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Asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs in which the airways become blocked or narrowed causing breathing difficulties. Asthma affects more than 20 million people in the United States and is divided into two types: allergic (extrinsic) asthma and non-allergic (intrinsic) asthma.

Allergic (extrinsic) asthma is associated with symptoms that are triggered by an allergic reaction. Allergic asthma is airway obstruction and inflammation that is partially reversible with medication. Allergic asthma is the most common form of asthma. Allergic asthma is triggered by inhaled allergens such as dust mite allergen, pet dander, pollen, mold, etc. resulting in asthma symptoms.

Non-Allergic (intrinsic) asthma is set off by factors not related to allergies. Like allergic asthma, non-allergic asthma is characterized by airway obstruction and inflammation that is at least partially reversible with medication; however symptoms in this type of asthma are NOT associated with an allergic reaction. Non-allergic asthma is triggered by other factors such as anxiety, stress, exercise, cold air, dry air, hyperventilation, smoke, viruses or other irritants. In non-allergic asthma, the immune system is not involved in the reaction.

Many of the symptoms of allergic and non-allergic asthma are the same: coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or rapid breathing, and chest tightness).

On July 14, 2005, the FDA cleared asthma drugs Advair and Serevent, allowing them to stay on the market as long as warning labels clearly alert patients to potential risks. Made by GlaxoSmithKline, the medications contain salmeterol, a bronchodilator known as a beta2-against.

It works by relaxing the bronchial muscles, thereby improving air flow for many of the 15 million asthma sufferers in the U.S. Regulators became alarmed when Glaxo reported that it had to stop tests of the drug when about 50 out of 26,000 patients being studied suffered more severe asthma attacks.

A few died. After a review by its panel of experts, the FDA voted 12-0 to keep the drugs on the market while adding a "black box" warning, the most extreme warning that can be put on drugs.

If you or a loved one has taken asthma medications and suffered side effects or your asthma has worsened, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified defective drug attorney.
AsthmaRSS Feed

AstraZeneca Experiences Approval Delays with Symbicort for Children

Apr 6, 2009 | Parker Waichman Alonso LLP
The release of asthma drug, Symbicort, is being delayed for approval to young children.  Reuters said that regulators have asked Symbicort maker, AstraZeneca Plc, for additional information before it can consider allowing expansion of the drug’s use.  Symbicort is an inhaled combination medication that contains a corticosteroid and a long-acting beta-agonist and is used to treat asthma as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults.Symbicort is approved for...

Study Confirms Second Hand Smoke Worse for Children

Oct 22, 2008 | Parker Waichman Alonso LLP
In a study to be presented at the annual American Society of Anesthesiologists that concludes today in Orlando, Florida, researchers will discuss how children exposed to secondhand smoke often have levels of carbon monoxide in their blood similar to those of adult smokers.  Worse, children frequently test with higher levels than adults exposed to secondhand smoke and the younger the child, the greater the potential for exposure.  The physiology of children—especially the...

Pesticide Exposure Linked to Asthma in Farm Workers

Jan 3, 2008 | Parker Waichman Alonso LLP
Pesticides could be putting some farm workers at a higher risk of developing asthma.  Women who work on farms and who use pesticides are more likely than nonpesticide users to develop allergic asthma as adults, a U.S. study shows.  Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes, or airways, causing airway constriction and resulting in breathing difficulties. The bronchial narrowing is usually either totally or at least partially reversible with treatments. Chronically...

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Asthma Linked

Nov 29, 2007 | Parker Waichman Alonso LLP
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is associated with an elevated prevalence of asthma, says a new study in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.  The link between PTSD and asthma existed even after adjusting for factors such as cigarette smoking, obesity, and socioeconomic placement.  Researchers state that efforts to understand this co-morbidity may help in identifying modifiable environmental risk factors and in developing more effective prevention and...

Researchers Say "Killer" Asthma Inhalers Should Be Recalled

Jun 20, 2006 | Consumer Affairs
Researchers from Cornell and Stanford universities have concluded three common asthma inhalers containing the drugs salmeterol or formoterol may be causing four out of five U.S. asthma-related deaths per year and should be taken off the market. The researchers made their recommendation after concluding a search of medical literature. They base these conclusions on a statistical analysis of 19 published trials involving 33,826 patients. This so-called meta-analysis found that patients who...

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Asthma
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