Owl blood + wine? In order to treat this disease, humans have been "thinking out of their minds" for thousands of years.

I went through a frustrating inspection some time ago. Here’s what happened:

I had been coughing for no reason at night and in the early morning recently. I almost felt like I was going to cough up blood a few times, so I made an appointment with the respiratory department to find out what was the cause. The doctor gave me a lot of tests to complete one by one to determine the cause. This took me a whole day.

During one of the examinations, I was arranged to sit in front of a huge machine, with my nose clamped, a tube in my mouth, and my chin resting in a slot. As gases mixed with different substances entered my respiratory tract through the tube, I began to gradually feel an itchy sensation. At first it was just a slight itch, and I could still hold it in. But after a few minutes, the coughing finally broke out. And it was more violent than any other time I had ever experienced, as if I was going to faint from coughing!

Seeing this, the doctor pushed a small medicine bottle filled with something into the gas and asked me to slowly breathe it in. "Hoo..." The coughing slowly stopped.

In another examination room, I played a video game. I had to blow air to make the little man in the game pass in a smooth straight line without touching the upper and lower boundaries. Otherwise, I had to start over. In the same room, I was also asked to use all my strength and blow as hard as I could.

It was too hard, it was blowing all day... I returned to the clinic with the test report in my hand. I was finally diagnosed with asthma.

Drink owl blood and wine

Thousands of years of human struggle against asthma

One day of examinations is frustrating, but you have to know that people can now receive such accurate examinations thanks to the development of medical technology. In the two thousand years of history of fighting against asthma, humans have tried every possible trick, some of which are even incredible.

Symptoms of breathlessness and respiratory distress were documented in Chinese writings as early as 2600 BC[1]. About 1,000 years later, ancient Egyptians used bricks to heat herbs and inhale the smoke to relieve breathing problems[2]. However, it would take another 1,000 years before Hippocrates of Greece gave asthma its first name[3]. Hippocrates, known as the “father of modern medicine,” was the first person on record to link asthma symptoms to environmental triggers and specific industries and occupations, such as metalworking[4].

It wasn’t until around 100 AD that a Greek physician named Aretaeus gave a detailed definition of asthma, which was probably the most thorough understanding of asthma in ancient times.[2] After all, even the famous doctor Galen used wine spiked with owl blood to treat asthma patients in earlier times.[3]

Humans are so scary...

As medical technology developed, researchers and doctors gained new insights into asthma. In the 19th century, a physician named Henry Hyde Salter defined asthma as “paroxysmal episodes of dyspnea of ​​a peculiar character, separated by healthy intervals of respiration.”[2] He was widely praised for his accurate description of what happens in the lungs during an asthma attack.

In 1892, Sir William Osler, one of the co-founders of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, proposed his own definition of asthma. He noted similarities between asthma and allergic diseases such as hay fever, and identified specific triggers of asthma, such as climate, extreme emotions, and diet.[5]

However, history is full of twists and turns. Since Sir Osler believed that asthma was caused by spasm of airway smooth muscle leading to airway obstruction, doctors and pharmacies began to dispense drugs called "bronchodilators" to relieve airway spasm in asthmatics[5].

But these drugs provided only short-term relief and did not address the deeper immune problems that triggered asthma. Overreliance on these drugs led to a surge in asthma deaths between the mid-1960s and the 1980s.[5] The massive toll caused researchers to once again reshape their understanding of the disease.

What is asthma?

After a long struggle and repeated bloody lessons, modern medicine finally figured out what asthma is.

Asthma is a long-term respiratory disease that causes symptoms such as difficulty breathing due to inflammation and narrowing of the airways.[6] With each breath, air passes through the nose or mouth and into the throat, ultimately reaching the lungs. However, asthma symptoms may occur when the lining of the airways swells and the muscles around them tighten, narrowing the airways. Once symptoms develop, a large amount of mucus may form in the airways, which can reduce the amount of air that can be breathed in. These conditions can lead to an asthma “attack,” characterized by wheezing and chest tightness.[7]

Comparison of normal airway and airway of asthma patient

In June 2019, The Lancet published a research report pointing out that there are currently more than 45 million adults suffering from asthma in my country, and the diagnosis and treatment rates of asthma patients are low. There is an urgent need to strengthen the standardized diagnosis and treatment of asthma[8].

Among these people, some have always maintained a regular schedule, are in good health, do not stay up late, smoke or drink, so why do they suffer from asthma?

In fact, the causes of asthma are very complex and may be related to genetic, environmental and occupational factors. If your parents or siblings have asthma, you are more likely to have asthma. In addition, some allergens such as environmental exposure (such as mold, secondhand smoke) and dust mites are also related to the occurrence of asthma [6].

The most common symptom of asthma is wheezing, which causes a wheezing sound when the patient breathes and a feeling of difficulty breathing. In addition, depending on the type of asthma and individual circumstances, there may be other asthma symptoms, such as coughing (especially at night, when laughing or exercising), chest tightness, shortness of breath, difficulty speaking, etc. [7]

In addition to respiratory symptoms, if asthma is not well controlled for a long time, patients may also face psychological and mental suffering. Some people may become anxious or panic, feel easily tired, and have more difficulty sleeping than before [9].

Some people experience symptoms throughout the day, while others may have symptoms that are made worse by certain activities.[10] While not everyone with asthma will experience these specific symptoms, if you notice symptoms that could be asthma, don’t delay seeing a doctor.

Diagnosing asthma is not an easy process

There is no single test or examination that can determine whether you have asthma. Doctors use a variety of criteria to determine whether symptoms are caused by asthma. Therefore, if you go to the hospital for treatment, you need to describe your medical condition and family history as detailed as possible to the doctor, because a lot of information that you think is useless may be important reference for the doctor.

Once you get to the hospital, you may have your breathing listened to with a stethoscope, and you may also have a skin test to look for signs of allergic reactions, as allergies can increase your risk of asthma.

You may also have breathing tests; pulmonary function tests (PFTs) measure the airflow in and out of your lungs. The most common test is a test called spirometry, in which you blow into a device that measures the speed of air, which in turn measures the amount of air flowing through your lungs.[11]

Treatment of asthma

Just as no two snowflakes are alike, people with asthma may take different medications. There are two types of asthma medications—controllers and relievers.[11]

Generally speaking, long-term asthma control drugs are the basis of asthma treatment. These drugs need to be used every day to maintain clinical control of asthma through anti-inflammatory effects. Long-term control drugs mainly include: inhaled corticosteroids, systemic hormones and leukotriene modifiers [12].

Inhaled corticosteroids can effectively control airway inflammatory responses. For most patients, inhaled administration is recommended. The drug can act directly on the respiratory tract and has a relatively low risk of systemic side effects. If high doses of inhaled corticosteroids combined with long-acting β-agonists still cannot control the disease, small doses of oral hormones may be needed [12].

Leukotriene modifiers block leukotrienes, substances in the body that can trigger asthma attacks. Leukotriene modifiers mainly include leukotriene receptor antagonists and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors. Leukotriene receptor antagonists can be used alone as an alternative treatment for mild asthma and in combination with moderate to severe asthma. They are suitable for the treatment of patients with allergic rhinitis[12]. Leukotriene receptor antagonists can also relieve symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and itchy nose[13].

It is important to note that controller medications must be taken daily and for a long time. They do not work immediately and should not be used to relieve sudden asthma attacks or breathing problems.[11] If you have an asthma attack or sudden shortness of breath, use reliever medication as directed by your doctor.

For some people, asthma is just a minor annoyance; for others, it can be a major problem that interferes with daily activities and can lead to life-threatening asthma attacks. Whichever you are, remember that while there is no cure for asthma[6], medications work best to help you get through it if you follow your doctor’s advice, cooperate with your doctor’s active and standardized treatment, and maintain healthy habits.

References

[1] Michael J. Walter and Michael J. Holtzman. A Centennial History of Research on Asthma Pathogenesis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2005 Jun; 32(6): 483–489. doi: 10.1165/rcmb.F300

[2] Alex Sakula. A history of asthma. Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London. 1988 Vol. 22(1).

[3] Nimit V Khara, Anand K Patel, Kiran C Rami, Firoj D Ghanchi. Comparison of Bronchodilatory Efficacy Potential of Racemic Salbutamol and Levosalbutamol in Patients with Mild to Moderate Persistent Asthma. National Journal Of Medical Research. 2013 Vol. 3 (3) : 233-235.

[4] Asthma on the job. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2015 Vol. 3 (Editorial): 329.

[5] Stephen T Holgate. A Brief History of Asthma and Its Mechanisms to Modern Concepts of Disease Pathogenesis. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2010. 2(3):165-171. doi: 10.4168/aair.2010.2.3.165

[6] Asthma-WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma

[7] Learn how to take control of asthma. (2021, July 1). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/faqs.htm

[8] Guy G Brusselle, Fanny Wai-San Ko. Prevalence and burden of asthma in China: time to act. Lancet. 2019. Vol 394: 364-365. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31349-2

[9] Kate M Scott, Michael Von Korff, et al. Mental Disorders among Adults with Asthma: Results from the World Mental Health Surveys. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2007; 29(2): 123–133. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2006.12.006

[10] Holland, K. (2021, October 27). Asthma: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/asthma

[11] Asthma-NIH-NHLBI https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/asthma

[12] Asthma Group, Chinese Society of Respiratory Diseases, Chinese Medical Association. Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of bronchial asthma (2020 edition)[J]. Chinese Journal of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, 2020, 43(12): 1023-1048.

[13] Zhou Bing, Xu Geng. Mechanism and treatment of nasal congestion in allergic rhinitis[J]. Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, 2019(8):780-785.11-2023-CN-SNG-115256

If you want to learn more about the disease, please consult a healthcare professional.

Produced by Guokr Business Technology Communication Department