Asthma Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions, symptoms, diagnostic tests, and pharmacological treatments for asthma based on the lecture text.

Asthma

A chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes (airways) that causes swelling and narrowing (constriction), resulting in difficulty breathing that is usually totally or partially reversible with treatment.

Wheezing

A whistling or hissing sound produced when breathing out, which is a common symptom of asthma.

Atopy

An inherited tendency to develop allergies, which acts as a genetic risk factor for developing asthma.

Asthma Triggers

Environmental, chemical, or physical factors—such as allergens, cigarette smoke, aspirin, sulfites, or physical exercise—that can initiate or worsen asthma symptoms.

Pulmonary Function Tests

Diagnostic tests, also called lung function tests, that measure how well the lungs work, including how much air can be inhaled/exhaled, airflow speed, oxygen delivery, and breathing muscle strength.

Spirometry

A breathing test that measures how much air a person can breathe in and out, as well as how fast they can blow air out.

Forced Expiratory Volume ($\text{FEV}_1$)

A specific measurement from spirometry that indicates how fast a person can blow air out of their lungs, which is compared with typical values for non-asthmatic individuals.

Peak Flow Meter

A small, hand-held device that measures how well air moves out of the lungs by generating a score or peak flow number.

Lung Volume Measurement

A test performed in addition to spirometry that measures how much air remains in the lungs after a person breathes out fully.

Lung Diffusion Capacity

A diagnostic test that measures how effectively oxygen passes from the lungs into the bloodstream.

Methacholine Challenge

A diagnostic test where inhaling the known trigger methacholine causes mild airway constriction in individuals with asthma, typically used when initial lung function tests are normal.

Preventer Medications

Asthma medications aimed at preventing asthma, including leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA) and oral theophyllines.

Reliever Medications

Quick-acting asthma medications used on an as-needed basis to rapidly reverse bronchoconstriction and relieve symptoms, such as short-acting oral/inhaled beta-adrenergic agonists and inhaled anticholinergics.

Controller Medications

Asthma medications taken daily on a long-term basis to control clinical symptoms, such as inhaled/systemic glucocorticosteroids and long-acting inhaled beta-adrenergic agonists (LABA).

Sympathomimetics

Adrenergic agonist drugs that act on postsynaptic sympathetic receptors in the same way as physiological neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and epinephrine.

Salbutamol

A short-acting $\beta_2$ adrenoreceptor agonist that increases intracellular cyclic AMP ($\text{cAMP}$), lowers intracellular calcium levels, and causes bronchodilator smooth muscle relaxation.

Methylxanthines

A group of controller medications naturally occurring in coffee and tea—including caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine—used for their bronchodilating effects.

Theophylline

A 1,3-dimethylxanthine medication with acidic and basic nitrogens and poor aqueous solubility, used as adjuvant therapy to control nocturnal asthma symptoms and metabolized to 1,3-dimethyl uric acid by xanthine oxidase.

Inhaled Corticosteroids (ICS)

The most effective long-term anti-inflammatory medications for persistent asthma (e.g., fluticasone, budesonide) that suppress cytokine generation, eosinophil recruitment, and inflammatory mediator release.

Lipocortins

Phospholipase $A_2$ inhibitory proteins whose production is induced by glucocorticoids to suppress the biosynthesis of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes.

Leukotrienes

Biochemical mediators released from mast cells, eosinophils, and basophils that contract airway smooth muscle, increase vascular permeability and mucus secretions, and activate inflammatory cells.

Zileuton

An oral leukotriene modifier medication that acts specifically as a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor to prevent asthma symptoms for up to 24 hours.

Zafirlukast

An oral leukotriene modifier medication that acts as a leukotriene receptor antagonist to help prevent asthma symptoms.