ventolin

=Part 1 - Research=

What is it?
Albuterol effect against asthma, which is a breathing problem involving widespread narrowing of the bronchial passages. Bronchial passages are the air ways that allow air to move in and out of the lungs. They can be restricted by mucus, by spasms in the surrounding muscles or by swelling of the passage lining. This narrowing leads to shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing and congestion. Albuterol dilates the bronchial airways by relaxing the surrounding muscles. As well as treating asthma, albuterol is used for emphysema and chronic bronchitis when the symptoms are caused by airway obstruction. Albuterol is available on prescription in the form of canisters of gas, or as syrup or tablets. When inhaled, Albuterol starts to work within 15 minutes and lasts for up to 6 hours.

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What does it do to the body - the effects?
Ventolin relaxes the smooth muscle in the airways which allows air to flow in and out of the lungs more easily. It is used to treat or prevent bronchospasm in people with reversible obstructive airway disease and to prevent exercise-induced bronchospasm.

What dangers exist for users?
Side effects / health consequences The most common side effects are of fine tremor, nervousness, headache, muscle cramps, dry mouth, and palpitation.[3] Other symptoms may be tachycardia (rapid heart rate), arrhythmias, flushing, myocardial ischaemia, and disturbances of sleep and behaviour.[3] Rarely occurring, but of importance, are allergic reactions of paradoxical bronchospasm, urticaria, angioedema, hypotension, and collapse, whilst high doses may cause hypokalaemia (low potassium levels), especially in patients with renal failure and those on certain diuretics and xanthine derivaties.[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salbutamol

Get emergency medical help if someone has any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; bronchospasm (wheezing, chest tightness, trouble breathing); chest pain and fast, pounding, or uneven heart beats; tremor, nervousness; low potassium (confusion, uneven heart rate, extreme thirst, increased urination, leg discomfort, muscle weakness or limp feeling); or dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure) headache; dizziness; nervousness; sleep problems (insomnia); cough, hoarseness, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose; dry mouth and throat; muscle pain; or diarrhea.

Other facts or vital statistics.
People with any of these conditions, may not be able to use Ventolin, or may need a dose adjustment or special tests during treatment: heart disease, high blood pressure, or congestive heart failure; a heart rhythm disorder; a seizure disorder such as epilepsy; diabetes; or overactive thyroid.

Asthma
An asthma attack is characterised by the airways and lungs becoming inflamed and swollen so that the flow of air into the lungs is severely reduced resulting in wheezing or great difficulty in breathing. Furthermore, there may be thick mucous produced in the lungs. The treatment is usually an the inhaled drug VENTOLIN which opens up the airways chemically. An asthma attack is a sudden worsening of asthma symptoms caused by the tightening of muscles around your airways (bronchospasm). All of these factors -- bronchospasm, inflammation, and mucus production -- cause symptoms of an asthma attack such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and difficulty performing normal daily activities. Other symptoms of an asthma attack include: Severe wheezing when breathing both in and out Coughing with asthma that won't stop Very rapid breathing Chest pain or pressure Tightened neck and chest muscles, called retractions Difficulty talking Feelings of anxiety or panic Pale, sweaty face Blue lips or fingernails Tightness or pressure in the chest. Shortness of breath.

Mild asthma attacks are common, while severe asthma attacks are less common but last longer and require immediate medical help. Asthma attacks can also be set off by an airborne substance such as pollen, dust, dander, mould or pollution, but food allergens may travel in the bloodstream from the digestive tract to the lungs where they cause histamine release that starts another asthma attack. An asthma attach may also be triggered by viral attack, taking sudden exercise or even having a shock. In fact, emotional reactions such as surprise, anger, shock can bring on an asthma attack, and even the tendency to have asthma itself has an emotional component.

Drugs.com: Ventolin. 4 December 2009 < [] >
=Part 2 Contributions=

Nicotine - Dave - I improved the layout.

=Part 3 Personal Reflections=

1) List three things you learnt about drugs during this project. The chemical make up of the drug; the various companies that manufacture this drug and what exactly it does to the body. 2) List three things you would like to learn about in the future concerning drugs. How, when and why drugs are tested on animals; the cost/economics of drugs and more information about steroids. 3) List three things you enjoy about using this learning environment (Wiki). I can look at my friends work; I never lose my work and I think it looks good. 4) List three things you dislike about using this learning environment (Wiki). I get frustrated with HTML; time is too short (I want to spend more time on it) and searching on the internet for information is sometime frustrating. 5) Do you prefer traditional written essays or creating a Wiki page for assessment? I prefer Wikis. 6) How do you feel about contributing to other people’s pages I like the idea that I can help my friends and that instead of looking at someone else work and finding faults, I look at other people’s pages for place I can help. 7) How do you feel about other people contributing to your page? Great – it is nice to know that other are interested in my work and support my learning. 8) How do you feel about self-assessment? I think it is good because it make me think about my work in direct relations to the assessment criteria. Also I like the fact that my work is not assessed by only one person and that that assessment is worth 100%. 9) Which topic do you feel personally was more beneficial in semester one – drugs or love? I prefer the drug unit – because it was more engaging. 10) If you could choose your own topics for PSE what would you like to study? Friends, Religion, power of positive thinking and team-work.