goals are then achieved through manipulation of the stimuli through interventions.

Asthma camps are critical to children with asthma together with their parents. The camps are staffed and organized by highly-trained health specialists, nurses, and physicians so as to ensure efficient management of each campers asthma (Isaacson). The camps take extra measures to help kids avoid and remove asthma triggers. Campers also get the opportunity to connect and interact with other similar children and experience fun activities in an environment that are medically safe. However, recreation differs at each camp, but many offer similar events.

Asthma may have detrimental effects on lives of children. They may feel isolated in schools whenever they need to use inhalers for controlling their symptoms. It is mainly applicable when the children are not around friends with asthma. Isolation leads to lowering of the childs self-esteem since there is a lack of a source of motivation for the kids. Asthma camps are a perfect venue for dealing with the feelings of isolation through support and education programs created to improve the self-management of asthma. Children get to acquire essential coping skills of dealing with asthma in the programs.

The programs offer sessions intended to raise the confidence of children in management of asthma (Laura A. Nabors PhD). The education programs also offer wide knowledge about Asthma hence children can have a clear understanding of the Asthma disease. Research shows that asthmatic children receive enormous aid on attendance compared to those absent. The camps offer a positive environment where there is an opportunity for support programs from peers hence adopting appropriate mental attitude for coping with asthma. Therefore, it is vital for children with Asthma to attend the camps so as to acquire massive knowledge and skills on how to deal with Asthma (ALANIZ). Asthma is manageable and one can live with it for a long time. They deserve an opportunity to rebuild confidence so that the child/patient can still achieve his/her life dreams.

Asthma camps are very efficient and add value to children living with asthma. They provide a unique experience that is hard to acquire from any other sources. Research indicates that children who participate in the camps report decreased symptoms of school absences, exacerbations, anxiety, and visits to the emergency departments. Organizations managing the camps have enormous experience and the staff is at a minimum pay. (Jill Heins Nesvold M.S.). However, the period and education program differs from camp to camp. The Asthma camps are resourceful for peer interaction and learning that aids in improving the coping abilities of the children.

A close and precise research on asthma camps shows they add a lot of benefit and value to children living with asthma. Asthmatic people especially children require adequate support from the peers, parents, and the society as a whole. Isolation of children at that stage may result in worse conditions and may even lead to an early death due to the loss of hope among the children. Everyone I requires support and encouragement during periods of illness. Sometimes children may lack adequate information about the diseases they suffer from hence such camps offer a perfect opportunity to instill knowledge about diseases. Asthma is a disease that is on the increase especially in the United States of America. The disease has no cure and may impact negatively on kids on realizing they have the disease. Asthma is also acquired genetically hence an individual may not have any control over such. However, many children lack knowledge of such information hence end up having a low self-esteem. Asthma is conquerable through the combined effort of everyone in the society.

Works Cited

ALANIZ, KAREN L, NORDSTRAND, JENNIFER. "Camp SUPERTEENS: AN ASTHMA EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR ADOLESCENTS." American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing (1999): 137.Print

Association, American Lung. "Asthma." 7th April 2016. American Lung Association. <http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asthma/living-with-asthma/>.Web. 19th April 2016

Ellen B. Buckner, Sharon Simmons, Jennifer A. Brakefield, Ashley K. Hawkins, Christine Feeley, Laura A. Frizzell Kilgore, Suzanne Holmes, Melissa Bibb andLinda Gibson. "Maturing Responsibility in Young Teens Participating in an Asthma Camp: Adaptive Mechanisms and Outcomes." Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing (2007): 27-36.Print

Isaacson, Cynthia. "Kids Can Breathe Easy at Asthma Camp." Coping with allergies and asthma may 2014.Print

Jill Heins Nesvold M.S., Penny Gottier Fena B.S., James Herman M.D. & Consortium on Children's Asthma Camps Board of Directors. "Assessing the Value of Children's Asthma Camps." Journal of Asthma (2006): 277.Print

Laura A. Nabors PhD, Meredith Mason MSW & Jonathan A. Bernstein. "Asthma camps for children." Journal of Asthma (2014): 340.Print