ASTHMA

Asthma
• Asthma is a predisposition to chronic
inflammation of the lungs in which the
airways (bronchi) are reversibly
narrowed.

• Asthma affects 6.5% of British people and

a total of 300 million worldwide
What's the difference between COPD and
asthma?

• Asthma and COPD cause similar symptoms.

However, they are different diseases. Briefly:
• In COPD there is permanent damage to the
airways. The narrowed airways are 'fixed', and so
symptoms are chronic (persistent). Treatment to
'open up the airways' is limited.
• In asthma there is inflammation in the airways
which causes muscles in the airways to constrict.
This causes the airways to narrow. The symptoms
tend to 'come and go', and vary in severity from
time to time. Treatment to reduce inflammation
and to 'open up the airways' usually works well.
• Airway pressures – inspiration and
expiration - Active versus passive

• Role of surfactant

• Gas exchange – oxygen and CO2

• (FEV1 is the forced expiratory volume in
one second, and FVC is the forced vital
capacity).

• A diagnosis of airflow obstruction can be

made if the FEV1/FVC less than 0.7 (i.e.
70%) and FEV1 less than 80% predicted