ASTHMA

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does asthma mean? 

• ASTHMA (noun)
  The noun ASTHMA has 1 sense:

1. respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin

  Familiarity information: ASTHMA used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ASTHMA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Respiratory disorder characterized by wheezing; usually of allergic origin

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

asthma; asthma attack; bronchial asthma

Hypernyms ("asthma" is a kind of...):

respiratory disease; respiratory disorder; respiratory illness (a disease affecting the respiratory system)

Meronyms (parts of "asthma"):

bronchospasm (a spasm of the bronchi that makes exhalation difficult and noisy; associated with asthma and bronchitis)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "asthma"):

status asthmaticus (a prolonged and severe asthma attack that does not respond to standard treatment)

Derivation:

asthmatic (relating to breathing with a whistling sound)

 Context examples 

Symptoms of asthma include: • Wheezing • Coughing, especially early in the morning or at night • Chest tightness • Shortness of breath

(Asthma, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

An asthma attack may be brought on by pet hair, dust, smoke, pollen, mold, exercise, cold air, or stress.

(Asthma, NCI Dictionary)

ABPA can affect healthy people but it is most common in people with asthma or cystic fibrosis.

(Aspergillosis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Allergies can cause a variety of symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, itching, rashes, swelling, or asthma.

(Allergy, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

A variety of polymorphic forms of the gene are associated with nocturnal asthma, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

(ADRB2 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

The inflammatory response associated with asthma is characterized by the recruitment of eosinophils from the bronchial microcirculation in response to the regulated local production of chemoattractant molecules.

(Allergy Chemokine Network Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

Mutations in the gene, which affect the enzymatic activity of the gene product, play a role in asthma, atherosclerosis and several cancers.

(ALOX5 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Other agents, such as anti-histamine and antibiotics, may also be used in asthma.

(Anti-asthmatic Agent, NCI Thesaurus)

“Oh yes, sir, he is at home,” said Minnie; “the weather don't suit his asthma out of doors. Joe, call your grandfather!”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Alteration in the expression of this gene is associated with development of asthma.

(MIR152 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)