Bronchial Asthma

Part I of Essay
is a very serious but treatable disease that affects over 14 million people in the United States alone. It is characterized by wheezing, shortness of breath and coughing. As the symptoms progress, they signal an asthma attack, where the person coughs and gasps for breath, ....

Part II of Essay
.... triggers of asthma, linking the disease to autosomal dominant genes on the chromosomes 5,6, 11, 12 and 14, but especially number 5. (Figure 1) Many different triggers are associated with asthma, most commonly when airborne irritants such as pet dander, cigarette smoke, plant pollen and mold spores (and even fecal matter from dust mites and cockroaches), signal a hyperresponsiveness in the airway, in form of special mast cells. (Figure 2& 3) This is Inflammation, the first of three stages of an asthma attack. These mast cells secret ....