7/23/11

Diagnosis of asthma more difficult in children

Asthma is a disease that affects the bronchial tubes, reducing the air passage and consequently the respiratory capacity. The asthma attack is caused mainly by respiratory infections, allergies or by physical efforts of a certain level.While about three children who suffer from asthma are two males, in the case of adults this share tips. The reasons for this situation have not yet been clarified.Currently several studies are in progress on adult asthma patients in severe form; the greater incidence of the disease on women has emerged in this circumstance. Some believe that hormonal differences play an important role, while others attribute this imbalance to the different dimensions of the lungs.The researchers also found that children suffering with asthma have still a good lung function; for this reason sometimes did not come to a timely diagnosis of this disease. In fact, one of the parameters for the diagnosis of asthma is the FEV 1 (exhaled air volume in one second), which measures the amount of air that a person can exhale in one second. When the level of the FEV 1 is less than 60% of the norm, we are faced with a severe form of asthma. In a recent study, the mean value of FEV 1 for adults with severe asthma is a result of 57% compared to the norm, while that of sick children is a result equal to 74%, but many have reached 90%. On the one hand, this means that the lungs of little ones keep still a good feature when compared to those of adult patients, on the other hand that the diagnosis of asthma is more difficult; the doctor is likely to underestimate the pathological condition of the patient.

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