Bronchial Asthma

Bronchial Asthma

By Raymond D. Laster

What is Bronchial Asthma?

Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that causes periodic “attacks” of coughing, and wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. More than 22 million Americans, including6.5 million children under 18, suffer with it today.

Allergies are strongly linked to asthma and to other respiratory diseases such as middle ear infections, nasal polyps, and chronic sinusitis. People with asthma showed that those who had both allergies and asthma were most likely to have nighttime awakening due to asthma, missed work because of it also. They may also need more powerful medications to control their symptoms.

Asthma is associated with mast cells, eosinophils , and T lymphocytes. Mast cells are the allergy-causing cells that release chemicals like histamine. Histamine is the substance that causes nasal stiffness and dripping in a cold or hay fever, constriction of airways in asthma, and itchy areas in a skin allergy. Eosinophils are type of white blood cell associated with allergic disease.

T lymphocytes are also white blood cells associated with the allergy and inflammation.

These cells, along with other inflammatory cells, are involved in the development of airway inflammation in asthma that contributes to the airway hyperresponsiveness, airflow limitation, respiratory symptoms, and chronic disease. In certain individuals, the inflammation results in feelings of chest tightness and breathlessness that is felt often at night or in the early morning hours. Some people only feel symptons when they exercise.

Because of the inflammation, the airway hyperresponsiveness occurs as a result of specific triggers. The airways tend to overact and narrow due to even the slightest triggers such as pollen, animal dander, dust and fumes.