Asthma 2

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patients become chronically narrowed, causing a progressive loss of capacity for physical exertion. The prevalence of asthma is only about 1 or 2 percent worldwide but varies greatly from country to country. In the United States, asthma affects about 6.9 percent of children. Typically, an asthma attack begins within minutes after exposure to a triggering agent. Symptoms include a sensation of tightness in the chest, coughing and wheezing, and difficulty in breathing. Persons having attacks usually find it more difficult to exhale then inhale, which causes overinflation of the chest and impaired lung functions. The breathing difficulty is alleviated somewhat by leaning forward and supporting the trunk with the arms on some object. Attacks that last several hours or more, even several days, despite treatment are called status asthmaticus. Patients with this condition develop a rapid pulse as the heart attempts to compensate for the lack of oxygen in the blood by beating faster. ...

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