Asthma

Oral drops can give kids needle-free relief from asthma, allergies

Allergy shots are commonly used to treat children with severe environmental allergies and asthma, but under-the-tongue drops may offer yet another beneficial—and stick-free—option for pediatric allergy sufferers, according ...

Immunology created May 06, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Childhood disability rate jumps 16 percent over past decade

More children today have a disability than a decade ago, and the greatest increase is among kids in higher-income families, according to a study to be presented Sunday, May 5, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual ...

Pediatrics created May 05, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Vitamin C may head off lung problems in babies born to pregnant smokers

Pregnant women are advised not to smoke during pregnancy because it can harm the baby's lungs and lead to wheezing and asthma, among other problems. If a woman absolutely can't kick the habit, taking vitamin C during pregnancy ...

Pediatrics created May 04, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Children with milk allergy may be 'allergic to school'

Many of today's school teachers opt for dustless chalk to keep hands and classrooms clean. But according to a study published in the May issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the Americ ...

Health created May 02, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Trial asthma drug targets lung inflammation

University of Adelaide researchers at the Royal Adelaide Hospital are involved in the world's biggest study of its kind investigating a possible new treatment for asthma.

Inflammatory disorders created May 01, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Generic competition cuts Merck's Q1 sales, profit

Drugmaker Merck & Co. is reporting lower first-quarter results and cutting its 2013 profit forecast by 15 cents a share. It also is announcing a huge share buyback, up to $15 billion worth of its stock.

Medications created May 01, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

ATS publishes clinical practice guidelines on exercise-induced bronchoconstriction

The American Thoracic Society has released new official clinical practice guidelines on the diagnosis and management of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), the acute airway narrowing that occurs as a result of exercise.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 01, 2013 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Mast cells give clues in diagnosis, treatment of dengue

A protein produced by mast cells in the immune system may predict which people infected with dengue virus will develop life-threatening complications, according to researchers at Duke Medicine and Duke-National University ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 30, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

A text message a day keeps the asthma attack away

(Medical Xpress)—Simply sending children with asthma a text message each day asking about their symptoms and providing knowledge about their condition can lead to improved health outcomes. In a study by ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 30, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Nephrologist follow-up improves mortality of severe acute kidney injury patients

Patients with acute kidney injury who see a nephrologist within 90 days of being discharged from a hospital have a 24 per cent lower risk of dying than those who do not see a kidney specialist, a new study has found.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 30, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Living in US raises risk of allergies, study shows

Children born outside the United States have a lower risk of asthma, skin and food allergies, and living in the United States for a decade may raise a person's allergy risk, said a study on Monday.

Immunology created Apr 29, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Protect your kids from pollen allergies: expert

(HealthDay)—Many children suffer allergies at this time of year as trees and other plants start releasing pollens into the air. So parents need to monitor their youngsters for symptoms, an expert says.

Immunology created Apr 28, 2013 | popularity 3 / 5 (4) | comments 1

Many Americans breathing cleaner air, report suggests

(HealthDay)—Although many Americans are now breathing cleaner air, others are living in cities that are more polluted than they were a decade ago, a new report shows.

Health created Apr 24, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

Can caesarean sections increase susceptibility to disease?

Despite efforts to reduce intervention rates during labour, vaginal births without medical intervention are becoming increasingly rare in Australia and overseas: nearly one in three women in Australian now ...

Health created Apr 24, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New immune cells hint at eczema cause

(Medical Xpress)—University of Sydney researchers have discovered a new type of immune cell in skin that plays a role in fighting off parasitic invaders such as ticks, mites, and worms, and could be linked to eczema and ...

Immunology created Apr 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 1 | with audio podcast


Asthma (from the Greek άσθμα, ásthma, "panting") is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Asthma is clinically classified according to the frequency of symptoms, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow rate. Asthma may also be classified as atopic (extrinsic) or non-atopic (intrinsic).

It is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Treatment of acute symptoms is usually with an inhaled short-acting beta-2 agonist (such as salbutamol). Symptoms can be prevented by avoiding triggers, such as allergens and irritants, and by inhaling corticosteroids. Leukotriene antagonists are less effective than corticosteroids and thus less preferred.

Its diagnosis is usually made based on the pattern of symptoms and/or response to therapy over time. The prevalence of asthma has increased significantly since the 1970s. As of 2010, 300 million people were affected worldwide. In 2009 asthma caused 250,000 deaths globally. Despite this, with proper control of asthma with step down therapy, prognosis is generally good.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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