World Asthma Day – May 6

According to the World Health Organization, more than 262 million people were living with asthma in 2019, and sadly, over 460,000 deaths occurred that year due to the disease. Alarmingly, the global asthma death rate has nearly doubled since the 1980s. Yet despite its growing impact, asthma is far from new.

The first records of asthma appear in ancient Chinese texts from around 2600 B.C., where descriptions of breathlessness and restricted breathing mirror what we now recognize as asthma symptoms. Similarly, ancient Egyptian medical writings detailed respiratory issues that sound eerily familiar.

The famous Greek physician Hippocrates (460–370 B.C.) was one of the earliest to identify asthma as a unique condition. He linked asthma symptoms to environmental triggers and even noted how certain jobs and trades could cause breathing problems. This was a revolutionary idea at the time!

Not long after, around 100 B.C., another physician named Aretaeus of Cappadocia provided a detailed definition of asthma. His descriptions were surprisingly close to how we understand the condition today, recognizing asthma as a chronic issue with specific triggers.

In the Roman Empire, scientific minds also took an interest. In 50 A.D., the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder made the connection between pollen and breathing problems, becoming one of the first to explore environmental allergies. He even recommended using a plant-based treatment that closely resembles the effects of modern epinephrine — a quick-relief medicine used in today’s asthma therapy.

Fast forward to the 19th century, and we meet Dr. Henry Hyde Salter, who created one of the earliest and most accurate medical drawings of asthma’s effect on the lungs. His work helped doctors visualize what actually happens during an asthma attack, bringing clarity to the condition.

In 1892, the legendary physician William Osler, co-founder of Johns Hopkins Medical School, also made significant contributions. He drew connections between asthma and allergic conditions, such as hay fever, and highlighted its genetic nature. He was also among the first to recognize that climate, diet, and intense emotions could act as triggers.

By the 1980s, the understanding of asthma took a huge leap. Doctors realized that asthma was more than just a reaction to triggers — it was an inflammatory condition rooted in the immune system. This understanding shifted the focus to long-term management, emphasizing the importance of daily care, even if no symptoms are present.