DEAR DR. DONOHUE: You have written very little about asthma, its cause and treatment. Is it inherited? I am 86 and developed it at the age of 5. My daughters and their children are asthmatics. - H.S.
ANSWER: Asthma obstructs the flow of air into and out of the lungs. Part of the obstruction comes from a sudden narrowing of the airways (bronchi). A second contributor is the production of thick mucus that plugs the airways. The obstruction isn't permanent. It comes in attacks. More than 300 million people worldwide suffer from asthma.
Allergens are one trigger for asthma attacks. They include pollens from trees, grasses and weeds. Mold spores are another trigger. So are dust mites. Irritants, cigarette smoke being a big one, plus cold air and strong perfumes induce an attack. Some medicines bring on asthma. Aspirin and beta blockers (medicines used to control the heartbeat and lower blood pressure) are two examples. Viral infections are another source of trouble for asthmatics. Even strenuous exercise can provoke an attack.
Your family history shows that asthma can have a genetic basis. Multiple genes, not a single gene, are thought to transmit it to offspring. Not every case of asthma, however, comes about through inheritance.
Asthma might not be completely cured, but it most often can be controlled and be made less of an intrusion into one's life. Drugs in inhaler form provide rapid expansion of the airways when an attack begins. Proventil and Ventolin are two examples. Because inflamed airways are another contributor to attacks, inhaled medicines that contain one of the many cortisone drugs soothe inflamed airways and control mucus production. Azmacort is one such drug.
These are but a few of the drugs available for asthma control.
The booklet on asthma describes this illness more fully. To obtain a copy, write: Dr. Donohue - No. 602, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient's printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My granddaughter is 12 years old. She wants to start drinking coffee.
What is your advice regarding the effects of caffeine on a child's health. What do you consider an appropriate age for children to drink coffee? - M.K.
ANSWER: One cup of coffee won't hurt a 12-year-old. Most kids don't like the taste of coffee and add tremendous amounts of sugar and cream to it. I'd discourage the girl from doing that.
I hate to admit it, but I started drinking coffee at an age younger than your granddaughter. I'm a bit odd, but I don't think it hurt me in other ways. I'd also hate to suggest an age for universal coffee drinking.
- Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible.