Health history describes a current collection of unique and organized information regarding an individual. Some of the information in the health history includes sociocultural, demographic, and physical data. The purpose of health history is to assist healthcare providers and individuals by providing essential information that will assist in diagnosis, treatment, and establishing a strong relationship between medical professionals and laypersons ( Murphy et al., 2012) . The case study will conduct a health history assessment of K.K.
Demographic Data
Mr. K.K is a twenty-three-year-old student at Stanford. Although his family lives in California, he was born in New York. He lives in the university hostels but frequently visits his family on the weekend.
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Perception of Health
Health describes the state of being socially, mentally, and physically well, and not just the absence of disease. K.K plays soccer but his fun is often affected by shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing. Furthermore, he also feels his chest get tight. He feels that the symptoms affect his quality of life.
Past Medical History
During one of the matches last month, he got an asthma attack and was rushed to a hospital. The hospital treated him using the asthma nebulizer. An asthma nebulizer is a breathing machine that converts asthma medication into vapor or a mist that can easily be inhaled into a patient's lungs ( Murphy et al., 2012) .
Family Medical History
K.K has four sisters. His mother is asthmatic but none of the sisters is asthmatic. K.K’s father passed away in an accident five years ago. His family has a history of diabetes but no hypertension or cancer. Besides, none of the family members has a history of drug and substance abuse. Also, they only drink during occasions.
Review of Systems
During the asthma attack, he experiences watery eyes and sneezing fits. At times, he wakes up at night due to shortness of breath and wheezing. He uses his inhaler and carries it most of the time because he the school environment has many asthma triggers such as pollen grains.
Development Considerations
Although K.K has an athletic body, he usually experiences chest pains if he does not use an inhaler soon after an asthma attack. About six months ago, he got an asthma attack but continued exercising, although he used his inhaler afterward, he got severe chest pains and he was rushed to hospital by his friend.
Cultural Considerations
K.K is Asian American and has lived in the US his entire life. Although English is his second language, he is a fluent English speaker. He has a healthy lifestyle that allows him to manage his condition.
Psychosocial Condition
K.K is aware of his condition and goes for a medical checkup every two months. Despite the fact that the condition may limit his physical activities, he still exercises daily. However, he is anxious when playing soccer because he may get an asthma attack during an important match.
Physical Assessment
Chest pains often occur during, before, or after an asthma attack. The chest pain is often caused by soreness from the deep breathing and coughing. More than 75% of patients with condition report chest pain ( Murphy et al., 2012) . However, it is a subjective symptom that cannot be measured and doctors rely on the patient’s description.
Need Priorities for Patient
There are many people with the condition. The symptoms may reduce or become worse with age depending on the patient’s lifestyle. He should start avoiding fatty foods and consult a nutritionist. Also, he should continue exercising.
Collaborative Resources
The first collaborative resource center would be a healthcare facility. His doctor will evaluate his condition and suggest the necessary treatments. Although asthma is a manageable condition, it may be fatal if the patient has an unhealthy lifestyle (Price, Fletcher, & Van Der Molen, 2014). His family members especially his parents and sisters would be another essential resource.
Reflection
The interview took place in a restaurant. His soccer coach knows about his condition and he ensures that K.K has a supportive environment. As the interview occurred, the tension between the interviewer and interviewee reduced and the communication occurred freely. During the interview, it was evident that asthma affects many aspects of a patient’s life. Some allergens include cockroach feces, pollen grain, dust mite feces, mold spores, and animal dander ( Murphy et al., 2012) . Other triggers include dusty rooms, smoke, perfumes, air pollution, strong chemical odors, and cold air. Therefore, K.K should know how asthma allergens and triggers affect his condition.
During the interview, it allowed me to understand the significance of health assessment of asthmatic patients. Although the condition is easily manageable, it can be fatal if the patient is unable to live a healthy lifestyle. An allergic response occurs when a person’s immune system mistakenly releases antibodies when they identify a harmless substance as an invader ( Murphy et al., 2012) . Some of the allergic reactions during an asthma attack include skin reactions, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, or a runny nose. Some of the reactions may affect the airways and lungs, resulting in asthma. However, K.K had learned how to manage the condition.
Conclusion
The case study conducts a health history assessment of K.K. allergens and triggers may cause a patient’s airways to be swollen and inflamed. It may lead to chest pain, tightness, or pressure. K.K should work with his doctor to come up with the best treatment. Also, he should check up with his doctor regularly because asthma symptoms and allergy may change over time (Price, Fletcher, & Van Der Molen, 2014). Furthermore, when the symptoms start flaring up, he should immediately visit a doctor.
References
Murphy, K. R., Meltzer, E. O., Blaiss, M. S., Nathan, R. A., Stoloff, S. W., & Doherty, D. E. (2012, January). Asthma management and control in the United States: results of the 2009 Asthma Insight and Management survey. In Allergy and asthma proceedings (Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 54-64). OceanSide Publications, Inc.
Price, D., Fletcher, M., & Van Der Molen, T. (2014). Asthma control and management in 8,000 European patients: the REcognise Asthma and LInk to Symptoms and Experience (REALISE) survey. NPJ primary care respiratory medicine , 24 , 14009.
