VOA慢速英语2012--SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - Looking for Answers to Asthma

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - Looking for Answers to Asthma¹

 

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Shirley Griffith.

BOB DOUGHTY²: And I'm Bob Doughty. Spring has returned to the United States. The sky is blue, the grass is green and many plants are flowering. Spring can be a beautiful time of year. But it is especially troublesome for people with asthma. High pollen³ levels can keep asthma sufferers from enjoying spring flowers and the weather.

(MUSIC)

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: May is Asthma Awareness⁴ Month in the United States. And May first is World Asthma Day. The Global Initiative for Asthma, or GINA, organizes the event every year. GINA is a joint⁵ effort of the World Health Organization and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of America's National Institutes of Health.

GINA held its first World Asthma Day fourteen years ago, in nineteen ninety-eight. This year, the theme for World Asthma Day is "You Can Control Your Asthma." GINA first launched this education campaign as part of the event in two thousand seven. The group notes that while asthma cannot be cured, it can be successfully controlled.

BOB DOUGHTY: Asthma is a disorder⁶ that causes breathing passages to narrow. This reduces the amount of air entering and leaving the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing.

The World Health Organization says asthma affects about two hundred thirty-five million people worldwide. The WHO says asthma is the most common chronic⁷ disease among children. And it says the disease affects people in all countries around the world and at every development level. However, the WHO says eighty percent of asthma deaths happen in low and lower middle income countries.

Asthma affects not only millions of individuals, but families and economies alike. The yearly economic cost of the disorder is said to be close to twenty billion dollars. And the World Health Organization warns that asthma rates are increasing worldwide by an average of fifty percent every ten years.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Asthma happens when tissue that lines the airways⁸ to the lungs begins to expand or swell⁹. This swelling¹⁰ makes the airways smaller. The muscles in the airways tighten¹¹. Cells in the airways begin to produce a lot of mucous¹². This thick, sticky substance can cause the airways to close even more. This makes it difficult for air to flow in and out of the lungs.

This series of events is called an asthma attack. As asthma sufferers struggle to get air into their lungs, they may begin to cough. They also may experience wheezing¹³ -- breathing hard with a breathy, whistling sound.

Some asthma sufferers have tightness or pain in the chest. They say it feels as if someone is sitting on them. When asthma is most severe, the person may have extreme difficulty breathing. The disorder can severely¹⁴ limit a person's activity, and even lead to death.

BOB DOUGHTY: Doctors do not know what causes asthma. Medical researchers believe a combination of environmental and genetic¹⁶ conditions may be responsible. Forty percent of children who have parents with asthma will also develop this disorder. Seventy percent of people with asthma also have allergies¹⁷. Allergies are unusual reactions of the body's natural defenses to normally harmless substances or conditions.

Doctors have identified many of the things that may trigger, or start, an asthma attack. Triggers are things that cause an asthma sufferer's airways to swell, or increase in size.

Different asthma patients have different triggers. Allergens are one of the most common triggers. These impurities¹⁸ in the air cause allergic¹⁹ reactions. Some of the more common allergens include animal hair, dust, mold and pollen.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Pollen is a fine dust that comes from grass, trees and flowers. Mold is a kind of fungus²⁰. It can grow on the walls or floors of homes. It is often in wet or damp areas like bathrooms, kitchens and basements.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that twenty-one percent of asthma cases in the United States have links to mold and dampness in homes.

Air pollution can also trigger asthma. Cigarette smoke is a major problem for asthma sufferers. So is air pollution from motor vehicles. Chemical sprays like air fresheners, hair spray, cleaning products and even strong beauty aids can trigger an asthma attack.

Some people cough, wheeze²¹ or feel out of breath during or after exercise. They are said to suffer from exercise-induced asthma. During the winter, breathing in cold air can trigger an asthma attack. So can colds and other infections of the respiratory system.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than twenty-five million people in the United States have asthma. It says the disorder affects more than seven million American children. Among adults, more women have the disease than men. However, it is more common among boys than girls.

The National Institute of Allergy²² and Infectious Diseases says the disease affects African-Americans more than whites. African-American children die from asthma at five times the rate of white children.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: VOA Special English broadcaster June Simms has a fifteen-year old son with asthma. Arick Simms first showed signs of the disease when he was about two years old.

Arick's doctor gave him a medicine called albuterol. Albuterol helps to increase air flow and reduce tension in the airways. The doctor also gave him a machine called a nebulizer. It connects to a mask that fits over the nose and mouth.

The nebulizer turns the liquid albuterol into a fog-like mist. Arick inhaled²³ the mist through the mask. The treatments made it easier for him to breathe. During times when Arick's asthma was really severe, he was also given steroid medicines to help reduce swelling in his airways.

BOB DOUGHTY: As Arick grew older, the doctor replaced his nebulizer with an inhaler. The small medical devices helped him to breathe easier. He also began seeing a doctor who specializes in treating patients with asthma.

The doctor discovered that Arick also suffers from allergies. He now takes medicines every day to help keep his asthma and allergies under control.

(MUSIC)

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: The Global Initiative for Asthma was formed in nineteen ninety-three. GINA works with health care experts and public health officials around the world to improve asthma care and to reduce the number of asthma cases.

In two thousand four, GINA released a report called "The Global Burden of Asthma." The group said asthma is a growing problem in both industrial and developing countries. It estimated that there may be an additional one hundred million people with asthma by the year twenty twenty-five.

BOB DOUGHTY: GINA says there are many things that people can do to control their asthma.

People should know the causes of their asthma symptoms and try to avoid these triggers. For example, seek to avoid animal hair, dust, pollen and cigarette smoke. Some people may need to take medicines before they work hard or exercise.

Asthma patients should work with their doctors to control the disorder. They should go to the doctor for medical examinations even if they are feeling fine. They should make sure they understand how and when to take their medicines. They also should act quickly to treat asthma attacks and know when to seek medical help.

The Global Initiative for Asthma urges governments and health officials to do more to improve asthma control. GINA hopes to reduce asthma hospitalization by fifty percent by the year twenty fifteen.

(MUSIC)

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: There is also new research that offers hope to asthma sufferers. Researchers say they have developed a vaccine²⁴ that protects against one of the most common allergens, dust. They say the vaccine tricks the body into not overreacting to dust. It does this by producing dust mite²⁵ proteins on its own. Results of the study are to be published in the journal Human Gene¹⁵ Therapy.

The researchers in France used asthmatic mice to test the vaccine. They are now seeking approval to do future studies involving human patients.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by June Simms, who was also our producer. I'm Bob Doughty.

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: And I'm Shirley Griffith. Visit us at www.voanews.cn, where you can find transcripts²⁶ and MP3s of our reports. Join us again next week for SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

1 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

2 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

3 pollen   

n.[植]花粉

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious.蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。

4 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

7 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

8 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

9 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

10 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

11 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

12 mucous   

adj. 黏液的，似黏液的

参考例句：

• Healthy,skin,mucous membranes,and cilia are natural barriers to many viruses.健康的皮肤，粘膜和纤毛是许多病毒的天然屏障。
• Seromucous glands contain both mucous and serous cells.浆粘液腺既含有粘液性细胞，又含有浆液性细胞。

13 wheezing   

v.喘息，发出呼哧呼哧的喘息声( wheeze的现在分词 )；哮鸣

参考例句：

• He was coughing and wheezing all night. 他整夜又咳嗽又喘。
• A barrel-organ was wheezing out an old tune. 一架手摇风琴正在呼哧呼哧地奏着一首古老的曲子。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

15 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

16 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

17 allergies   

n.[医]过敏症；[口]厌恶，反感；（对食物、花粉、虫咬等的）过敏症( allergy的名词复数 )；变态反应，变应性

参考例句：

• Food allergies can result in an enormous variety of different symptoms. 食物过敏会引发很多不同的症状。 来自辞典例句
• Let us, however, examine one of the most common allergies; hayfever. 现在让我们来看看最常见的变态反应的一种--枯草热。 来自辞典例句

18 impurities   

不纯( impurity的名词复数 )； 不洁； 淫秽； 杂质

参考例句：

• A filter will remove most impurities found in water. 过滤器会滤掉水中的大部分杂质。
• Oil is refined to remove naturally occurring impurities. 油经过提炼去除天然存在的杂质。

19 allergic   

adj.过敏的，变态的

参考例句：

• Alice is allergic to the fur of cats.艾丽斯对猫的皮毛过敏。
• Many people are allergic to airborne pollutants such as pollen.许多人对空气传播的污染物过敏，比如花粉。

20 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。

21 wheeze   

n.喘息声，气喘声；v.喘息着说

参考例句：

• The old man managed to wheeze out a few words.老人勉强地喘息着说出了几句话。
• He has a slight wheeze in his chest.他呼吸时胸部发出轻微的响声。

22 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

23 inhaled   

v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. 她合上双眼，深深吸了一口气。
• Janet inhaled sharply when she saw him. 珍妮特看到他时猛地吸了口气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

25 mite   

n.极小的东西；小铜币

参考例句：

• The poor mite was so ill.可怜的孩子病得这么重。
• He is a mite taller than I.他比我高一点点。

26 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句