ASTHMA – EPIDEMIOLOGY, RISK FACTORS AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

Alergijske bolesti i astma postale su najčešće kronične bolesti dječje dobi u razvijenim zemljama, sa stalnim porastom prevalencije u posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća. Astma kao kronična bolest uvelike ograničava fizički, emocionalni i socijalni aspekt bolesnikova života te utječe na obitelj, školovanje i karijeru. Kronična upala promjenjivog intenziteta u astmi je trajno prisutna i izaziva pojačanu reaktivnost dišnih putova, koja dovodi do ponavljajućih epizoda piskanja, zaduhe, napetosti u prsnom košu i kašlja. Akutna pogoršanja mogu nastati naglo, a prigodno mogu biti i opasna za život. Na pojavu i klinički tijek astme utječu brojni čimbenici vezani za bolesnika i okoliš. Kao posljedica neprepoznate ili neodgovarajuće liječene upale u astmi, dolazi do procesa remodeliranja dišnih putova i ireverzibilnog slabljenja plućne funkcije u većine bolesnika.Allergic diseases and asthma have become the most common chronic diseases of childhood in developed countries, with increasing prevalence in the last few decades. Asthma is a chronic illness with a strong impact on the patient’s physical, emotional and social aspects of life and it affects the child\u27s family, education and career. The chronic inflammation of the airways in asthma is variable but constant and causes increase in airway hyper-responsiveness that leads to recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing. Acute exacerbations of asthma can be rapid in onset, severe and even life threatening in the absence of effective treatment. Risk factors involved in the development of asthma and the clinical expression of the disease may be classified as host factors and environmental factors. Unrecognised or inadequately treated chronic inflammation in asthma leads to airway wall remodelling and progressive irreversible loss of lung function in most patients