Abstract

BRONCHIAL ASTHMA: DIAGNOSIS AND IT’S THERAPUTICAL ASPECTS

N. K. Mishra* and Gitanjali Mishra

ABSTRACT

Asthma is a chronic lungs disease in which air passages get inflamed. When this happens, airways narrow and it is difficult for air to move from the nose and mouth to the lungs. In the United States, this disease affects millions of people, many of them children. In fact, asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease, affecting 1 out of every 20 children. The number of people with asthma has been increasing since the 1980s. It is diagnosed on the basis of the clinical history, physical examination, and pulmonary function tests, including reversibility testing and measurement of bronchial reactivity. The goal of treatment is to control the symptoms of the disease effectively and in lasting fashion. Long-term treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (fluticasone) is the basis of asthma treatment, alongside preventive measures and patient education. Bronchodilators such as β2 sympathomimetics (salbutamol, salmeterol) are used for rapid symptomatic relief of acute attacks.

Keywords: Asthma, Bronchodilators, Corticosteroids.