Asthma

Asthma: Introduction

Asthma is a chronic, ongoing lung disease or respiratory condition marked by acute flare-ups or attacks of difficulty with breathing. This includes shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness, and the hallmark wheezing sound, a "whistling" noise that occurs with respirations. It is a common condition that most often occurs during childhood and can continue into adulthood. The onset of asthma can also occur at any age. More than 6 million children and 22 million adults in the U.S. have the condition, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Asthma symptoms can range from mild to life threatening.

Asthma is a disease of the lower respiratory track. Characteristics include inflammation of the airways in the lungs. These include the bronchioles, small hollow passageways that branch off the main airway from the mouth and nose. Air and oxygen pass through the bronchioles into the alveoli, tiny hollow structures in the lungs where oxygen is absorbed in to the bloodstream. In asthma, bronchioles and alveoli become inflamed, irritated and swollen, blocking the flow of air into the lungs. The surrounding muscles react by tightening and further blocking the flow of oxygen into the lungs and bloodstream. The airway also begins to make more mucus than normal, which further blocks the airways and compounds the problem with the intake of air.

Symptoms of Asthma

• Symptoms of an asthma attack:
  • Coughing
  • Wheezing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest tightness
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 18 symptoms of Asthma

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Asthma:

• Allergies -- Related Home Tests
  • Home Allergy Testing
  • Home Mold Tests
  • Home Food Intolerance Tests
  • Home Radon Tests
  • Home Water Tests
  • Home Lung Function Testing
• Lung & Respiratory Health Tests:
  • Asthma-Related Home Test Kits
  • Home Lung Function Test Kits
• Food Allergies & Intolerances: Home Testing:
  • Home Food Allergy Tests
  • Home Food Intolerance Testing
  • Home Water Testing
  • Home Lead Poisoning Tests
  • Home Heavy Metal Poisoning Tests
• more tests...»

Asthma: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Asthma:

• School absenteeism (see Absenteeism)
• Home confinement
• Breathing difficulty
• Hospitalization
• Asphyxia
• Death
• Status asthmaticus - repeated bouts of asthma attacks without respite.
• more complications...»

Medical Textbooks Online about Asthma

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Wrongly Diagnosed with Asthma?

• Misdiagnosis of Asthma
• Failure to diagnose Asthma
• Hidden causes of Asthma (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Undiagnosed: Asthma

Asthma: Self Assessment Tools

• Chronic Lung Disorders -- Self Assessment Tools
• more tools...»

Asthma: Medical Mistakes

• Allergies -- Health Mistakes
• Asthma-- Health Mistakes
• more mistakes...»

Asthma: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available for Asthma:

• Asthma
• Allergies
• Flu (influenza)
• more product offers...»

Asthma: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

• Chronic Respiratory Disorders that may be Undiagnosed:
  • Asthma -- Undiagnosed
  • Allergies -- Undiagnosed
  • COPD -- Undiagnosed
  • Emphysema -- Undiagnosed
  • Chronic Bronchitis -- Undiagnosed
  • Lung Cancer -- Undiagnosed
  • Sinusitis -- Undiagnosed
  • Cystic Fibrosis -- Undiagnosed
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea -- Undiagnosed
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

Misdiagnosis and Asthma

Chronic lung diseases hard to diagnose: Some of the chronic lung diseases are difficult to diagnose. Even the well-knowns conditions such as asthma or lung cancer often fail to be diagnosed early. Some of the chronic lung diseases with diagnostic difficulties include asthma (perhaps surprisingly), COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, mesothelioma, smoker's cough, AIDS-related respiratory conditions (see AIDS), chronic pneumonia, and other respiratory diseases. Rare possibilities include diseases like psittacosis (bird-related lung infection). See other types of chronic lung diseases....read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Asthma

Asthma: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Allergy Specialists:
  • Allergy & Immunology (Allergies & Immune Diseases)
  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (Child Allergies & Immune Diseases)
• Immune-Related Disease Specialists (Immunology):
  • Immunopathology
  • Dermatological Immunology / Diagnostic Laboratory
  • Clinical & Laboratory Immunology
• Lung Health Specialists (Pulmonologist):
  • Pulmonology (Lung Health Specialists)
  • Pediatric Pulmonology (Child Lung Health)
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

• Rate Your Doctor Online
• Research Your Doctor Online
• Review Patient Surveys About Your Doctor
• Research local specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Hospitals & Clinics: Asthma

Research quality ratings and patient safety measures for medical facilities in specialties related to Asthma:

• Lung Health (Pulmonology) -- Hospital Quality Ratings
• more hospital ratings...»

Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »

Choosing the Best Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Asthma, on hospital performance and surgical care quality:

• 50 Best Hospitals Report
• Outstanding Patient Experinece Award Winning Hospitals
• Women's Health Best Hospitals
• Patient Safety
• Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study (2009)

Asthma: Rare Types

Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:

• Chronic Respiratory Disorders -- Rare Types:
  • Asthma -- Rare Types
  • Allergies -- Rare Types
  • COPD -- Rare Types
  • Emphysema -- Rare Types
  • Chronic Bronchitis -- Rare Types
  • Lung Cancer -- Rare Types
  • Sinusitis -- Rare Types
  • Cystic Fibrosis -- Rare Types
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea -- Rare Types
• more rare diseases...»

Causes of Asthma

Read more about causes of Asthma.

More information about causes of Asthma:

• Triggers for Asthma
• Medications, drugs, or substances causing Asthma (199 listings)
• Asthma as a complication caused by other conditions
• Asthma as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Asthma

Treatments for Asthma

• Hospitalization
• Anti-inflammatory agents
• Long-term asthma medications
  • Inhaled steroids
  • Oral steroids
• more treatments...»

See full list of 36 treatments for Asthma

Latest Treatments for Asthma

• Hyposensitization
• Steroids
• Mast cell stabilizers
• Beta-agonists
• Methylxanthines
• more treatments...»

See full list of 8 latest treatments for Asthma

News Archives for Asthma

Medical news articles related to Asthma include:

• Asthma Drugs Get 'Precaution' Labeling for Possible Psychiatric Side Effects
• Obesity May Dampen Response to Asthma Meds
• Protein May Hold Key to Blocking Allergy-Induced Asthma
• Molecule in Skin May Link Eczema and Asthma
• Climate Change Could Sting Allergy, Asthma Sufferers
• Group Urges Public to Take Free Asthma Tests in May
• Low Vitamin A, C Intake Tied to Asthma Risk
• Acid Reducers May Not Help All With Asthma
• more health news...»

Source: HealthDay News

Videos for Asthma

Patient Surveys for Asthma

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Asthma
  Take Survey  View Results

Prognosis for Asthma

Prognosis for Asthma: Almost all asthma patients can become free of symptoms with proper treatment. Patients and their families should expect nothing less. (Source: excerpt from NHLBI - Your Asthma Can Be Controlled: NHLBI)

More about prognosis of Asthma

Reseach about Asthma

Visit our research pages for current research about Asthma treatments.

Clinical Trials for Asthma

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Asthma include:

• Budesonide Inhalation Suspension for Acute Asthma in Children - This study is not yet open for patient recruitment (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Budesonide inhalation suspension (0.5 mg/2mL)
• Inhaled Tacrolimus, Add-on to Inhaled Corticosteroids & Long Acting B2 Agonists in Moderate to Severe Persistent Asthma - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Tacrolimus
• Dose Response of Inhaled Tacrolimus in Patients With Moderate Persistent Asthma - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - tacrolimus
• Study of Oglemilast for the Prevention of Asthma. - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Oglemilast
• Prevention of Asthma Relapse After Discharge From Emergency - This study is not yet open for patient recruitment (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Budesonide/formoterol
• more trials...»

See full list of 551 Clinical Trials for Asthma

Statistics for Asthma

• Medical statistics for Asthma
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Asthma
• Death and Mortality statistics for Asthma
• Society statistics for Asthma

Asthma: Broader Related Topics

• Immune disorders
• Allergic Disorders
• Respiratory conditions
• Lung conditions
• Adolescent conditions
• Under-diagnosed conditions
• more types...»

Types of Asthma

Curable Types of Asthma

Possibly curable types of Asthma include:

• Exercise related asthma
• Emotional stress related asthma
• Obesity associated asthma
• Medication related like beta- adrenergic receptor blockers
• Occupational asthma
• more types...»

Rare Types of Asthma:

Rare types of Asthma include:

• Obesity associated asthma
• Medication related like beta- adrenergic receptor blockers
• Perinatal factors (prematurity and increased maternal age)
• Household sprays and paint fumes associated
• Allergy-induced asthma
• Adult-onset asthma
• Adulthood asthma
• Childhood asthma
• more types...»

Stories from Users Related to Asthma

• What Is Asthma?
• asthma and hypothroid
• Doctors can't help, say asthma?
• Asthma or something else?
• Not ready to call it asthma
• Natural method to prevent/relieve asthma-episode
• Asthma and Chronic Bronchitis
• re diagnosed with asthma
• Bronchitis or just bad asthma?
• Asthma? Need Help/No Health Insurance
• Natural Healing Of The Asthma
• Asthma-help!!
• misdiagnosed asthma?
• Asthma Misdiagnosis
• 2 yr old w/ Asthma
• Admited for Gastroitist instead of asthma
• Can you diagnose asthma by hyperventilating.
• Chronic Asthma
• Severe Asthma/Pneumonia/TB
• Asthma misdiagnosis

Related forums and medical stories:

• Asthma (20)
  • What Is Asthma?
  • Severe Asthma with a bad chest cold
  • can anyone help?
  • My child may have this.
  • Help this writer accurately portray asthmatic related storyline
  • More user stories

User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Asthma, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Asthma

NHLBI, Asthma & Physical Activity in the School: NHLBI (Excerpt)

Asthma is a chronic lung condition with ongoing airway inflammation that results in recurring acute episodes (attacks) of breathing problems such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. These symptoms occur because the inflammation makes the airways overreact to a variety of stimuli including physical activity, upper respiratory infections, allergens, and irritants. Exposure to these stimuli--often called triggers--creates more swelling and blocking of the airways. Asthma episodes can be mild, moderate, or even life-threatening. Vigorous exercise will cause symptoms for most students with asthma if their asthma is not well-controlled. Some students experience symptoms only when they exercise. However, today's treatments can successfully control asthma so that students can participate fully in physical activities most of the time. (Source: excerpt from NHLBI, Asthma & Physical Activity in the School: NHLBI)

NHLBI, Asthma Age Page: NHLBI (Excerpt)

Asthma is a disease of the lung airways. With asthma, the airways are inflamed (swollen) and react easily to certain things, like viruses, smoke, or pollen. When the inflamed airways react, they get narrow and make it hard to breathe. Common asthma symptoms are wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. When these symptoms get worse, it's an asthma attack. (Source: excerpt from NHLBI, Asthma Age Page: NHLBI)

ASTHMA: NWHIC (Excerpt)

Asthma is a chronic lung condition marked by labored breathing, wheezing, and/or coughing. During an asthmatic episode, bronchial tubes or airways become narrowed by the production of excess mucus, the swelling of airway linings, or the tightening of muscles around the airways. (Source: excerpt from ASTHMA: NWHIC)

Definitions of Asthma:

Form of bronchial disorder associated with airway obstruction, marked by recurrent attacks of paroxysmal dyspnea, with wheezing due to spasmodic contraction of the bronchi. - (Source - Diseases Database)

Respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin - (Source - WordNet 2.1)