Asthma
A common lung disorder in which inflammation causes the bronchi to swell and narrow the airways, creating breathing difficulties that may range from mild to life-threatening. Symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, and chest tightness. The diagnosis of asthma is based on evidence of wheezing and is confirmed with breathing tests. Many allergens and irritants can precipitate attacks of asthma. Avoidance of precipitating factors can be helpful. Treatment may include lifestyle changes, activity reduction, allergy shots, and medications to prevent or reverse the bronchospasm.
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One of the genes that predisposes a person to asthma. A new gene family that plays a major role in asthma susceptibility has been identified. This gene family located at chromosome 5q23-35 is called Tim or Tapr. It controls the development of airway hyperreactivity (and the T cell production of interleukin 4 and 13). TIM-1 […]
- Asthma, exercise-induced
Asthma triggered by vigorous physical activity. It primarily affects children and young adults because of their high levels of physical activity, but it can occur at any age. Exercise-induced asthma is initiated by the fall in airway temperature during rapid breathing followed by rapid reheating with lowered ventilation. The more heat that is transferred, the […]
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Exercised-induced bronchospasm
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Asthmatic: 1. Pertaining to asthma as, for example, asthmatic bronchitis. 2. A person with asthma.
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Astigmatic: Referring to astigmatism or a person with astigmatism, a common form of visual impairment in which part of an image is blurred, due to an irregularity in the curvature of the front surface of the eye, the cornea, or of the lens inside the eye. The curve of the astigmatic cornea is shaped more […]