New Considerations About Measuring Airway Hyperresponsiveness

Measuring airway responsiveness to inhaled bronchoconstrictor stimuli, such as methacholine or histamine, has become an important tool in the diagnosis of asthma. This is measured by patients inhaling increasing doses or concentrations of the bronchoconstrictor stimulus until a given level of bronchoconstriction is achieved. Inhaled allergens initiate processes that increase airway inflammation and enhance airway hyperresponsiveness in …