August 8, 2007
More Asthma Facts
Asthmatics have the following three major features of the disease. First, asthmatics have airway obstructions. Triggers and materials which aggravate asthmatics cause the muscle bands surrounding the airways to tighten, blocking free airflow. Asthmatics also have red, swollen bronchial tubes.
Finally, asthmatics have sensitivity and irritability of the airway passages, so that even minor triggers can precipitate an asthma attack. A peak flow meter can be used to test for asthma. It is a simple test which measures your baseline lung functions. Although the disease cannot be cured, the effects of asthma can be controlled in a variety of ways.
The term “asthma” is derived from a Greek word meaning “sharp breath.” Historians believe that Hippocrates was the first to designate the disease as “asthma” in about 450 BC. Bronchodilators first appeared in 1901, and subsequent research in the 1960s led to the discovery of the inflammatory component of asthma. Thereafter, anti-inflammatory drugs were added to asthma medications.
Low-income populations have a disproportionate rate of asthma sufferers, due in part to pollution found in major cities, particularly in high industrial areas. It has even been suggested that asthma can be acquired from cockroaches in living quarters.
Additional sources that can exacerbate asthma attacks are pet dander, dust mites, pollen, mold spores, cleaning solutions, influenza and sinus infections. There are many Olympic athletes who have asthma.
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