Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic disease sited on chromosome 5 (5q31). [1, 2] There are about 100 genes linked to asthma. These genes handle the immune system and inflammation [3]. One gene known as DENND1B, causes an increased amount of the molecule cytokine to be released. [4] Cytokine is the motive for the symptoms of asthma to arise. Asthma is affected by several genetic and environmental factors that can cause life-threatening complications to occur for the people who have this disease. There are two types of asthma that are due to phenotypes, they are childhood onset asthma and adulthood onset asthma. Children with childhood onset asthma are atopic which means that they are affected by allergens in their environment due to genetics [5]. They are also more sensitive to the allergens on account of airway cells being sensitive to allergens [5]. Adulthood onset asthma is less prevalent than childhood onset asthma and is discovered more in men than women [5]. Adulthood onset asthma is mostly like childhood onset; nevertheless it is not affected by allergens, which is known as intr...
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. It is a reversible airway obstruction, occurring 8 to 10% of the population worldwide. According to a study in 2005, asthma affects over 15 million Americans, with more than 2 million annual emergency room visits. Asthma patients have a hyper-responsiveness in their airways and generally and increase in their airway smooth muscle cell mass. This hyperplasia is due to the normal response to the injury and repair to the airway caused by exacerbations. The main choice of therapy for asthma patients is β2- adrenergic agonists. Racemic albuterol has been the drug of choice for a short acting bronchodilator for a long time, but since the development of levalbuterol, there is the question of which drug is a better choice for therapy. Efficacy and cost of treatment must both be taken into consideration in each study of these therapies to determine which is best for the treatment of asthma.
Basile, Maria. "Asthma." The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders. 2nd ed. 2005. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 9 Feb. 2011.
Imagine a young child competing with his or her fellow classmates during recess and immediately losing the ability to breathe normally. He or she stops in the middle of the competition and falls to the ground while holding his or her chest trying to find air. When you are young, being able to keep up with your peers during recess and sporting events is very important, however, having asthma restricts this. Asthma has a significant impact on childhood development and the diagnosis of asthma for children 18 years and younger has dramatically increased over the years. Asthma is known as a “chronic inflammation of the small and large airways” with “evident bronchial hyper-responsiveness, airflow obstruction, and in some patients, sub-basement fibrosis and over-secretion of mucus” (Toole, 2013). The constant recreation of the lung walls can even occur in young children and “lead to permanent lung damages and reduced lung function” (Toole, 2013). While one of the factors is genetics, many of the following can be prevented or managed. Obesity, exposure to secondhand smoke, and hospitalization with pneumonia in the early years of life have all been suggested to increase children’s risk of developing asthma.
The severity of an indivual’s asthma is based on many factors, including the prescence and epistatic interactions of the asthma susceptibility genes; even if the genes are present, if the complementary miRNA strand is actively synthesized, the genes won’t cause asthma. Genetic and miRNA expression can then be altered by environmental exposures through methylation and acetylation. The genetic and environmental contributions discussed here to the expression of asthma are a small fraction of the known factors. Due to the complicated intertwined relationship of the abundant factors contributing toward asthmatic phenotypes that have been discovered in approximately the last twenty years, the currently known complexity of asthma could very well be simple in relation to the verity of asthma’s genetic and environmental labyrinthe.
It has been estimated that up to 90% of all asthmatics are hyperresponsive to exercise. In addition, high-intensity exercise contributes to the development of asthma and is the most common trigger of an acute asthma attack. Consequently, exercise-induced asthma in athletes most likely develops during an active sports career. Likewise, exercise-induced asthma seems to slow...
Understanding the pathogenesis of asthma is a solution to creating treatments that are more effective. “For more than two decades now, asthma has been recognized as a chronic inflammatory disease involving inflammation of both the central and peripheral airways” (Tulic 71). This chronic inflammation results in structural changes in the airways of the asthmatic patient, referred to as airway remodeling. Airway remodeling is the cause of the symptoms seen in asthmatics during an attack like severe dyspnea, wheezing or difficulty in expiration (Kumar and Robbins 492). There are five major aspects of the body affected by asthma, mostly due to chronic infl...
Asthma is chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by recurring episodes of wheeling and breathlessness. It often exists with allergies and can be worsened through exposure to allergens. In fact, asthma is complicated syndromes that have neither single definition nor complete explanation to the point. In light of its treatment, it is worthwhile to notice that asthma cannot be cured, instead can be only managed by avoiding exposure to allergens and/or by using medications regularly.
Asthma is a respiratory disorder marked by breathing difficulty caused by temporary narrowing of the bronchi, the airways branching from the trachea to the lungs. Attacks usually are brought on by allergic reaction to ANTIGENS such as grass and tree pollens, mold spores, fungi, animal dander, and certain foods but may also be caused by chemical irritants in the atmosphere or by infections of the respiratory tract. Susceptibility to an asthma attack is based on hyperactivity of the bronchial muscles, which constrict on exposure to one or another of these agents. Episodes of asthma vary widely in severity and may last from a few minutes to several days.
Most of you may not think of asthma as a killer disease, yet more that 5,000 Americans die of asthma each year. According to the Mayo Clinic web page, asthma also accounts for more that 400,000 hospital discharges annually. As the number of people with asthma increases, the more likely you are to come in contact with a person who has the disease. As far as I can remember, I have had asthma my whole life. My mother and one of my sisters also have asthma, so I have a first hand experience with it. This morning, I will discuss some interesting facts about asthma, I will specifically focus on what it is, warning signs, symptoms, causes, and the treatments that are used.
My personal interest in the pharmaceutical profession rooted for my desire to be involved in the improvement of my family’s and other people’s health. My mother who suffered from asthma and often had shortness of breath. She can’t exercise or stay outdoor for a long period of time especially during the colder weathers. As a young child, I have to witnessed my mother suffer from breathing problems through out the years. This made me feel helpless and I wished I could do more to help her. The only factor that improved her health is medication. Today, I am thankful to see that her asthma condition improves due to the help of medications. After witnessing all the troubles that she went through, I am inspired to become a pharmacist where I can applied my medicine knowledge to improve not only my family’s but also other’s health.
Asthma is a respiratory condition marked by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing. It usually results from an allergic reaction or other forms of hypersensitivity. Asthma in children is a leading cause of emergency department visits, hospitalizations and missed school days. According to the National Interview Survey (2010) there is an estimate of 7.1 million children in the United States who have asthma ( ncbi.nm). Approximately every 1 in 10 children are affected by asthma. Asthma can begin at any age, but most children have their first symptoms by the age of 5.
Asthma is a disease that currently has no cure and can only be controlled and managed through different treatment methods. If asthma is treated well it can prevent the flare up of symptoms such as coughing, diminish the dependence on quick relief medication, and help to minimize asthma attacks. One of the key factors to successful treatment of asthma is the creation of an asthma action plan with the help of a doctor that outlines medications and other tasks to help control the patient’s asthma ("How Is Asthma Treated and Controlled?"). The amount of treatment changes based on the severity of the asthma when it is first diagnosed and may be the dosage may be increased or decreased depending on how under control the patient’s asthma is. One of the main ways that asthma can be controlled is by becoming aware of the things that trigger attacks. For instance staying away from allergens such as pollen, animal fur, and air pollution can help minimize and manage the symptoms associated with asthma. Also if it is not possible to avoid the allergens that cause a patient’s asthma to flare up, they may need to see an allergist. These health professionals can help diagnosis what may need to be done in other forms of treatment such as allergy shots that can help decrease the severity of the asthma ("How Is Asthma Treated and Controlled?").
According to Child trends, “In 2015, 11 percent of children in poor families had asthma, compared with 9 percent of children in families that were near-poor, and 7 percent of children in families that had incomes of at least twice the federal poverty level. The factors that have been linked to an increased risk for asthma are low birth weight, exposure to antibiotics during the first year of life, use of acetaminophen, being overweight, exposure to community violence, having a parent with major depression, maternal exposure to intimate partner violence, and maternal exposure to high levels of magnetic fields. Additionally, many studies have linked exposure to air pollution and secondhand smoke to asthma incidence in children. None of these,
Children with asthma are more likely to have complications as a result of the influenza virus. The study, called “Influenza Vaccination Among US Children With Asthma, 2005–2013,” written by Alan E. Simon, Katherine A. Ahrens, and Lara J. Akinbami, deals with influenza vaccinations among children with asthma. The study begins with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) using survey data collected from 2005-2013 on children, from two to 17 years of age, who have or have not had the influenza vaccination for that flu season. The participants in the survey were asked about the influenza vaccination and whether or not the child in question were diagnosed with asthma. The main result of this study deals with the increasing
Asthma attack has greatly affected the people of Oakland, especially the West Oakland residents. This has been attributed mainly to Port of Oakland activities, which has produced many emissions to the surrounding environment (Hoek et al., 2013). The strategies undertaken assume a great role in reducing these disparities. Full adoption of these activities in CAOP will ensure proper and healthy living vicinities among residents. The hope is to see all key stakeholders and other businesses joining together with residents of Oakland to make this community cleaner, safer and healthier. This will surely address all the problems hence creating a livable working environment in the whole Oakland, especially communities near