Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. These may occur a few times a day or a few times per week. Depending on the person, asthma symptoms may become worse at night or with exercise.
Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are a number of conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma, and anaphylaxis. Symptoms may include red eyes, an itchy rash, sneezing, a runny nose, shortness of breath, or swelling. Food intolerances and food poisoning are separate conditions.
Sputum is mucus that is coughed up from the lower airways. In medicine, sputum samples are usually used for naked eye exam, microbiological investigations of respiratory infections and cytological investigations of respiratory systems. It is critical that the patient not give a specimen that includes any mucoid material from the interior of the nose.
Aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), also termed aspirin-induced asthma, is a medical condition initially defined as consisting of three key features: asthma, respiratory symptoms exacerbated by aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and nasal polyps. The symptoms of respiratory reactions in this syndrome are hypersensitivity reactions to NSAIDs rather than the typically described true allergic reactions that trigger other common allergen-induced asthma, rhinitis, or hives. The NSAID-induced reactions do not appear to involve the common mediators of true allergic reactions, immunoglobulin E or T cells. Rather, AERD is a type of NSAID-induced hypersensitivity syndrome. EAACI/WHO classifies the syndrome as one of five types of NSAID hypersensitivity or NSAID hypersensitivity reactions.
Chlamydia pneumoniae is a species of Chlamydia, an obligate intracellular bacterium that infects humans and is a major cause of pneumonia. It was known as the Taiwan acute respiratory agent (TWAR) from the names of the two original isolates – Taiwan (TW-183) and an acute respiratory isolate designated AR-39. Briefly, it was known as Chlamydophila pneumoniae, and that name is used as an alternate in some sources. In some cases, to avoid confusion, both names are given.
Bronchoconstriction is the constriction of the airways in the lungs due to the tightening of surrounding smooth muscle, with consequent coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Reactive airway disease (RAD) is an informal label that physicians apply to patients with symptoms similar to those of asthma. An exact definition of the condition does not exist. Individuals who are typically labeled as having RAD generally have a history of wheezing, coughing, dyspnea, and production of sputum that may or may not be caused by asthma. Symptoms may also include, but are not limited to, coughing, shortness of breath, excess mucus in the bronchial tube, swollen mucous membrane in the bronchial tube, and/or hypersensitive bronchial tubes. Physicians most commonly label patients with RAD when they are hesitant about formally diagnosing a patient with asthma, which is most prevalent in the pediatric setting. While some physicians may use RAD and asthma synonymously, there is controversy over this usage.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for and controlling asthma, food allergies, nasal allergies and other allergic diseases. AAFA's mission is also to educate the public about these diseases. AAFA's motto is "for life without limits" and AAFA represents the 70 million Americans with asthma and allergies.
Founded in 1943, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) is a professional medical membership organization of nearly 6,800 allergist/immunologists and related professionals around the world with advanced training and experience in allergy, asthma and other immunologic diseases. The Academy is dedicated to the advancement of the knowledge and practice of allergy, asthma and immunology for optimal patient care.
The use of podiatry drills, in the absence of engineering controls and personal protective equipment, is an occupational hazard to the healthcare provider. Nail dust collected during foot care procedures performed in office settings has been found to contain keratin, keratin hydrolysates, microbial debris, and viable fungal elements, including dermatophytes and saprotrophs. Exposure to nail dust and the associated risk will vary with the policies and practices in place, the type of podiatry drill used, therapy technique, frequency of procedures, personal protective equipment utilized and the use of ventilation systems.
Vocal cord dysfunction(VCD), is a pathology affecting the vocal folds characterized by full or partial vocal fold closure causing difficulty and distress during respiration, especially during inhalation.
Asthma is a common pulmonary condition defined by chronic inflammation of respiratory tubes, tightening of respiratory smooth muscle, and episodes of bronchoconstriction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1 in 11 children and 1 in 12 adults have asthma in the United States of America. According to the World Health Organization, asthma affects 235 million people worldwide. There are two major categories of asthma: allergic and non-allergic. The focus of this article will be allergic asthma. In both cases, bronchoconstriction is prominent.
Asthma Canada, formerly the Asthma Society of Canada, is a non-profit charity dedicated to enhancing the quality of life and health for people living with asthma and associated allergies. They have a threefold focus in education, research, and advocacy, to continue improving lives for all those with asthma. The vision of Asthma Canada is a future without asthma. Asthma Canada represents over 3.8 million Canadians living with asthma, along with their caregivers and all others impacted by asthma, and also provides resources for people suffering from allergies.
Supervasi is a non-profit organisation and movement based in Maharashtra, India, formed for the purpose of using technology to improve e-governance, business and society.
Sudhir M. Parikh is an American medical doctor of Indian origin, known for his expertise in the treatment of Asthma and allergies and for his social activities. The Government of India honoured him, in 2010, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the field of social service.
Kari C. Nadeau is an American physician-scientist focused on allergy and asthma treatment at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is the Naddisy Family Foundation Professor of Allergy and the director of the Sean N Parker Center for Allergy Research at Stanford. Her team was among the first to show that high dimensional immunophenotyping of T cells involved in allergy could be used in therapies for patients. Her research has also shown that blocking antibodies in conjunction with allergen immunotherapy produced desensitization even in patients with up to five food allergens.
Luis Jose De Souza is an Indian surgical oncologist and the founder of Shanti Avedna Ashram, a charitable trust which runs a network of hospices in Mumbai and Goa. He has also contributed to the establishment of Indian Cancer Cell, an educational program co-sponsored by Tata Memorial Centre, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and Indian Cancer Society, for creating cancer awareness in schools. The Government of India awarded him the fourth-highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 1992.
Raman Viswanathan (1899–1982) was an Indian chest physician, medical mycologist and pulmonologist, considered by many as the father of Chest Medicine in India. He was the founder director of Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, a postgraduate medical institute based in Delhi. An elected fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, Royal College of Physicians of London, Indian National Science Academy and the Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom, he was a recipient of several honors including the Forlanini Medal by Italian Tuberculosis Association and the Eugeno Morelli Prize of the National Academy of Sciences, Italy. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1974, for his contributions to medicine.
SevenHills Hospital are three private hospitals, operating under central management, in Mumbai, Maharashtra and Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. The Vishakapatnam branch opened in 1986 and the Mumbai branch in 2010. The Mumbai hospital was the result of a Rs 10 billion public-private partnership between Seven Hills and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). At 17 acres (6.9 ha) and 2,000,000 sq ft (190,000 m2) of built-up space, the Mumbai hospital was designed to be the country's largest hospital in a single location. A dedicated COVID-19 hospital was added in 2020.
Dr. Hansa Yogendra is an Indian yoga guru, author and researcher and TV personality. She is director of The Yoga Institute in Mumbai, founded by her father-in-law Shri Yogendra. It is a government recognized non-profit organization and the oldest organized yoga center in the world, founded in 1918.
