Expert: Marc Rubin, RPh Asthma Educator - 7/9/2008

Question
dear mr marc rubin, i am a secondary student and in secondary school of beirut (lebanon).i have worked on school project and i need some information about asthma, so if you please inform me about the  reasons that cause asthma at mounirkassir@yahoo.com
thanks and accept my best regards.

Answer
Hello Mounir,

It is wonderful for you to undertake a project like this! By helping people to understand their illnesses, it impowers them to take control, rather than have their lives negatively impacted by the disease.

A primary basis of asthma is allergy. People with a family history of allergy, skin disorders (like psoriasis), and asthma make up a large part of of the asthmatic population. So as you can imagine, genetics plays a role. The triggers (those things which bring on the reactions)are typically pollens, mold, dust, animal dander.

Another aspect of asthma is that it can also be due to irritants in the air we breath: smoke, ozone, perfumes, industrial pollution, chemicals (household cleaners, workplace chemicals, etc.) Repeated exposure to these irritants can result in the lungs becoming hypersensitive.

Other things that may trigger attacks are things like weather, emotions,and sports. Cold, dry air, crying, laughter, high intensity sports like soccer can lead a sensitive person to suffer an attack...if not prepared. Obesity will also have a detrimental affect.

There is also what is called the "Hygiene Hypothesis", where children raised in an overly "clean" environment are more prone to allergies. By the parents getting carried away by isolating the child from any source of dirt, germs, etc., they prevent the infants immune system from developing normally. There is a very low incidence of asthma in Africa, and these kids are constantly in a "dirty" environment. There is a higher degree of asthma in industrialized countries. So, accordingly, the less you expose the child to the world around them, the more likely their immune system will over-react to the foreign things around them. (Sort of sounds like the sad state of politics in our world...misunderstandings and over-reactions to things we fail to learn about, just like our immune system. Difference is, it leads to stupid wars rather than an asthma attack.)

Finally, with knowledge and understanding, a patient with asthma can live a "near-normal" life. "Near-normal", since they have to be more aware of the world  around them and what can trigger an attack. They learn the balance between the appropriate medication, and exposure prevention strategies. As a side note, up to 15% of Olympic athletes live with asthma. Again, it is up to the person to learn and take control so they can lead a full and productive life.

I hope this help you, and I wish you the best on your project!

Sincerely,

Marc