Definitions, diagnosis and phenotypical treatment of severe asthma

Abstract

ASTHMA IS derived from the Greek word ‘aazein’ meaning to breathe with open mouth. While the prevalence of asthma is increasing it is not a modern world disease. The Ebers papyrus 1,550BC reports the first documented treatment for asthma involving the inhalation of herbs from heated stone, while the ancient Chinese used a natural derivative of adrenaline extracted from herbs to treat ‘wheeze’. Until the early 1960s the aetiology of asthma was characterised as psychological in origin. It was only in the 1970s, through the development of anti-inflammatories and their impact on the airways, that the disease process of asthma became more widely understood. Approximately 5.1 million people in the UK have asthma (Asthma UK 2012), making it one of the most common chronic conditions.