On Thu, 6 Nov 1997 09:19:58 -0800 Dan Twogood <[log in to unmask]> writes: >> >> Asthma is not a disease that creeps up on you over time. You are either born >> with reactive airways or you are not. Allergies can make it Worse but >> CANNOT CAUSE asthma. >> stef > >I disagree. Based on what I've seen in practice, asthma IS allergy. It >can come on in youth (most commonly), but it can also come on later >after repeated exposure to the allergen. I have adult onset asthma developed because my allergies were not controlled as a child. I did not become classified as asthmatic until I was almost 30. My husband had very severe allergies as a child and took immunotherapy for many long and painful years of shots. The doctors said with the severity, he would probably become a severe asthmatic. Asthma is a degenerative disease that slowly destroys the lung tissue if it is not controlled. It's my understanding after doing some research and talking with several allergists that you are born with the predisposition to develop allergies/asthma from genetics. There are many things that can be done to attempt to lessen the risk of developing these, but they are not foolproof. With many food related allergies, it has to do with not being exposed to the highly allergenic foods until the immune system is more mature. With environmental allergies, it has to do with being exposed to the culprits (mostly dust mites, animal dander, and cockroaches) between the ages of 1 and 3. Of course none of this is carved in stone because there is ALWAYS the exception. Also, there are two types of asthma. Intrinsic asthma is not triggered by allergies, but by some other means such as stress. It is an internal stimulus. Extrinsic asthma is triggered by allergies, usually inhaled. It is an external trigger. There is also a cough variant asthma (which is what I have) in which a dry hacking cough is the main manifestation instead of the normal wheezing. Either way you get tight in the chest, but I don't have much difference in my peak flow readings when I have an attack. Kathy P.