ASTHMAD.Siva kumar Naik

M.S (Pharmacology&Toxicology)

Introduction

• Asthma is a chronic lung-disease that inflames and narrows the airways (tubes that bring air into and out of an individual’s lungs).

• Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children.

Symptoms

• Common symptoms of asthma include:– Coughing– Wheezing– Tightness in the chest– Shortness of breath

Causes• While the exact cause of asthma is not known, it is thought

that a variety of factors interacting with one another, early in life, result in the development of asthma.

• Parents with asthma• Atopy• Childhood respiratory infections• Exposure to allergens or infections while the immune

system is developing

Diagnosis

• Based on:– Medical history– Physical examination– Test results

Asthma Triggers

• A variety of things can cause asthma symptoms to appear:

• Allergens• Irritants• Food and drinks• Medicines• Physical activity• Upper respiratory infections (viral)

Treatment• Medication

– Long term• Inhaled corticosteroid• Leukotriene modifiers• Long-acting beta agonists• Combination inhalers

– Quick relief (rescue) medications• Short-acting beta agonists• Ipratropium• Oral and intravenous corticosteroids

– Bronchial thermoplasty– Recognizing, tracking, and avoiding triggers

•

References

1.Lemanske, R.F.; Busse, W.W. (February 2010). "Asthma: clinical expression and molecular mechanisms". J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 125 (2 Suppl 2): S95–102

2.Diaz, P. Knoell (2009). "23. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease". Applied therapeutics: the clinical use of drugs (9th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.