Respiratory system asthma

The antibody, a homocy to tropic antibody, circulates in the bloodstream, but has a high affinity for the surface of mast cells and binds to receptors on the surface (Fig. 6.31). This type of reaction, which occurs quickly after reexposure, underlies reactions in the respiratory system (asthma, rhinitis), skin (urticaria), gastrointestinal tract (food allergies), and vascular system (anaphylactic shock). Type I reactions can be severe, causing difficulty in breathing, loss of blood pressure, anoxia, edema in the respiratory tract, and bronchospasm, which may prove fatal. 

RESPIRATORY SENSITIZER (asthmagen) A substance which can cause an individual s respiratory system to develop a condition which makes it over-react if the substance is inhaled again. Such an individual is sensitized over-reaction is then likely to occur at concentrations of the substance which have no effect on unsensitized persons and lead to characteristic symptoms, e.g. rhinitis (a runny nose), conjunctivitis or in severe cases asthma or alveolitis. 

Respiratory Effects. One study suggested increased respiratory disorders (asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia) in children with chronic exposure to a solvent-contaminated water supply (Byers et al. 1988). Two municipal wells in eastern Woburn, Massachusetts, were found to contain several solvents including trichloroethylene (267 ppb) and tetrachloroethylene (21 ppb). The increased susceptibility to infection may be secondary to effects on the immune system. Accurate chemical-specific exposure levels for individuals could not be determined because the water distribution system was designed to use water from different wells at different rates and times. Other limitations of this study are described in Section 2.2.2.8. 

Togias, A., Rhinitis and asthma Evidence for respiratory system integration,./. Allergy Clin Immunol., Ill, 1171, 2003. 

Thus the total soil pollution was connected with a respiratory system and a digestive tract. Both systems were also sensitive to such urban pollutants as heavy metals and PAH. For radionuclides the correlation with the given nosologies was not revealed. The asthma morbidity was mostly connected with soil pollution rates. This circumstance, apparently, can be related to nonspecific action of pollutants on a human organism, because the etiology of asthma is connected with the human immune defense system and allergy state (Roite, 1991). The last was shown for pesticides (Nikolaev et al., 1988) and heavy metals (Drouet et al., 1990). The sensitized immune system is, apparently, responsible for chronic toxic effects of other pollutants at low doses (Sidorenko et al., 1991 Novak and Magnussen, 1993). 

Why might a patient with asthma have an apparently normal respiratory system during an examination by a doctor ... 

A follow-up study of 29 workers with TMAN-induced immunologic lung disease who had been moved to low-exposure jobs for more than 1 year revealed that workers with late asthma or late respiratory systemic syndrome had improved symptoms, improved pulmonary functions, and lower total antibody against TMAN-HSA. In contrast, 7 of 12 workers with asthma rhinitis continued to have moderate to severe symptoms, abnormal pulmonary functions, and elevated IgE against TMAN-HSA. Elevated IgE against TMAN-HSA appears to be a marker for the subpopulation of workers with asthma rhinitis that does not improve. 

Mainly because the molecular mechanism of these pathological changes has not been sufficiently studied, therapy of asthma, pulmonary illnesses, and other respiratory system illnesses are generally aimed at preventing and relieving symptoms that accompany the disease. 

Smooth muscle relaxation, central nervous system (CNS) excitation, and cardiac stimulation are the principal pharmacological effects observed in patients treated with theophylline. The action of theophylline on the respiratory system is easily seen in the asthmatic by the resolution of obstruction and improvement in pulmonary function. Other mechanisms that may contribute to the action of theophylline in asthma include antagonism of adenosine, inhibition of mediator release, increased sympathetic activity, alteration in immune cell function, and reduction in respiratory muscle fatigue. Theophylline also may exert an antiinflammatory effect through its ability to modulate inflammatory mediator release and immune cell function. 

Respiratory system toxicity. Smoke of cured leaf, administered by inhalation to adults at an undiluted concentration, was active on asthma . 

Respiratory system (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD emphysema, chronic bronchitis], acute obstructive lung disease [asthma], chronic restrictive lung disease [connective tissue lung disease])... 

Stimulants (amphetamines [Adderall, Dexedrine] and methylphenidate [Concerta, Ritalin]) increase alertness, attention, and energy. They also increase blood pressure and heart rate, constrict blood vessels, increase blood glucose, and open up the pathways of the respiratory system. Historically, stimulants were prescribed to treat asthma and other respiratory problems, obesity, neurological disorders, and a variety of other ailments. As their potential for abuse and addiction became apparent, the prescribing of stimulants by physicians began to wane. Now, stimulants are prescribed for treating only a few health conditions, most notably ADHD, narcolepsy, and, in some instances, depression that has not responded to other treatments. 

Inhalation aerosols have been used for the delivery of drugs to the respiratory system since the mid-1950s. The most common dosage form for inhalation is the metered-dose inhaler (MDI), by which the drug is delivered from a pressurized container using a liquefied gas propellant. Medication delivered via this dosage form has allowed for a quick therapeutic response to the symptoms of asthma, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and has resulted in an improvement in the quality of life for millions of asthma sufferers. 

Asthma A chronic disease of the respiratory system characterized by bronchoconstriction, airway inflammation, and the formation of mucous plugs in the airway. 

Troubles of the respiratory system in the form of cigarettes, vapour, and inhalations against chronic catarrh, emphysema, asthma, whooping cough. 

Respiratory system The condition of the respiratory system must be considered if inhalation anesthetics are indicated. For example, asthma, or ventilation or perfusion abnormalities complicate control of an inhalation anesthetic. 

Oil of Mercury powerfully affects the nervous system, respiratory system, and liver. It is used for treating skin problems, soothing the nerves, asthma and related breathing problems. It promotes sensory awareness and quickens perceptions. It is also useful for speech problems and other troubles with communication skills. 

While the respiratory system is well-equipped to defend against exposure to a vast array of toxic substances, the intricate cellular and molecular mechanisms designed to repair injured lung tissues often fail, resulting in a number of chronic lung diseases, including cancer, fibrosis, asthma, hypersensitivity pnuemonitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a combination of bronchitis and emphysema. 

Respiratory toxicity Upper respiratory system (nose, pharynx, larynx, and trachea) and the lower respiratory system (bronchi, bronchioles, and lung alveoli) Pulmonary irritation Asthma/bronchitis Emphysema Allergic alveolitis Fibrotic lung disease Lung cancer... 

Humans and other animals are sensitive to ozone. This gas irritates and damages exposed membranes of the respiratory system and eyes. Ozone can also induce asthma. Sensitive people are affected at concentrations that commonly occur during oxidizing smogs. In the United States, ozone air pollution accounts for 10-20% of all summer respiratory related hospital admissions. 

Adverse events involving the respiratory system (dyspnea, increased cough, or asthma) were reported in about 2% of patients taking dirithromycin (1). 

---