to the disease. In addition, environmental influences have been recognized as
significant in the emergence of clinical asthma. The precise interplay between
environmental and hereditary factors leading to asthma is still insufficiently
understood. It has long been noted that some environmental exposures
are associated with progression to asthma while other types of exposures might
possibly prevent or delay the development of asthma in susceptible persons. The
complex relationships are the subject of ongoing research, at the molecular level,
in laboratory animals, and in human populations.
Possible Environmental Factors in Asthma Development
Possible environmental
factors include:
Indoor environments Outdoor environments
Indoor allergens Outdoor allergens & pollens
Dust mites Air pollution
Pet dander Diesel emissions
Cockroach es Particulates
Mold Ozone, sulfur dioxide
Cigarette smoke
Products of combustion
Gas ranges/heaters (NO2)
Coal heaters
Attendance at daycare
Respiratory infections at an early age
“Tight” buildings, modern materials
&
Indoor environments play a greater role than outdoor ones in terms of asthma
development.
The 2000 report on: Clearing the Air: Asthma and Indoor Air Exposures from the
Institute of Medicine concludes that there is sufficient evidence to support a causal
relationship between asthma development and exposures to dust mites (increased
risk of asthma) and environmental tobacco (probably increased risk). Cockroaches,
cats, and dogs carry a “maybe” increased risk.
Allergy involves our immune systems, which play an
important role in asthma as well. An allergy is a very
specialized immune response to a specific agent, called
an allergen. Examples of allergens include a variety of
agents, such as cat dander, cockroach, mold, peanut,
penicillin, and ragweed to mention just a few. Most people
can play with a cat or eat peanuts, take penicillin for
a strep throat infection, or inhale ragweed in late summer
in the Northeast and suffer no ill effects at all.
That is because they are not allergic to any of those
allergens. Exposure to an allergen is harmless to a person
who is not allergic to that particular allergen. The person
who is allergic to cats or to peanuts, on the other
hand, will, upon exposure to cats or peanuts, develop
one or more allergy symptoms. Allergy symptoms may
arise from different body organs, including the skin
(hives), membranes of the eye (conjunctivitis) and nose
(rhinitis), the intestines (cramping, nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea), as well as the lungs (wheeze).
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