Definition of Asthma in the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, asthma had a legacy from antiquity. The most accurate one was Galen (129-216 AD). In the Middle Ages, Ali ibn Rabban Tabari (838-870 AD) first introduced asthma and explained its different types. After him, many physicians devoted a significant part of their work to this disease. We searched the original versions of historical books and used a narrative approach to report the history of asthma. Pneumonia, inflammation of the spleen, and softness and stiffness of the chest muscles are some of the factors that have been suggested as the causes of asthma. However, the most accurate cause was given by Ibn Sina (980-1037), and he gave many detailed reasons for it. In addition to the previous reasons, which he listed according to a much more accurate classification than his predecessors, he cited other problems such as the presence of sputum, dry lungs, dry cough, sputum caused by neurological diseases, diseases of the organs adjacent to the respiratory organs, and congenital injuries as causes. Of course, other factors have been added by other physicians, the most notable of which are hereditary problems and diseases such as nosebleeds and pneumonia. The accurate observations of physicians in the Middle Ages provide a detailed and comprehensive description of asthma. The definitions and classification of different types of asthma were an important element in designing the treatment plan.