ABSTRACT
Asthma is an inflammatory airway disease, with a complicated pathophysiology and is multifactorial in etiology. In adults, asthma is the fourth leading cause of work absenteeism and results in almost $3 billion per year in lost productivity. Asthma is manifested symptomatically as wheezing, chest tightness, dyspnea, and cough, typically at night or early in the morning. In the initial evaluation of new onset of asthma symptoms in adults, a chest x-ray should be done to rule out other etiologies of dyspnea. In asthma, the chest x-ray is usually within normal limits or occasionally shows hyperinflation and air trapping from mucus plugs. All patients with persistent asthma are recommended for an evaluation of allergens as possible contributing factors, especially perennial allergens. The initial step in the management of asthma is to accurately assess the patient and to classify the patient based on the severity of the symptoms.
