Cleaner Air Could Reduce Asthma, IBS, Diabetes Rates

If you have asthma, know the symptoms of heart disease and other inflammatory diseases so you can treat them early.


The Environmental Protection Agency announced new rules that will require coal-burning power plants to limit emissions of toxic air pollutants that are known to exacerbate asthma. That's great news for the 8 percent of Americans who suffer from the breathing disorder. And according to a new study being presented at this week's annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, it could lead to fewer rates of other inflammatory diseases. The authors of the study found that people with asthma are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, irritable bowel disease (IBS), and rheumatoid arthritis than people with healthy lungs.

THE DETAILS: The authors used data from 2,392 people enrolled in an asthma study in Rochester, Minnesota, half of whom had asthma and the other half did not. They compared the incidence of irritable bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and coronary artery disease among those with asthma and those without, and found that with each disease, people with asthma had higher rates. The relationship was strongest with coronary artery disease, in which people with asthma had a 59 percent higher incidence, and with diabetes, in which people with diabetes had a 68 percent higher incidence. Rates of irritable bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis also increased in asthma patients, but, says lead author Young J. Juhn, MD, pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, the associations weren't as strong.

WHAT IT MEANS: Though it may seem logical to think that an inflammatory condition like asthma would be accompanied by other inflammatory conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, Dr. Juhn says his results came as somewhat of a surprise, based on the way our immune systems work. "Our immune systems have something called T-helper cells. T-helper 1 cells determine pro-inflammatory conditions, such as coronary artery disease, irritable bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes, while T-helper 2 cells are considered to play a very important role in determining allergic disorders, such as asthma," he says. Because our immune systems work to maintain a balance between the two types, he adds, it would stand to reason that people with asthma would actually have lower rates of those diseases. But that's not what his study found. "At this point, we think there may be some common immune mechanisms underlying this association," he says, most likely something genetic or environmental.

Dr. Juhn's study is one of very few analyzing the relationship between asthma and other inflammatory diseases, so he says that doctors are still in the early stages of understanding what all this means, especially when it comes to solving the problem. "If we find that the association isn't genetic, then, potentially, controlling your asthma may be helpful in reducing your risk of these other pro-inflammatory conditions," Dr. Juhn says. "But if it the underlying mechanism is genetic, the association may be independent from asthma control."

The most important thing to remember, Dr. Juhn says, is that if you do have asthma, pay attention to any out-of-the-ordinary symptoms you may experience. "This study could be very important for early detection," he says. "If patients experience nonspecific chest pain, their doctors may think it's just their asthma, but it could be the beginning of heart disease."


To help you out, here's a list of some common symptoms associated with each condition.


• Coronary artery disease: Chest pain and shortness of breath are the two primary signs of coronary artery disease, which, unfortunately, makes it easy to confuse with asthma. However, pay attention to where you feel pain. Coronary heart pain may be felt under your breastbone, or in your neck, arms, stomach, or upper back. The condition is also accompanied by weakness and fatigue. The most serious symptom is, of course, having a heart attack. And check out these other six unusual signs of heart disease, such as excessive snoring and sexual dysfunction.

• Diabetes: People with type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes typically exhibit very few symptoms, but those who do may notice things like unusual thirst or hunger, blurred vision, frequent infections, and tingling or numbness in your hands or feet. A blood-glucose test will tell your doctor whether you have diabetes, and recently, doctors developed an easy online test that will allow you to assess your diabetes risk based on things like family history and weight. It doesn't include asthma as a potential risk factor, but the test should help you figure out if you're already at an increased risk.

• Rheumatoid arthritis: This is a disease that's stumped a lot of doctors, as the causes of RA remain unknown and symptoms can be vague and sporadic. But you might have rheumatoid arthritis if your joints ache or swell or are tender to the touch (it usually begins in the smaller joints, such as those in your hands and feet), you feel firm bumps of tissue under the skin on your arms, or have morning stiffness that lasts longer than the morning.

• Irritable bowel disease: If you experience a lot of abdominal discomfort, cramping, or bloating, you could be suffering from irritable bowel disease or the less-severe irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. As with rheumatoid arthritis, there isn't a known cause, but it is an autoimmune condition that seems to be exacerbated by environmental causes, including stressful jobs.


Reduce your risk from heart disease and asthma. Eat lots of Vitamin C and Vitamin D rich foods and fruits.

Dry Powder Inhaler for Deep, Consistent Drug Administration

New inhaler delivers significantly more drug to the deep lung, regardless of strength of breath Dry Powder Inhaler

Cambridge Consultants and Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Ltd develop a high performance, easy to use dry powder inhaler

Cambridge Consultants, a leading technology product design and development firm, has developed a new high efficiency, easy to use dry powder inhaler in collaboration with Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Ltd ("SPARC"), one of India's leading pharmaceutical research companies. The inhaler has a uniform delivery profile that ensures the full intended metered dose of the drug is administered to the deep lung, regardless of the strength of the patient's intake of breath.

The device employs a novel de-agglomeration engine to separate the drug from the lactose 'carrier' particles. Based on a highly efficient airway design, the patented drug separation mechanism has successfully completed clinical trials and demonstrated that it is capable of delivering significantly more of the drug to the deep lung than traditional inhalers. In practice, this will minimise side effects from drug build-up in the back of the throat, reduce non-systemic load and wastage, and means almost 50% less active drug needs pre-loading into the device in comparison to a standard inhaler.

This step change in inhaler technology is a reliable and easy to use device, particularly for patients with impaired lung function or those using the inhaler during an asthma attack – overcoming any patient concerns about the ability to use the device effectively.

In addition to its novel drug delivery mechanism, the device integrates a number of user-friendly design features. These include a numerical dose counter to indicate at a glance how many more doses are left in the inhaler before it runs out, a luminous feature to enable users to find the device in the dark and a small pop-out 'braille' button which activates when there are only a few doses remaining. The device gives audible and tactile feedback to indicate the delivery and completion of user steps. The device also features a unique palm-held form, designed to discreetly house the complex dose carriage and delivery system yet remain comfortable to hold and use.

Mr Dilip S. Shanghvi, Chairman and Managing Director of SPARC, commented, "Our search for the right design expertise for this project was global, but Cambridge Consultants stood out to us because of its excellent track record in medical device development. The partnership has worked incredibly well and has enabled us to take the product from initial requirement to market in half the time that such projects usually demand."

Phil Lever, Commercial Director at Cambridge Consultants, added, "We're delighted that SPARC chose to work with us on the technically challenging project as we feel this is a strong endorsement of the world-class development skills we offer, and we are very proud of the inhaler that has been developed as a result of this collaborative partnership." Cambridge Consultants and SPARC are now working together to ready the device for manufacture and the commercial launch is expected in 2011.

Cambridge Consultants will also be demonstrating the device at the Drug Delivery to the Lungs (DDL) 21 conference, Edinburgh International Conference Centre, 8th-10th December 2010.


Notes for editors:

Cambridge Consultants develops breakthrough products, creates and licenses intellectual property, and provides business consultancy in technology critical issues for clients worldwide. For 50 years, the company has been helping its clients turn business opportunities into commercial successes, whether they are launching first-to-market products, entering new markets or expanding existing markets through the introduction of new technologies. With a team of over 300 engineers, designers, scientists and consultants, in offices in Cambridge (UK) and Boston (USA), Cambridge Consultants offers solutions across a diverse range of industries including medical technology, industrial and consumer products, transport, energy, cleantech and wireless communications.

Throughout 2010, Cambridge Consultants celebrates its 50th year in business. Created by three Cambridge graduates in 1960, the company has grown into a leading technology business, renowned worldwide for its ability to solve technical problems and provide innovative, practical solutions to commercial issues. In 2009, the company was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. For more information visit: www.CambridgeConsultants.com

Cambridge Consultants is part of Altran, the European leader in innovation and high technology consulting. The Group’s 17,500 consultants, operating worldwide, cover the entire range of engineering specialities, including electronics, information technology, quality and organisation. Altran offers its clients ongoing support throughout the innovation cycle, from technology watch, applied basic research and management consulting to industrial systems engineering and information systems. The Group provides services to most industries, including the automotive, aeronautics, space, life sciences and telecommunications sectors. Founded in 1982, Altran operates in 20 priority countries. In 2008, it generated a turnover of €1,650 million. For more information visit: www.altran.com

About SPARC

Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Ltd (NSE: SPARC, BSE: 532872) is an international pharmaceutical company engaged in research and development of drugs and delivery systems. More information about the company can be found at www.sunpharma.in.




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Launch of Symbicort Turbuhalerfor the Treatment of Adult Bronchial Asthma in Japan

Astellas Pharma Inc. (“Astellas”; headquarters: Tokyo; President and CEO: Masafumi Nogimori) and AstraZeneca K.K. (headquarters: Tokyo; President and CEO: Masuhiro Kato) announced thatSymbicort® Turbuhaler® 30 doses and Symbicort® Turbuhaler® 60 doses (generic name: Budesonide/Formoterol fumarate dihydrate) for the treatment of adult bronchial asthma will be launched on January13, 2010 in Japan.

Symbicort® Turbuhaler® is a twice-daily treatment for adult bronchial asthma combining budesonide, an inhaled corticosteroid (one dose containing 160μg) and formoterol fumarate dihydrate, a rapid and long acting β2 agonist (one dose containing 4.5μg), and the product is administered by an inhaler (Turbuhaler).

Characteristics of Symbicort® Turbuhaler® are as follows:
-The Product alone shows good efficacy in countering both of the causes of bronchial asthma, airway inflammation and airway narrowing
- By administering two medications in one product, in addition to the convenience for controlling bronchial asthma, due to the fast onset of bronchial dilation effect of formoterol, patients can easily feel the effect of the treatment. As a result, improvement in adherence (continuation of treatment) can be expected.

Symbicort® Turbuhaler® was listed as a new option for long-term maintenance treatment on “Asthma Prevention and Management Guideline 2009, Japan” which was revised in October 2009.
The guideline recommends that Symbicort® Turbuhaler® can be used for the treatment from step 2 to step 4 as the combination therapy combining an inhaled corticosteroid and a rapid and long-acting β2 agonist.

Symbicort® Turbuhaler® was first approved in Europe in 2000, and is now approved in more than 100 countries and regions. The product will be manufactured and developed by AstraZeneca K.K. and distributed and sold by Astellas Pharma Inc., while promotion will be jointly carried out by both companies (co-promotion).

P.S. Prevent asthma attacks by eating Vitamin C and Vitamin D rich foods and fruits.

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Forest Pays Almirall $75M Up Front as Part of Second Respiratory Therapies Agreement

Forest Laboratories is paying Almirall $75 million up front as part of a U.S. development, marketing, and distribution agreement for the latter’s once-daily, long-acting beta2 agonist, LAS10097. The deal covers development of LAS100977 in combination with an undisclosed corticosteroid for the treatment of both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), using Almirall’s Genuair® inhaler. LAS10097 has already completed Phase IIa trials in asthma patients.

Under terms of the deal, Forest will be responsible for U.S. regulatory approval and commercialization of the LAS100977-based therapy. Almirall will receive milestone payments and sales-based royalties on top of the up-front fee.

The deal represents the second major respiratory therapies collaboration between the companies. In April 2006 Almirall and Forest signed a $60 million up front deal to develop, market, and distribute Almirall’s inhaled, long-acting muscarinic antagonist, aclidinium bromide, in the U.S. The drug is an anticholinergic bronchodilator, selective M3 muscarinic antagonist for the treatment of COPD.

The companies had originally anticipated filing an NDA in the fourth quarter of 2009 or the first quarter of 2010. However, in March 2009 the companies announced that after consultation with FDA, additional clinical studies with aclidinium bromide will need to be conducted to provide further support for the selected regimens, including higher and/or more frequent doses. EU filing of aclidinium bromide by Almirall is currently projected for 2011.

Commenting on the deal, Howard Solomon, chairman and CEO at Forest, said, “with the addition of LAS100977, Forest rounds out a broad COPD pipeline that was recently augmented with Daxas® (roflumilast) and will also gain access to the larger asthma market with a once-daily inhaled corticosteroid/LABA combination.”

P.S. Boost your natural immunity against Asthma by eating Vitamin C and Vitamin D rich foods and fruits.

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Treatment of childhood asthma

MBBS(Ceylon), DCH(Ceylon), DCH(England), MD(Paediatrics), FRCP(Edinburgh), FRCP(London), FRCPCH(United Kingdom), FSLCPaed, FCCP, FCGP(Sri Lanka) Consultant Paediatrician

Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways characterised by narrowing of the air tubes brought on by swelling of the lining of the airway, contraction of the muscles of the airways and increased secretion of mucus or "phlegm". In the case of children, asthma is such a variable disorder that there are many considerations that need to be gauged when one looks at the treatment options that could be used. There is a very wide spectrum of clinical presentation of asthma ranging from mild infrequent attacks through moderately severe and frequent episodes to acute severe life-threatening events. Careful assessment is essential before tangible decisions are made regarding further management and the use of certain medications.

One component of treatment is the management of an acute attack. There are several drugs which are so very useful in controlling an acute episode but judicious decisions have to be made regarding their use. Initial assessment of the severity of the attack is the determining factor for the selection of drugs. This initial evaluation is used to classify the episode as a mild attack, a moderately severe attack or an acute severe attack. The last could be so severe that the presence of certain features would further categorise it as a life-threatening attack. This is a harbinger of death and urgent intensive treatment is absolutely essential to save life. All these assessments need to be done by an experienced doctor using features of the history of the illness, its progression, past history and the findings on clinical examination.

The first requirement for a moderately severe or an acute severe attack is the provision of added oxygen through either a mask or through nasal prongs. The airway narrowing leads to marked interference with ventilation of the lungs that the necessary amounts of life-giving oxygen are not allowed to be provided to the blood and thereby to the tissues of the body. The only initial solution to this problem, at least till one could take steps to correct the narrowing of the airways is to provide an additional increased amount of oxygen into the lungs. Parents often get frightened by medical staff starting a child on oxygen but it is more or less a precautionary measure. Most people believe that added oxygen is given only to a dying patient. This is not true and there are several other instances where added oxygen may be used. Steps must be taken to explain this to the parents or care-givers, allay their anxiety and provide reassurance.

Then there are the drugs that are so useful to treat the acute episode and relieve the airway narrowing. Their action is centred around dilatation of the narrowed airways. These drugs are therefore known by the collective term "relievers". There are several different groups of medications that fall into this category. Some of them need to be given by inhalation, either by using a nebuliser or via a spacer device attached to a metered dose inhaler which is commonly known by the name of "puffer". The advantage of these methods is that only tiny doses need to be used as the drug is directly provided to the lung where its primary effect is required. Some of these drugs could also be given by mouth but then much larger doses need to be used. The oral use is generally employed only for very mild attacks. Many people also believe that these children who are once nebulised will always need nebulisation. This too is not true and there is no scientific basis for this belief. Nebulisation and other forms of inhalation therapy is used for the moderately severe and severe attacks as it is so very effective and the observable clinical effect comes on within minutes. The other advantage is that inhalation therapy could be repeated at very frequent intervals as and when necessary. The general side effects that are seen when the same drug is given by mouth are generally not seen as frequently with inhalation therapy. Inhaled therapy is quite safe in the acute phase of the attack and this is so even when the procedure has to be repeated at frequent intervals. It certainly has no adverse effects on the heart.

There are other reliever drugs that are used through the intravenous route. These are generally used when inhaled therapy fails to control the acute attack. Some of these drugs, just like those used for inhalation therapy, act quite quickly but prolonged treatment in the form of intravenous infusions may be necessary to maintain the achieved dilatation of the airways. There are several drugs that fall into this category and some newer drugs are being increasingly used. All these drugs work by different mechanisms of action, the effects are generally complementary when more than one drug needs to be used and the end results are quite good. It is however imperative that proper doses are used to obtain the best effect.

In markedly severe cases, drugs belonging to the corticosteroid group may need to be used. However, it must be remembered that these medicines take about 4 to 6 hours to produce optimal effect. They could be given orally or through the intravenous route. In severe cases, the latter route of administration is preferred. They act by suppressing the inflammatory response of the airways and this process necessarily takes time. Steroids may need to be continued for up to a week in certain instances. Such short courses of steroids are safe and do not have long-lasting undesirable side effects on the child.

In most acute episodes, ancillary treatment measures are also quite important. If the child is hospitalised, good nursing, attention to good quality nutrition and adequate hydration are essential. The latter is of marked significance as rapid breathing induced by the attack leads to a loss of water from the body via exhaled breath. If it is not possible for the child to drink because of the severity of the episode of asthma, replenishment of the fluid losses should be by the intravenous route. In the case of suspected bacterial infections precipitating the acute attack of asthma, it may be necessary to use antibiotics but it must be stressed that this is perhaps uncommon and the use of antibiotics is certainly not a panacea for all ills in asthma.

Once the acute episode has been brought under control, it is time to assess the need for further long-term treatment. There are several drugs available today which, when used prudently, help to prevent recurrences of asthma. These drugs are therefore known as "preventers". However, these decisions are not to be made lightly as preventive treatment is a protracted form of therapy and needs to be continued for quite some time. There are certain features that suggest that the child may benefit from these forms of treatment. Children with what is known as persistent asthma with some degree of airway narrowing virtually every day, those who get very frequent attacks that interfere with normal life, children with acquired chest deformities as a result of asthma, those with marked exercise induced asthma, those who have growth retardation as a result of asthma, those who have significant disturbance of schooling as a result of asthma, those who are prone to get acute severe episodes of asthma and those who suffer from troublesome nocturnal asthma and persistent night cough that interferes with sleep are the ones in whom preventive therapy may be considered. In addition, those who have poor access to medical care, especially at night too, may be considered for primarily social reasons. The rationale for this is that severe attacks at night may cause a lot of problems and perhaps may even cause death.

There are some oral drugs that may be used for preventive therapy but these are effective only in some cases and are not quite useful in severe forms of the disease. However, some of them may be quite useful in combinations with other forms of preventive therapy, especially in severe and difficult to control cases. In today’s context, the "gold standard" for preventive therapy is the use of inhaled corticosteroids. Only very small doses of these steroids need to be used as the drug is delivered directly to the lungs and as such general effects on the rest of the body are not of any significant consequence. In the recommended doses, even long-term treatment with inhaled corticosteroids is safe. The effectiveness of these drugs depends on their anti-inflammatory action as it counteracts the very basic disturbance in childhood asthma which is inflammation of the airways. All preventive medications have to be given even when the child is quite well as they work purely for prevention and most of them are not useful during acute attacks.

There are several different formulations of inhaled corticosteroids and different inhaler devises that could be used in children. There are some dry powder inhalers that could be usefully employed in older children. The child has to inhale the very fine powder into the lungs. However, the most useful form if inhaler in children is the metered dose inhaler or "puffer". When each dose is actuated, a jet of gas containing the effective dose of the drug is ejected. The only problem is that the speed of ejection is very high, around 70 miles per hour and most children, and for that matter, even adults, find it impossible to synchronise their intake of the breath with the actuation of the device to ensure that the drug is inhaled properly. To get over this problem a holding chamber or "spacer" needs to be used. This device is connected to the puffd the child breathes in and out normally at the other end of the spacer after the puffer is actuated and the dose of medicine is put into the spacer. One-way valve systems ensure that the breaths that are put out do not get into the spacer. In the case of children, they need to be trained under direct medical supervision on the proper technique of the use of all these devices. The parents too must observe and learn all necessary details of these forms of treatment. All inhalers have a finite number of doses and it is useful to write down the date of starting a fresh inhaler on the inhaler device label itself so that a new inhaler could be purchased when all the contained doses have been used up. Many parents wait till the inhaler device completely finishes and is no longer able to eject, before purchasing a new one. This is a mistake as, beyond the total number of doses that are specified in the device, there is only the propellant gas that is emitted. The active drug is available only for the total specified number of ejections.

Whatever the device, it is best to rinse the mouth with water and throw out this water each time inhaled steroids are used. This is to ensure that some of the drug that is deposited in the mouth is not swallowed. All spacer devices need cleaning from time to time and there are special ways in which these need to be cleaned. Vigorous rubbing of the inside of the spacers should be avoided as this interferes with the normal working of the device. Proper advice regarding the use of all inhaler devices should be given by the prescribing doctor and time taken to explain the different aspects of inhalation therapy is time well spent to guarantee proper utilisation of the drug and ensuring optimal effectiveness of these forms of treatment.

Preventive therapy has to be carried out under medical supervision. These children need regular assessment by the prescribing doctors from time to time. The dosage may be reduced by the doctor once control of the disease has been obtained and the child remains well for a reasonable period of time. The dosages may also need to be increased to deal with special situations and when the disease appears to be getting out of control. These are not drugs that could be continued by the parents without regular medical direction. Haphazard changes in dosage, keeping off doses from time to time and abrupt stoppage of treatment should be scrupulously avoided. It must be remembered that the disease is being kept under control by these drugs and the child may develop an unprotected acute severe attack if the drugs are suddenly withdrawn. There is no truth whatsoever in the commonly held belief that patients tend to get addicted to these inhalers. These drugs are used simply because the asthmatic state is of considerable concern which requires their use and there is no risk of addiction to them.

P.S. Boost your immunity against asthma by eating Vitamin C and Vitamin D rich foods and fruits.

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Smoke a testing time for asthmatics

THE National Asthma Council Australia is urging people with asthma in bush fire zones, or those planning summer holidays in the country, to ensure they have considered their asthma as part of their total summer survival plan.

“People with asthma are at particular risk from bush fire smoke, especially the very young and older people,” National Asthma Council Australia Director,Associate Professor Peter Wark.

“The best protection, where possible, is avoiding exposure to high levels of smoke and ensuring your asthma is well controlled from day-to-day.

“This means seeing your doctor to make sure you have an appropriate written asthma action plan to help you manage your asthma over summer as well as making sure you regularly take your preventer puffer,” Professor Wark said.

“If you live in a high risk fire zone, you should also ask for a prescription for a second emergency inhaler, which you should have ready to take with you if you evacuate.

“Keep your back-up medication with your most precious papers or photographs to ensure it goes with you if you decide to leave.”

The National Asthma Council Australia also stressed the need to follow the manufacturer’s storage recommendations for medications during the hotter summer months.

“Keeping a back up inhaler in your glove box may seem like a good idea, but the extreme heat may render your medication ineffective, or worse still, some medication canisters could explode under the intense heat conditions that will occur in cars this summer.”

People who live in built up areas also need to plan for days of smoke haze as winds can move bush fire smoke and harmful airborne particles over great distances.

Bushfire smoke contains particles of different sizes, water vapour and gases, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which can trigger asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing or chest tightness

Larger sized air-borne particles, containing burning debris, contribute to the visible haze when a fire is burning.

They are generally too large to be breathed into the lungs, but they can cause irritation to the lungs, throat and nose.

Finer particles and gases, however, are small enough to be breathed into the lungs.

“This is why we are cautioning people with asthma across Australia to be vigilant about their health as the 2009/10 bushfire season unfolds and Australia heats up.”

P.S. Boost your immunity against asthma by eating Vitamin C and Vitamin D rich foods and fruits.

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Just breathe - Buteyko Method

"When a person gets short of breath, intuitively the right thing to do seems to be to inhale deeply," says Margalit Noam. "But amazingly, if asthma patients are asked whether a deep breath helped them during an attack, the answer is unequivocally no. This is because people with breathing problems do not suffer from a lack of air, but from too much ventilation. They inhale too much air and the body has a hard time coping with that."

To anyone who's ever witnessed an asthmatic struggling to get air into his lung, this approach sounds contrary to logic. However Noam, a therapist who treats asthma using the Buteyko method, explains, "When you inhale too much, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the body dwindles and not enough oxygen reaches the tissues. Inhaling more air in order to provide more oxygen to the tissues not only does not help, it actually worsens the situation."


Professor Konstantin Buteyko, a Ukrainian doctor, derived this understanding from the findings of the physiologist Christian Bohr in the early 20th century. Bohr found that a decline in carbon dioxide levels in the body reduces the blood's ability to release oxygen to tissues and vice versa. Based on this phenomenon, known as the Bohr effect, Buteyko concluded that while in a state of shortness of breath, the body will benefit more from a reduction in the volume of air that enters the body. In the mid-20th century, Buteyko developed a unique method for treating patients suffering from asthma and other breathing passage problems, and patients of this method learn to slow the pace of their breathing.


Restoring balance

A shortage of oxygen is not the only problem related to over-breathing. "When there is too much air, the acidity level of the body drops [the PH level increases] and the body is not balanced," adds Noam. "In order to restore its acidity level, the body begins to secrete more lactic acid. This does not improve the situation and only causes fatigue. The breathing system enables the balancing of the acidity level in the body much more quickly than the body's other systems."

"For the sake of comparison," he continues, "the metabolism, the digestive system and kidney tract require several hours and sometimes even several days to restore the body's acidity levels to normal levels, whereas the breathing system can do so in minutes. Slowing the pace of breathing and sometimes even a brief halt in breathing reverses the process, and with a normal breathing pace the body returns to its desired acidity levels."

The treatment is sought primarily by asthmatics, but also helps people with allergies, anoxia, snoring, chronic runny noses, stuffed noses and sinusitis. The treatment is also sought by those with a tendency to suffer from anxiety and unease, high blood pressure and migraines. The direct connection between breathing and the improved conditions is explained by the following: after the breathing is relaxed, oxygen is released to the tissues, the blood vessels expand, pressure from them decreases and pain is reduced.


Learning to relax

Noam's patients attend six two-hour sessions, during which they improve their awareness of breathing difficulties, learn to identify situations where they over-breathe and learn how to relax the pace of breathing.

The Buteyko method is one of the most effective ways of treating asthma patients. In studies conducted in Canada and Australia, patients report a substantial reduction in the use of extenders, inhalers and inhalation machines (up to 96 percent after just 12 weeks) and in asthma prevention medications (49 percent). The reduction in the use of inhalers and medications is of greater significance for asthmatics who have become used to living alongside the inhaler and in many cases become anxious if they can't remember where they put it. Noam also reports improvements for those suffering from sleep disturbances such as apnea or snoring.

In Russia, the method is widespread and has been studied for over 50 years. In the West it is also starting to gain institutional recognition. In Australia, medical insurance covers some of the expenses of attending a Buteyko workshop, given the knowledge that it will save on other insurance costs. In England, a family doctor is authorized to recommend the method for treating breathing problems.

Dr. Avner Goren, a pediatrician and allergy, clinical immunology and asthma expert, as well as the director of the Maccabi health maintenance organization branch in Ramat Hasharon, says he frequently recommends the treatment, based on "the research results that indicate a substantial reduction in the use of medications and also because of the fact that I know for certain that they do not interfere in any stage of the patient's drug treatment."


P.S. Boost your asthma immunity by eating Vitamin C and Vitamin D foods and fruits.



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