Asthma
Medical Authors: Alan Szeftel, MD, FCCP, and George Schiffman, MD, FCCP
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
What do each of these individuals have in common: First, an 18-year-old suddenly develops wheezing and shortness of breath when visiting his grandmother who happens to have a cat. Second, a 30-year-old woman has colds that "always go into her chest," causing coughing and difficulty breathing. Lastly, a 60-year-old man develops shortness of breath with only slight exertion even though he has never smoked. The answer is that they all have asthma. These are some of the many faces of asthma.
Most researchers believe that the different patterns of asthma are all related to one condition. But some researchers feel that separate forms of lung conditions exist. There is currently no cure for asthma and no single exact cause has been identified. Therefore, understanding the changes that occur in asthma, how it makes you feel, and how it can behave over time is vital. This knowledge can empower people with asthma to take an active role in your own health.
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Exercise Preventing Asthma?
Medical Author: Alan Szeftel,
MD, FCCP
Medical Editor: William
C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
 On many occasions, patients have asked me whether exercise will help prevent asthma. This issue is receiving more
attention in light of the global increase in the prevalence and severity of
asthma and the ongoing efforts to explain this phenomenon. Could a change in
lifestyle somehow be responsible for this trend in asthma? Scientists who work
in this area have pointed out several childhood developmental and lifestyle differences
during the past 40 years.
Let us go back in our minds to the 1960s. It
is late afternoon and school is out. Little Johnny and Jane come racing through
the back door to find mom greeting them with a glass of milk and a sandwich or
an apple. The kids eat their snack
and are soon in the neighborhood yard with their friends, playing ball or
climbing trees. Now, let us fast
forward to the 21st century, where Jason and Jessica let themselves
in the house because their parents are not home from work yet.
They drop their backpacks on the floor, walk straight to the kitchen, and
grab cookies or a bag of potato chips and a soda. They then collapse on the couch, switch on the TV, and
vegetate. They may remain there
until bedtime, fitting in homework during the commercials.
If their favorite programs are not on, some kids settle in front of the
computer, surfing the Internet, or playing video games.
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Asthma Resources from Medscape and eMedicine
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Myths, facts, and statistics about asthma
Before we present the typical symptoms of asthma, we should dispel some
common myths about this condition. This is best achieved by conducting a short
true or false quiz.
- T or F - Asthma is "all in the mind."
- T or F - You will "grow out of it."
- T or F - Asthma can be cured, so it is not serious and nobody dies from it.
- T or F - You are likely to develop asthma if someone in your family has it.
- T or F - You can "catch" asthma from someone else who has it.
- T or F - Moving to a different location, such as the desert, can cure
asthma.
- T or F - People with asthma should not exercise.
- T or F - Asthma does not require medical treatment.
- T or F - Medications used to treat asthma are habit-forming.
- T or F - Someone with asthma can provoke episodes anytime they want in
order to get attention.
Here are the answers:
- F - Asthma is not a psychological condition. However, emotional triggers can
cause flare-ups.
- F - You cannot outgrow asthma. In about 50% of children with asthma, the
condition may become inactive in the teenage years. The symptoms, however,
may reoccur anytime in adulthood.
- F - There is no cure for asthma, but the disease can be controlled in most
patients with good medical care. The condition should be taken seriously, since
uncontrolled asthma may result in emergency hospitalization and possible death.
- T - You have a 6% chance of having asthma if neither parent has the
condition, a 30% chance if one parent has it, and a 70% chance if both parents
have it.
- F - Asthma is not contagious.
- F - A new environment may temporarily improve asthma symptoms, but it will
not cure asthma. After a few years in the new location, many people become
sensitized to the new environment and the asthma symptoms return with the same
or even greater intensity than before.
- F - Swimming is an optimal exercise for those with asthma. On the other
hand, exercising in dry, cold air may be a trigger for asthma in some people.
- F - Asthma is best controlled by having an asthma management plan designed
by your doctor that includes the medications used for quick relief and those
used as controllers.
- F - Asthma medications are not addictive.
- F - Asthma attacks cannot be faked. In rare cases, there is a psychological condition known by a variety of names (factious asthma, spastic dysphonia, globus hystericus) where emotional issues may cause symptoms that mimic the symptoms of asthma.
Next: What is asthma? »
- albuterol, Ventolin, Proventil, AccuNeb, Vospire, ProAir - Specifies the medication albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil, AccuNeb, Vospire, ProAir) a drug used in for the treatment of asthma, emphysema, anc chronic broncitis. Albuterol relieves and prevents of airway obstruction (bronchospasm) in patients with asthma and in patients with exercise-induced asthma. Article includes descriptions, uses, drug interactions, and side effects.
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Bronchitis »
What Is Bronchitis?
Bronchitis is a respiratory disease in which the mucous membrane in the lungs' bronchial passages becomes inflamed. As the irritated membrane swells and grows thicker, it narrows or shuts off the tiny airways in the lungs, resulting in coughing spells accompanied by thick phlegm and breathlessness. The disease comes in two forms: acute (lasting less than 6 weeks) and chronic (reoccurring frequently for more than two years). In addition, people with asthma also experience an inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes called asthmatic bronchitis.
Acute bronchitis is responsible for the hacking cough and phlegm production that sometimes accompany an upper respiratory infection. In most cases the infection is viral in origin, but sometimes it's caused by bacteria. If you are otherwise in good health, the mucous membrane will return to normal after you've recovered from the initial lung infection, which usually lasts for...
Read the Bronchitis article »
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