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Asthma: A Heterogeneous and Challenging Chronic Condition

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Allergies and Adolescents

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Abstract

Asthma is the most common chronic health condition affecting children and a leading cause of emergency department visits and hospitalizations. The diagnosis of asthma can be challenging, but focusing on pertinent aspects of the clinical history can help establish the proper diagnosis. Asthma symptoms can be triggered by exposure to multiple different triggers, which may occur acutely or on a chronic basis. The level of asthma severity and/or control can be readily assessed for all patients and should be utilized to guide treatment. Asthma therapy relies upon the acquisition of self-management skills, use of controller medications for persistent asthma, and avoidance of known triggers. There are multiple types of medications that can be utilized to help control persistent asthma, with inhaled corticosteroids as the mainstay of treatment. Asthma varies considerably in regard to phenotypes, endotypes, severity, and prognosis. This chapter will help identify factors specific to each individual that contribute to the heterogeneity of asthma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA

    David R. Stukus MD

  2. Allergy and Immunology Section, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA

    William C. Anderson III MD

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  1. David R. Stukus MD
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  2. William C. Anderson III MD
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Correspondence to David R. Stukus MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA

    David R. Stukus

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Stukus, D.R., Anderson, W.C. (2018). Asthma: A Heterogeneous and Challenging Chronic Condition. In: Stukus, D. (eds) Allergies and Adolescents. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77485-5_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77485-5_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-77484-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-77485-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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