Asthma can be defined as a reversible increase in airways resistance associated with hyper-reactivity to irritant stimuli and with mechanical obstruction of flow in these airways. Although hyper-reactivity is an important determinant of the clinical response, little is known about its pathogenesis and treatment is directed mainly against obstruction. Physiological and pathological investigation of the disease shows that there are three main causes of obstruction; bronchoconstriction, inflammation and mucus production. In mild asthma bronchoconstriction predominates but as the disease increases in severity, inflammation and mucus become increasingly important until in status asthmaticus a combination of all three causes almost total obstruction.
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Skidmore, I.F. (1984). Bronchodilators. In: Cumming, G., Bonsignore, G. (eds) Drugs and the Lung. Ettore Majorana International Science Series, vol 14. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-1269-8_3
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