New Discovery into Asthma Causes

A new understanding has been brought to light concerning the common cause of respiratory tract infections in babies and young children.

According to the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, they have found that respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV) are infections that are passed from the mother to her unborn baby.

The research was conducted on rats, which showed that RSV was able to pass freely through the placenta from the mother’s respiratory tract; it meant that the infant was at risk of having lung problems that were previously encountered by the mother.

The rats were given RSV during midterm pregnancy. As a result, 30% of foetuses also gained RSV, whilst 40% had RSV present in their lungs. In adulthood, RSV was present in 25%.

“Epidemiologic evidence suggests that early-life RSV infection predisposes children to recurrent wheezing and asthma,” said Giovanni Piedimonte, M.D., the study’s lead author and Chairman of Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital and the Pediatric Institute. “This study challenges the current paradigm that RSV infection is acquired only after birth and shifts attention to prenatal effects of the virus, which may result in more severe and lasting consequences by interfering with an unborn baby’s critical developmental processes.”

The research offers an extra perspective on the causes of asthma and respiratory problems.

It was originally thought that children developed breathing issues as they grew older, but the new speculation suggests that the child is already born with the disorder.

With new understandings about the cause of asthma, the issues may be observed far more closely in terms of noticing RSVs.

Every expecting parent wants their child to be as healthy as can be. The new study shows how delicate the deciding factor is between a healthy baby and a poorly one. The research is just one more step to ensure that the latter is less likely to occur.

New Discovery into Asthma Causes

Categories: Animal Testing, Asthma, asthma causes, childbirth, Children, cleveland clinic, clinic children, pregnancy, Respiratory, respiratory disorders, respiratory tract, rsv infection

What Can A Chronic Cough Mean For Your Health?

Coughing is a regular, natural occurrence which chucks out the bad things that get caught in your throat in order to keep breathing in the good. Chronic coughing is when this persists for a matter of weeks. Unless you’re a smoker, chronic cough has three major causes: post-nasal drip, asthma (the most likely of lung diseases that can cause coughing) and gastroesophageal reflux disease, better known as GERD or as “acid reflux.”

Post-nasal drip is the mucus from your nose slipping down the back of your throat. Whilst unpleasant, is not often dangerous. This usually happens when the individual is suffering from hay fever or allergies, in which histamines, antibiotics or piriton can usually be prescribed to combat the effects.

Then there’s the commonly known asthma. This happens when the respiratory tract and lungs becomes inflamed, which causes short-breath, narrowed airways, chest tightness or wheezing. The lungs push out mucus, which in turn, fills up the airways. If any of these symptoms happen to you or to someone you know, it is best to check with your doctor who can do some in-clinic tests. Although difficult to diagnose, the sooner that it is done, the better. Later, you can get asthma therapy, which can control the number of attacks you can get.

GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) or more frequently known as an “acid reflux”, is normally associated with heartburn, but there are sometimes coughing fits as well. Acid reflux happens when the lower muscle between the stomach and the food tube is weakened, allowing stomach acids to travel upwards, which causes heavy coughing.

Although these are the likeliest reasons for chronic coughs, they are not the only reasons out there. Do not let it nag you. If you find yourself concerned about your symptoms, do not hesitate to contact your doctor so that you can freely breath fresh air without risking a cringe.

 

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What Can A Chronic Cough Mean For Your Health?

Categories: allergies, Asthma, coughing, respiratory system, respiratory tract