Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways. These airways are passages of the lungs through which air, containing oxygen, passes in and carbon dioxide passes out. The disease occurs because of chronically inflamed airways. The airways become hyper responsive; they become obstructed and airflow is limited. The process of being hyper responsive is characterized by swelling of the airway tissues due to fluid and collection of certain cells. The mucous glands of the airways secrete too much mucous. The combination of swelling, along with too much mucous, causes narrowing and obstruction of the airways.

The severity of asthma attacks varies among individuals, over time, and with the degree of exposure to the triggering factors. Approximately half of all cases of asthma develop during childhood. Another third develop before the age of 40. There are two basic types of asthma—intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic asthma is triggered by allergens while intrinsic asthma......

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Title: Asthma
Approximate Word Count: 645
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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