A Brief History of Asthma
Asthma is a disease that has been mentioned in medical history over and over again. So it can aptly be termed as an ancient disease. It is not right therefore to term it as a disease that is only a resultant of modern day lifestyle. But definitely there is an increase in number of asthma cases over the last few years. This is obviously attributed to the increase in number of pollutants in the atmosphere. The term asthma comes from Greek language, the original word panos meaning to pant or to breathe with an open mouth.
The Greek people respected the panos as they considered their condition to be a visit from Gods. In the first century AD Aretaeus, a Greek physician made an observation that the women were more susceptible to asthma than men. He said that the men had more chances of dying from it. And also, that the children had better chances of complete recovery from the disease. In the second century AD Galen, the consulting physician to many Roman emperors described asthma to be a seizure-like disease of the lungs. He also correctly observed that asthma was a disease caused by blockade of the bronchial tubes.
In 1552 Archbishop Hamilton of Saint Andrews, who was suffering with asthma for a long time was treated by a famous physician of his era. His name was Girolamo Cardano. He gave the Archbishop a complete new routine replete with exercise and diet. He also was known to have removed a leather pillow and large feather bed from the Archbishop's bedroom. All this gave immediate relief to the Archbishop from his lifelong illness and gave much fame and acclaim to the physician. This hugely popular success story was perhaps the first reported case of usage of environmental controls in the treatment of asthma.
Van Helmont, the famous physician who suffered from asthma was the doctor who established a clear link between asthma and smoke and irritants. He compared asthma to epilepsy like attacks. He also wrote that asthma originated in the pipes of the lungs. Thomas Siddenheim compared the asthmatic condition to be a disease of the lungs wherein the bronchial tubes were all stuffed up. In the year 1830 Eberle made an observation of asthma being associated with heredity and infection. Eberle treated the patients with bloodletting, inducing vomiting with opium and instructing them to smoke stramonium leaves.
In 1835 when Laennec invented the stethoscope the research on asthma took a giant leap. The doctors could now clearly hear the classic symptom of wheezing. In 1850 Gerhardt mentioned in his writings that asthma can be triggered by chemical odours, strong perfumes and changes in temperature and humidity. Now the physicians were really making headway into the right directions in diagnosing and treating asthma. There were clear indications of the disease having a clear connection with allergens.
In 1864 Dr. H. Salter discovered that animal dander could trigger asthma. There were many more researches in this field of establishing asthma to be closely related to certain allergens. For many years then asthma was still an enigma for the doctors because sometimes it was evident that it had a clear genetic connectivity and on other occasions it was clearly indicative of being allergic in nature.
By 1900 it was also established that asthma and hay fever were closely related disorders. Since the confusion regarding the disease was still heavily prevailing, many doctors also started predicting the disease to be purely a psychosomatic disorder. Many of the studies of the earlier twentieth century were focussed on this. This kind of mindset was actually very hampering to the advancement in researches in the field. The discoveries that happened also were sidetracked because of this popular belief. It was much later that it was finally proved beyond all doubt that asthma was a physical illness that was totally governed by physical reasons and was not really a disease having its origin in the mind.
In the later part of the twentieth century there was considerable advancement in the field of research pertaining to asthma. This was possible because of multiple advancements in science and technology, including the progress in the field of genetics. With major discoveries in the field of allergies it was clearly established that asthma was triggered off in many allergic people because of allergens and not heredity.
The field of asthma research was finally reaching new horizons and various hoaxes associated with the disease were broken one after the other. Also with the advancement in technology came many more lifestyle diseases and some kinds of asthma were also established to be associated with the hazards of modern day living and occupational exposure to many kind of allergens.
Now the doctors have varied knowledge about asthma and can very effectively diagnose, treat and control the disorders in people from all age groups. This has given new hope to millions of people all across the globe who get diagnosed with the disease almost on a daily basis.
Related Tags: asthma, asthma symptoms, asthma causes, asthma treatment, allergens, asthma attacks, allergy asthma
Learn More About Asthma Inhalers, Allergy Asthma and Exercise Induced Asthma at http://www.yourasthmatreatment.com/ - Asthma Information and Treatment Guide.
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- How to Get Rid of Head Lice, Remove Head Lice
Head lice are tiny bugs that live in the hair of humans. It is common for children to get them at sc - Body Detoxification Methods and Techniques
There are several indications that it is time for someone to detoxify his or her body. The symptoms - Muscle Building Diets
Muscle Gaining Secrets Do you know that the #1 most important principle of fast muscle gain is overl - Should You Buy Skin Care Products With Vitamin C
Its no secret that vitamins are very powerful in keeping our body health because they contain potent - Lose Your Weight Consistently
Are you concerned about your weight regaining after a certain period? Well, it's obvious for you to - Colour and How it Can Affect Your Mood and Improve Your Image
Have you ever thought about why you sometimes want to wear one colour and another day you choose so - How is Tap Water Tested for Contamination?
Have you ever sat and wondered exactly how is tap water tested for contamination? What you really - Is Meditation for Relaxation Only?
Many people use meditation for relaxation, and it is easy to understand why. When you breath deep a - Hair Care and Styles
Feeling like getting a new haircut but Clueless in finding your next haircut. Like to be updated on - Being on a Diet Doesn't Have to be a Bad Experience
<!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> There are som
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Meridia - Potent Anti Obesity Pill
BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or more is an alarm signal. This puts you in a high health risk category - Stress - Simple Tips to Reduce Stress Quickly & Easily
We all know the word stress and most of us know when we are being stressed, but do you know the symp - Atkins and Diabetes
The Atkins diet principles lay the foundation for a healthy, more balanced way of eating than the st - Physical Therapy Exercises
The procedures of physical therapy are diverse. Physical therapy combines a variety of methods and t - Each One is Immersed in His/her Own World!
The world perceived by us all is not exactly as it appears to be. The reality is this that the mater - Do you Need of Anti-reflective Coating Glasses?
Anti-Reflective Coating is a coating on the lens surface designed to reduce surface reflections and - 2007 My Year of Self-reliance
2007 My Year of Self-Reliance At the close of the year in the western tradition, we tend to ove - Top 10 Tips for a Healthier Home
Kyoto Accord or not, it seems clear that Canadians are preparing to help lead the way in learning to - Does it Matter What you Eat While you are Taking Medicine?
The efficiency of some medicine really depends on what you eat and drink. Some foods can counteract - Considerations for Buying a Home Treadmill
Throughout the years, the quest to achieve a healthier body, mind and spirit has extended to the kin