Looking At Reactive Airway Disease
July 30th, 2010 | Medicine |Reactive Airway Disease: Conditions based around wheezing and/or allergic reactions are often referred to by the term reactive airway disease. It is often used to label asthma-like conditions in infants that are too young to undergo typical diagnostic procedures. Some use the term interchangeably with asthma. This is not an accurate use of the term.
Treatment: Infants diagnosed with reactive airway disease should later be tested for asthma. The bronchial challenge test is an appropriate diagnostic procedure that will ascertain whether or not an individual is asthmatic. The test is a vital tool during the asthmatic diagnostic procedures. Individuals undergoing bronchial challenge tests breathe in histamine or nebulized methacholine. Both will provoke a narrowing of the airways known as bronchoconstriction.
Spirometry is used to measure the degree of narrowing as a result of the testing. Hyperactive airway narrowing is apparent in asthmatic patients at lower doses. This process allows physicians to accurately identify and diagnose asthmatics.
In reaction to a patient’s or a patient’s parents’ inability to accept the diagnosis of asthma the term reactive airway disease is sometimes used to mollify them instead of the accurate diagnosis label. This inaccurate labeling can lead to mismanagement of the asthmatic condition as well as under treatment.
RADS or reactive airways dysfunction syndrome was used to describe a syndrome similar to asthma in the 1980’s by S.M. Brooks and colleagues. The syndrome was characterized by asthmatic symptoms like wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, etc. But rather than being a long term condition like asthma the condition was triggered by one time exposure to high concentrations of irritants like vapor, smoke, fumes, etc. The term reactive airway disease evolved from the term RADS during the 1980’s.
Use of the phrase reactive airway disease is most often found in regards to infant diagnosis. In a small number of instances it can be used regarding diagnosis of adults. When adults have been exposed to high concentrations of irritants like: acetic acid, ammonia, etc.) it can result in asthma like symptoms ranging from mild to severe with the possibility for long term airway damage.
RADS is sometimes referred to as occupational asthma. Short term and long term treatment should be considered for those who have RADS as a result of exposure to irritants in order to eliminate or decrease the extent of the negative effects.
Summary: Reactive airway disease is used to label asthma like symptoms in children that are too young to be accurately tested for asthma. When children are old enough to be tested they should undergo appropriate testing to determine their condition. Conditions in adults can be referred to by reactive airway disease when a single high concentration of exposure to irritants lead to symptoms that resemble asthma.