ASTHMA Definition & Meaning

asthma

[ az-muh, as- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Pathology. a paroxysmal, often allergic disorder of respiration, characterized by bronchospasm, wheezing, and difficulty in expiration, often accompanied by coughing and a feeling of constriction in the chest.

asthma

/ ˈæ��ə /

noun

a respiratory disorder, often of allergic origin, characterized by difficulty in breathing, wheezing, and a sense of constriction in the chest

asthma

/ ă��′��ə /

A common inflammatory disease of the lungs characterized by episodic airway obstruction caused by extensive narrowing of the bronchi and bronchioles. The narrowing is caused by spasm of smooth muscle, edema of the mucosa, and the presence of mucus in the airway resulting from an immunologic reaction that can be induced by allergies, irritants, infection, stress, and other factors in a genetically predisposed individual. Common symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

asthma

A chronic disease of the respiratory system , characterized by sudden, recurring attacks of difficult breathing, wheezing, and coughing. During an attack, the bronchial tubes go into spasms, becoming narrower and less able to move air into the lungs . Various substances to which the sufferer has an allergy , such as animal hair, dust, pollen , or certain foods, can trigger an attack.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of asthma¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Greek: “a panting,” akin to ��á��𾱲� “to breathe hard”; replacing Middle English asma, from Medieval Latin, from Greek á��ٳ󳾲�

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of asthma¹

C14: from Greek: laborious breathing, from azein to breathe hard

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The Welsh government said children's exposure to smoke had reduced and fewer people were being admitted to hospital for heart attacks and childhood asthma.

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Firefighters already face higher levels of some illnesses, such as autoimmune diseases, asthma and some cancers, she said.

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The administration is rolling back decades of environmental protections that protect children from pollution exposure that is known to cause everything from asthma to cancer.

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One of the kids killed in the book — described as an overweight, intellectual and talkative boy with asthma — is given no name other than what his cruel classmates refer to him as, "Piggy."

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Bethan, who has asthma, described barely being able to lift her head from the pillow for days at a time, and said her sixth-form attendance suffered.

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