ABSTRACT
The investigation of asthma itself is fraught with many complexities and difficulties, beginning with the lack of a 'gold standard' diagnostic test to establish that the condition is in fact present. House dust mite is probably the most important factor in the generation of new cases of asthma. The Health and Safety Executive has found that chemicals encountered in industry can cause sensitization and asthma irrespective of the effects of smoking and allergies to pollen and house dust mite. People who have been diagnosed as having asthma may continue to be well for months or years owing to a combination of avoidance of challenging situations and good medication. Diet-increased salt intake has been associated in studies with adult mortality due to asthma. L. J. Kinlen has made a strong case that the influx of workers into an area may cause, through whatever reason, an increase in the local leukaemia rates.
