The patient is an Asian male young adult in full physical and mental health, with no visible symptoms of diseases or infections. Although the patient regularly exercises, adheres to a healthy diet, and has stable social relationships, that are health issues that decrease the quality of his life. The systems that the patient described as concerning are the gastrointestinal and lymphoid systems. Regarding his gastrointestinal system, the patient reported that he sometimes experiences heartburn and often has difficulty swallowing. Moreover, the patient’s throat is often sore, and he has chronic tonsillitis.
Currently, he treats the symptoms of tonsillitis with mouthwash and salt gargles. Another health issue is occasional sinus inflammation. The patient sometimes experiences allergic reactions, and he reported that chicken and crustaceans are known to cause his allergies. The patient does not take any medications to prevent their symptoms. The patient experiences headaches 3-4 times a month, which can also be addressed to increase his quality of life.
I believe that the main concern for the patient is his chronic tonsillitis and dysphagia that accompanies it. While the patient upholds supportive treatment, the necessity to use more radical measures may arise in the future. Chronic tonsillitis is a public health issue that can negatively affect not only a patient but also his or her relatives (Bakar et al., 2018). The patient must assess his health situation carefully and consult with a specialist if necessary.
I have selected the article “All you need to know about tonsillitis” by Tim Newman as a health promotion resource. Not only does the article provides an overview of potential health issues stemming from tonsillitis, but it also discusses what measures can be taken by a patient at home to treat tonsillitis’ symptoms. Moreover, the paper highlights several key factors for consideration in case if the patient would choose to have his tonsils surgically removed. In case of this disease will increase its severity to the point of preventing normal functioning, and the patient will start to experience five or more episodes per year, it might be necessary to consider tonsillectomy (Bakar et al., 2018).
However, this procedure is linked with significant adverse effects, and a 6-month antibiotics course must be attempted first (Alasmari et al., 2017). Despite being relatively short, it contains valuable information and can affect the patient’s behavior.
The subjective data received from the patient suggests that chronic tonsillitis is the main concern of the interviewee. This infection impairs his freedom, and he puts a significant effort into reducing its symptoms. The interview revealed that the patient’s mother was also sick with tonsillitis during her childhood, although she did not experience any symptoms past early adulthood. I believe that the patient hopes for chronic tonsillitis to disappear in his adulthood, and its presence makes him more conscious about his health.
To determine the objective data regarding the interviewee’s health, I would consider running a series of tests to determine the severity and the origin of his disease and accompanying comorbidities. For his dysphagia, I would suggest a water swallowing test and a timed swallow test to determine if there is any interruption in the process that can potentially lead to more severe health issues (Gallegos et al., 2017). Chronic tonsillitis is caused by several different bacteria, which can have separate treatment methods (Alasmari et al., 2017). I suggest taking a swab and analyzing what type of bacteria causes the patient’s illness prior to using any primary treatment method.
References
Alasmari, N. S., Bamashmous, R. O., & Alshuwaykan, R. M. (2017). Causes and treatment of tonsillitis. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 69(8), 2975-2980. Web.
Bakar, M., McKimm, J., Haque, S. Z., Majumder, A. A., & Haque, M. (2018). Chronic tonsillitis and biofilms: A brief overview of treatment modalities. Journal of Inflammation Research, 11, 329-337. Web.
Gallegos, C., Brito-de la Fuente, E., Clavé, P., Costa, A., & Assegehegn, G. (2017). Nutritional aspects of dysphagia management. Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, 81, 271-318. Web.