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Asthma
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
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...
Asthma inhalers causing deaths - study
Jun 20, 2006 | UPI
Three asthma inhalers with salmeterol or formoterol may cause 80 percent of U.S. asthma deaths annually, says a new study. Because of the possible health risks, these products sold as GlaxoSmithKline's Serevent and Advair, and Novartis' Foradil should be recalled, said researchers at Cornell University and Stanford University. "These asthma deaths are generally (occurring) in healthy young adults," said Stanford researcher Shelly Salpeter. "We estimate that approximately 4,000...
Common Asthma Inhalers Cause Up to 80% of Asthma-Related Deaths, Cornell and Stanford Researchers Assert
Jun 9, 2006 | www.docguide.com
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, researchers from Cornell and Stanford universities have concluded after 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 inhaled the long-acting beta-agonists salmeterol (trade...
Asthma
Quick Facts
Asthma Reference Guide
Symptoms
Death
Difficulty breathing
Coughing
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Rapid breathing
Chest tightness
Drugs
Advair
Foradil
Serevent
Possible Causes
Allergies
Prescription drugs
Dust
Pet dander
Pollen
Mold
Anxiety
Stress
Exercise
Cold air
Dry air
Hyperventilation
Smoke
Death
Difficulty breathing
Coughing
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Rapid breathing
Chest tightness
Drugs
Advair
Foradil
Serevent
Possible Causes
Allergies
Prescription drugs
Dust
Pet dander
Pollen
Mold
Anxiety
Stress
Exercise
Cold air
Dry air
Hyperventilation
Smoke
Related Topics
Advair
Foradil
Serevent
Anaphylactic Shock
Defective Drugs
Diseases
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