Asthma Support Group
Asthma is a disease of the human respiratory system where the airways narrow, often in response to a "trigger" such as exposure to an allergen, cold air, exercise, or emotional stress. This airway narrowing causes symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing, which respond to bronchodilators.
I was told today that I was a carrier for alpha1-proteinase inhibitor deficiency. Does anyone know much about this condition?
Are you a carrier or do you have this? Have other family members been tested or is there a familial pattern of lung disease?
This is an inherited form of emphysema. You can google it to get more information. Personally I've only heard of a few cases of this on TV mostly recently in "Mystery Diagnosis" on TLC.
Treatment varies using everything from autoimmune treatments to lung transplants. For more information see: http://www.njc.org/disease-info/diseases/copd/about/alpha1-antitrypsin.aspx There are also many other sites to get information.
This is far more complicated than "asthma" and requires a pulmonary specialist.