Bronchial asthma. A perspective from childhood to adulthood
D. S. Pearlman
Asthma is a greatly underdiagnosed disorder in childhood. Even when
recognized, its severity generally is underestimated. It is responsible for
much physical, social, and economic hardship due to poor control and
inadequate treatment from poor understanding of the disease. Nonallergic
factors alone may be of prime importance in the disorder or may act in
conjunction with "allergy." Asthma commonly is not "outgrown," although it
may become less conspicuous, often to surface overtly in adulthood. It is
important to recognize and treat asthma in childhood, not only because of
acute disease morbidity and potential mortality but also because of its
possible prolonged morbidity in later childhood and in adulthood.