What is the effect of various factors on the breathing rate of asthmatics compared to non-asthmatics? How effective are short-acting bronchodilators to restore the breathing rates of asthmatics? Before we started testing our problem, we thought that on average, asthmatics breathing rate would rise or fall about 30-40 liters per minute depending on the activity. And we also agreed that the non-asthmatics rate would only differ about 15 liters per minute either way. We thought that the inhalers would help to bring the asthmatics breathing rate back up to normal. We found out that we hypothesized wrong in our first problem, but in the second, we were definitely found right. Asthmatics definitely have a more serious problem keeping their peak flows consistent, especially during the chemical fumes, cold food, and smoke activities. Although, when the asthmatics were doing their exercise activity, their breathing rate increased. After using their inhalers after each activity, their flow rate of breathing was brought back up to normal. For the non-asthmatics, their breathing rate stayed relatively the same, ranging within 25 and 60 liters per minute, also steering away from what we hypothesized. In conclusion to our project, we found that the level of affects on asthmatics is a lot more serious and worse than non-asthmatics and short-acting bronchodilators are definitely a large help to asthmatics.
