On this website we discuss a number of issues relating to health and medicine.

Asthma

Asthma is an allergic reaction provoked by any one of over 200 irritants or allergens such as house dust mite and pollen. Exercise, emotional disturbance and infections like bronchitis can also bring on attacks and while there is no evidence that air pollution causes asthma it can aggravate the condition in people who are already asthma sufferers.

Asthma in Britain

In Britain about one in seven school children suffer from asthma. This equates to over one million young people and asthma still kills some 2000 people a year in the UK. The total number of people suffering from asthma in the UK is about 3,400,000.

What causes it?

Asthma is a narrowing of the airways of the lungs and the inflamed airways become irritated leading to bouts of coughing, wheezing, breathlessness and chest tightness. A common symptom of an asthma attack is that is often more difficult breathing out than it is breathing in.

Asthma is treated with two types of drugs. The 'preventers' suppress the underlying inflammation while the 'relievers' relieve airway constriction by causing the muscles in the airway to relax and thus open the airways. These drugs are refined and more selective versions of naturally occurring chemicals and research on laboratory animals has been important in most stages of the development and testing of these medicines.

 

 

Heart Disease Cannot be stopped but the liklihood can be reduced.

Heart disease and stroke are the two most important causes of serious illness and premature death in Western society. The aim of this book is to help you reduce your chances of suffering heart disease or stroke, and to advocate a way of life that will combine health, longevity and happiness. more