Category Archives: WHAT?
237.WHAT IS ASTHMA?
Asthma is not a disease itself, but a symptom of some other condition. When a person has asthma, he finds it hard to breathe because there is an obstruction to the flow of air into and out of the lungs.
This barrier or obstruction may be caused by a swelling of the mucous membranes, or by a constriction of the tubes leading from the windpipe to the lungs. When a person has an attack of asthma, he develops shortness or breath, wheezing, and coughing. The attack may come on gradually or develop suddenly.
235.WHAT IS A POLLEN COUNT?
During the “hay fever season,” newspapers in many cities publish the day’s pollen count: What is pollen, what does it have to do with hay fever, and what is a pollen count?
A person is said to have hay fever when he is sensitive to pollen and some other sum stances that are present in the air. Pollen is the reproductive element of plants and is contained in the flowers of most plants. Usually, it occurs as a fine dust or grains.
234.WHAT IS A CATARACT OF THE EYE?
You know what a “cataract” is in nature. It’s a great waterfall or downpouring of water. Now why should a certain kind of eye trouble also be called a “cataract?”
This is because in ancient times it was believed that this particular eye trouble was caused by an opaque film that came down like a cataract over the lens of the eye. A cataract of the eye is simply a cloudy or opaque discoloration within the lens of the eye. It may or may not interfere with vision. In fact, many people may have cataracts without knowing it.
