ICD-10 | J45. |
---|---|
ICD-9 | 493 |
OMIM | 600807 |
DiseasesDB | 1006 |
MedlinePlus | 000141 |
eMedicine | med/177 emerg/43 |
MeSH | C08.127.108 |
Asthma is a disease of the respiratory system in which the airways constrict, become inflamed, and are lined with excessive amounts of mucus, often in response to one or more “triggers,” such as exposure to an environmental stimulant (or allergen), cold air, exercise, or emotional stress. In children, the most common triggers are viral illnesses such as those that cause the common cold.[1] This airway narrowing causes symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing, which respond to bronchodilators. Between episodes, most patients feel fine.
The disorder is a chronic or recurring inflammatory condition in which the airways develop increased responsiveness to various stimuli, characterized by bronchial hyper-responsiveness, inflammation, increased mucus production, and intermittent airway obstruction. The symptoms of asthma, which can range from mild to life threatening, can usually be controlled with a combination of drugs and enviromental changes.
Public attention in the developed world has recently focused on asthma because of its rapidly increasing prevalence, affecting up to one in four urban children.[2] Susceptibility to asthma can be explained in part by genetic factors, but no clear pattern of inheritance has been found. Asthma is a complex disease that is influenced by multiple genetic, developmental, and environmental factors, which interact to produce the overall condition.
History
The word asthma is derived from the Greek aazein, meaning “sharp breath.” The word first appears in Homer’s Iliad;[3] Hippocrates was the first to use it in reference to the medical condition. Hippocrates thought that the spasms associated with asthma were more likely to occur in tailors, anglers, and metalworkers. Six centuries later, Galen wrote much about asthma, noting that it was caused by partial or complete bronchial obstruction. Moses Maimonides, an influential medieval rabbi, philosopher, and physician, wrote a treatise on asthma, describing its prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.[4] In the 17th century, Bernardino Ramazzini noted a connection between asthma and organic dust. The use of bronchodilators started in 1901, but it was not until the 1960s that the inflammatory component of asthma was recognized, and anti-inflammatory medications were added to the regimen.
Links
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute — Asthma – U.S. NHLBI Information for Patients and the Public page.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute — Asthma – U.S. NHLBI Information for Health Professionals page.
- MedLinePlus: Asthma – a U.S. National Library of Medicine page.
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology – a U.S. organization of medical professionals with a special interest in treating and researching conditions such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis/eczema, and anaphylaxis.
- Asthma UK – a patient-oriented site with information on asthma and ways that UK residents can help improve asthma-related policy.
- Asthma Foundation of Queensland Information and education for Australian asthma sufferers.
- Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center — Allergies, Asthma & Immune System – A Seattle, Washington hospital website with patient-oriented videos on asthma and the immune system.
- Case Studies in Environmental Medicine (CSEM): Environmental Triggers of Asthma – Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Asthma as Neurogenic Inflammatory Disease Neurogenic aspects of asthma. Pathophysiological links with other inflammatory disorders.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.
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