lecture 6 - asthma

Question 1

Is airways obstruction in asthma reversible or irreversible?

Answer 1

Reversible - but there can be irreversible remodelling over time

Question 2

What are some of the triggers for asthma?

Answer 2

allergy, infection, cold, exertion

Question 3

What are some of the non-allergen induced triggers of asthma?

Answer 3

Industrial chemicals, cigarette smoke, infection, exercise, cold air

Question 4

What are some of the allergen-induced triggers of asthma?

Answer 4

dust, pollen, mould

Question 5

What is the hygiene hypothesis in asthma?

Answer 5

The hypothesis that children who are exposed to fewer infective agents have less opportunity to develop TH1 immunity and thus TH2 immunity predominates, resulting in allergy and asthma.

Question 6

What medication is a common trigger for asthma?

Answer 6

Aspirin

Question 7

What are the 2 types of asthma?

Answer 7

Extrinsic/allergic asthma, intrinsic/non-atopic asthma

Question 8

What is extrinsic asthma?

Answer 8

Asthma triggered by allergic stimuli, typically due to atopy - a genetic predisposition to allergy.

Question 9

What is intrinsic asthma?

Answer 9

Asthma that occurs without allergic stimulus when contractions of bronchioles are easily triggered (bronchial hyperreactivity)

Question 10

What are the signs and symptoms of asthma?

Answer 10

Wheeze, dyspnoea, cough, inflamed bronchi, hyper-resonance upon percussion