On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 15:02:25 +0000, "Sanny Vaz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
ASTHMA. As we see today Asthma is spreading faster than ever before, specially in the industrialized countries, were pollution is extremely excessive due to which we all inhale poisonous gases without any exception for a fresh breath or pure oxygen, its believed that plants give oxygen, but today I feel that even the plants around us give Co2 only, since everywhere chemicals are sprayed to kill insects and bacteria. Asthma is a treacherous disease which at times is hard to diagnose, and many a times although we have certain symptoms we usually ignore it as minor cold which on the long run turns out to be Chronic Asthma, the reason we often ignore certain early symptoms is due to our lack of knowledge concerning the disease, here I�d like to give a few high lights concerning this dreaded disease. What is Asthma ? Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways in our lungs, these airways are also known as bronchial tubes. Chronic means that its persistent, in the case of asthma it never goes away� Asthma is one disease, but it has two main underlying components that happen deep within the airways of our lungs. 1: Inflammation: The air ways of the lungs are often swollen and irritated if you have asthma, and become more swollen and irritating when an attack begins, your healthcare professional may refer to this swelling and irritation as �Inflammation.� Inflammation can reduce the amount of air that you can take in or breathe out of your lungs, in some people with asthma, the mucus glands in the airways produce excessive thick mucus, further obstructing the airways. 2: Constriction: The muscles around the airways in the lungs squeeze together or tighten, this tightening is often called �bronchoconstriction� and it can make it hard for you to breathe the air in or out of your lungs. Inflammation and constriction together cause narrowing of the airways, which can result in wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath, with asthma your airways may be inflamed even when you�re not having symptoms. Types of Asthma:- 1: Allergic Asthma: Is triggered by allergic reaction from different allergens such as pollen or pet dander. 2: Seasonal Asthma: Is a form of allergic asthma which can be triggered by trees, grasses, or flowers releasing pollen into the air. 3: Non-allergic Asthma: May be triggered or made worse by one or more non-allergic asthma triggers including materials (irritants) in the air we breathe, such as tobacco smoke, wood smoke, room deodorizers, pine odors, fresh paint, house hold cleaning products, cooking odors, workplace chemicals, perfumes and outdoor air pollution, 4: Exercise-Induced Asthma: This simply refers to asthma symptoms that are triggered only by exercise or physical activity. 5: Nocturnal Asthma: This can occur in a patient with any type of asthma, in particular to asthma symptoms that seem worse in the middle of the night, typically between 2 AM to 4 AM. Causes: Asthma attacks are caused by airway hyperresponsivenes which is an overreaction of the bronchi and bronchioles to various environmental and physiological stimuli known as triggers, the most common causes of asthma attacks are extremely small lightweight particles transported through the air are inhaled into the lungs, when they enter the airways these particles known as environmental triggers, cause an inflammatory response in the airways walls, resulting in an asthma attack�. For some people the environmental triggers are allergens. Allergens are usually natural substances such as plant, pollen and mold spores, animal dander (tiny pieces of animal hair and skin) and fecal material from dust mites and cockroaches, allergens produce an exaggerated response of the immune system in which a specific antibody, immunoglobulin E initiates the inflammatory response, these same allergens may cause little or no reaction in non-allergic people. Some people may be allergic to certain common chemical irritants such as, perfume, hairspray, cosmetics and household cleaners, as well as many forms of air pollution, such as exposure to high levels of ozone, car exhaust, wood smoke and sulfur dioxide, current research seeks to determine whether indoor pollutants also contribute to the development of asthma. The study focused on striking out at the causes of asthma, rather than merely easing the symptoms, among the symptoms of asthma are shortness of breath, wheezing and constant dry cough, an asthmatic attack often occurs after a coughing fit, accompanied by allergic symptoms like itchy eyes, but it can be triggered simply by a bout of laughing, and some people have a crisis nearly everyday�. Most asthmatics are sensitive to allergens, which number around 200, including dust, pollen, animal hair, dander secretions or excretions, fungus, mould, feathers, ashes, and tobacco smoke, research shows that asthma attacks can cause damage to the lungs, furthermore the disappearance of symptoms for several years does not mean the patient has been cured, in women, symptoms tend to flare up during the first menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Today, there is increasing evidence that untreated airway inflammation may lead to a long term disease in lung function and even permanent lung damage, there�s also proof that if asthma is improperly treated, it may get worse over time, although there is no cure for asthma, effective treatment is available for preventing attacks and for controlling and ending attacks soon after they have begun.. Asthma medications are taken orally or inhaled in vapor form using a metered-dose inhaler, a hand-held pump that delivers medication directly to the airways. There are two kinds of asthma medications: 1. Bronchodilators � which reduce bronchosparm and anti-inflammatory medications, which reduce airway inflammation. 2. Theophylline � is a bronchodilator that works by relaxing the muscles surrounding the airways. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that asthma claims 180,000 lives every year, a full 80% of which are avoidable, while one-third of the world�s 150 million asthma sufferers are minors. The steady rise in the number of asthmatics in the world is one of the great mysteries of modern medicine, according to WHO, which says the incidence of asthma and the number of asthma-related hospilisations has grown to 40% in the past 10 years�. A sharp increase has also been seen in the incidence of respiratory illnesses like chronic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema, which cause nearly 3 million deaths around the world every year. According to research more than 4.9 million cases of acute respiratory disease were reported in 1998, or 441.6 per 1,000 inhabitants, the rate of patients attended for asthma that year was 66 per 1,000, with a slightly higher incidence among women. In some countries ayurvedic medicine is being practiced to cure the disease, but its only temporary, nothing has been assured yet�.However, specialists at the University of Exeter in Britain say the benefits of �green medicine� in fighting asthma have not yet been conclusively demonstrated, most of the 17 studies reviewed contained errors or did not use standardised products, which made it difficult to ascertain their effectiveness said a report by researchers at the university. Meanwhile, researchers at the General Hospital of Southampton, also in Britain, said that asthma could be eradicated in 10 years, even though it is the only treatable chronic disease with a steadily growing mortality rate. The solution they said, would be to find a vaccine prepared with natural bacterial containing the CD14 molecule, which acts in the intestines, regulating the immune system and preventing allergic reactions. I hope and pray that WHO with the support of all world researchers and scientists put in more efforts to find a new drug to put an end to the ailing patients in all continents and make it a healthy place to live in. Wishing good health to everyone. Sanny Vaz. Kuwait. 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