Lecture 13 Review Questions and Answers (causes of asthma)

Question 1

How is asthma defined? common symptoms of having asthma? known risk factors?

Answer 1

heterogenous condition characterized by variable airflow obstruction that is reversible. It is bronchoconstriction (smooth muscles around the airways contract and makes the airway smaller) and airway inflammation (increased mucus production within the airway)–> these are the two stages of an asthma attack.

Question 2

three to four environmental factors that have been used to explain the asthma epidemic

Answer 2

Dust mites and cockroaches

Combustion by-products

Diesel exhaust

Sedentary lifestyles

Reduced viral exposure and infectious disease rates

Less farm life

Obesity

Question 3

hypothesis concerning asthma that the study of rural and urban kenya is consistent with

Answer 3

The idea that a lowered parasitic infection rate is a cause of asthma. one theory is that if you’re not exposed to parasites (early exposure critical), you’ve got part of your immune system that is bored and wants to do something, so instead it turns to allergies and starts reacting to allergens

Question 4

How are asthma and allergy related?

Answer 4

it results from having allergen sensitivity

Question 5

three to four pieces of evidence that supports the hygiene hypothesis

Answer 5

Older siblings studies, lack of vaccination studies, lifestyle studies, respiratory infections, parasitic infections.

Question 6

Finding of Mothers and Newborns birth cohort study

Answer 6

Birth order plays important role in allergen sensiztization