[Asthma in elderly--diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties]

Abstract

Epidemiological studies which were carried out in the USA and Europe indicated that bronchial asthma is a frequent cause of respiratory symptoms in people older than 60 years. Development of allergic inflammation in airways in elderly is similar to young people. There are two clinical forms of bronchial asthma: persistent asthma, which appears before 40 years of life, and asthma, which appears in people in the age over 65 years. Detailed evaluation of asthma severity in elderly is difficult because of a coexisting diseases other than asthma which are common in this group of age. Anti-asthmatic treatment in older people ought to be administered very individually. The clinical significance of asthma in elderly is important because it is frequently very severe, with permanent dyspnea and deep limitation of ventilation.