Two long-acting ß 2 -adrenergic agonists (LABAs), salmeterol and formoterol, have been demonstrated to be safe and effective agents in children, both in terms of bronchodilation and prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm. Their onsets of action differ, with formoterol having an onset similar to albuterol (3 minutes), while salmeterol has a slower onset of action (10–20 minutes). Following a single-dose administration, both agents demonstrate durations of action up to 12 hours. Following regular twice-daily administration, bronchodilation remains effective; however, a level of tolerance (or tachyphylaxis) (more…)

The genetic basis of asthma heritability has been extensively studied and the studies are yielding some understanding. There is, as yet, no set genetic pattern that predicts presence of asthma or defines it severity. There are usually reasons or risk of asthma factors that makes someone susceptible to asthma and respiratory allergy problems. Asthma doesn’t just happen randomly to anyone without asthma gene factors risk factors.

Let’s consider some asthma risk factors and see how they increase the chance that a individual will have the asthma signs or symptoms of cough, wheezing, as well as shortness of breathing associated with the disease. After determining your personal risk factors for asthma, decide on the ones you can control as well as try to make some lifestyle changes. Avoidance of the risk factors you can control is important in preventing asthma symptoms. While you cannot change your own gender to family history, you can avoid smoking with asthma, breathing polluted air, and obesity. Take control of your asthma by controlling the asthma risk factors. By understanding all of the risk factors, you are able to prevent to control your asthma.

Genetic factors cannot explain the rise in asthma prevalence, morbidity, or mortality. However, a small change in the prevalence of relevant environmental exposures could explain a significant rise in disease prevalence among genetically susceptible individuals. Gene-environment interaction, defined as the co-participation of genetic and environmental factors, is particularly relevant to the etiology of asthma morbidity, especially in individuals who experience a disproportionate burden of environmental exposures. Relevant exposures include smoking, stress, nutritional factors, infections, allergens, and occupational asthma exposures. In addition, racial/ethnic variability in the distribution of genetic polymorphisms can potentially modify the response to pharmacotherapeutic agents, such as the ß 2 -adrenergic receptor. A genetic polymorphism in the ß 2 -adrenergic receptor gene has been associated with asthma severity, as well as with the susceptibility to develop asthma among individuals who smoked.

Childhood asthma happens more frequently in boys than in girls. It is still not known precisely why this occurs even though some experts find a young male’s airway size is small compared to the female’s airway, that may contribute to increased risk of wheezing after a cold or perhaps other viral infection. Around age 20, the ratio of asthma between people is the same. At age 40, more females than men have adult asthma.

The inherited genetic makeup predisposes you to having asthma. In fact, it’s thought that three-fifths of all asthma cases are hereditary. Based on CDC report, if a person has a parent with asthma, there is 3 to 6 times more probably to develop asthma than someone who does definitely not have a parent with asthma.

IgE plays an important role in allergic asthma. Reducing IgE in the airway mucosa should reduce airway inflammation. Omalizumab has significant anti-inflammatory effect and reduces serum and airway IgE, but IgE or eosinophils may not be causally linked to airway bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine in mild to moderate asthma. (more…)

There is increasing evidence relating body mass index to the prevalence of asthma and incidence of asthma in children and adults, males, and more consistently, in adolescent females. It is unlikely that the association is attributable to reverse causation, i.e. that asthma and obesity because of exercise-induced asthma symptoms. Rather, weight gain can antedate the development of asthma. Weight reduction among asthmatic patients can also result in improvements of lung function. (more…)

The symptoms of asthma occur together with variations in the diameter of medium- size airways such that it is increasingly difficult to exhale. Narrowing of the airways can occur because of smooth muscle contraction, edema or swelling of the wall, or increased mucus in the airways. However, it is increasingly clear that the pathologic event underlying most cases of asthma is acute inflammation of the airway walls. (more…)

It is very common in asthmatic children where overprotective parents prevent a normal level of exercise to their kids. However, a controlled sport appropriate to the course of their disease is very healthy.

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable bronchial obstruction and reversible, either spontaneously or with treatment, (more…)

Epidemiological studies of farm children are of international interest because farm children are less often atopic disorders, have less allergic disease, and often have less asthma pain than do non-farm children—findings consistent with the hygiene hypothesis. The investigators studied a cohort of rural Iowa children to determine the association between farm and other environmental risk factors with four asthma outcomes: (more…)