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Guy B. Marks
www.woolcock.org.au
Symptoms
Wheeze, chest tightness, shortness of breath, cough (usually dry) Episodic Triggered Reversible
Diagnostic features
Typical symptoms and episodic nature Airflow obstructive
Variable Reversible Inducible
Airway inflammation
Special type of airway inflammation
Major consequences
Distress due to symptoms Exacerbations
Hospitalisation Death (rare)
Life Course
May start at any age
Typically, in childhood
Asthma persisting into adulthood rarely remits May wax and wane during life Some cases progress to chronic airflow obstruction
Associated illnesses
Atopy (allergy)
This, in turn, associated with eczema and allergic rhinitis (hayfever)
Nasal polyps
Causes
Generally not known Occupational sensitisers cause occupational asthma Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases risk of childhood wheezing
Allergens, if sensitised
HDM, grasses, animal danders, moulds Occupational sensitisers
Aspirin
Rarely
Other medications
Epidemics
Thunderstorms
Grass pollens Moulds
80 60
3
40 Grains / m 20 0 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Time (hrs)
Rainfall
direction
Wind
speed
Wind
Variation in asthma
Age of onset and life course Severity and prognosis Type of inflammation Association with allergy Response to treatments Triggers and exacerbating factors
ISAAC data reported in The Global Asthma Report, the UNION, 2011
Recent trends in deaths due to asthma by sex, all ages and people aged 534 years. Australia