Pediatric Asthma Treatment: How to Avoid Indoor Asthma Triggers

Asthma is a long-lasting disease wherein the airways tend to become reversibly narrowed and results to shortness of breath. Coughing and wheezing often accompany the main symptom. An asthma attack is an immediate progression of asthma from a steady state to acute. This occurs when the asthmatic is exposed to triggers. Triggers are usually airborne irritants that an asthmatic may inadvertently inhale.

Outdoor triggers include molds, pollen, and smoke. While most families keep their asthmatic child inside the house, the childs condition may not get better because indoor triggers are not eliminated. Indoor triggers pose as much of a risk as outside triggers. Pets, for instance, should be left outdoors or at least outside the childs bedroom.

Cigarette smoke is pretty popular in their role as an asthma trigger. Not only are they triggers, but they can also contribute to the development of asthma in a child. The earlier the child is exposed to cigarette smoke, the earlier their lungs start deteriorating. An already asthmatic child should not be exposed to cigarette smoke. If theres a smoker around, it should be done outside the home. Even if the child has left, indoor smoking should be avoided. There is a study going on to prove that smoke residue inside the home can trigger asthma.

Low humidity levels decreases growth rate of indoor molds. Damp or wet bathroom tiles are ideal grounds for mold growth. With this in mind, it would be a good idea to fix water leaks. The house should also be kept clean. Food should be kept in closed containers or refrigerators. Trash cans must be kept closed. This attracts less cockroaches ” which is a well-known asthma trigger.

Peak flow meters are handy devices that can help measure the amount of air that a person breathes out. Its readings are color coded with green, yellow, and red. Peak values falling under the green indicates good breathing, while red signifies an asthma attack. A peak flow may also help you monitor lung function. Regular use of it may warn you of upcoming asthma attacks as it can detect airway obstruction even in the absence of symptoms.


P.S., Boost your resistance to asthma by heavy intake of Vitamin C rich foods or fuits.



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How to Use a Nebulizer?

Nebulizers are commonly used to deliver asthma medications to children, including albuterol when your child is wheezing and Intal, an anti-inflammatory medication used to prevent asthma attacks.

For many children without a nebulizer, using a metered dose inhaler with a spacer and mask, can be just as effective as a nebulized treatment. Still, younger children under age 5, those that have trouble using an inhaler and children with severe asthma may benefit from having a nebulizer to use at home.

Here are tips for using your nebulizer correctly:

* Always use clean equipment.
* Assemble the air source, nebulizer and tubing per the manufacturers instructions.
* Measure the medications and place them in the nebulizer (remember that ml and cc are the same). Measure your child's dose of Albuterol with 2cc of Bronchosaline or with an ampule of Intal if it has also been prescribed.
* Turn on the nebulizer and hold it close to your child's nose and mouth (or you can use a mask and strap it in place). Older children can use a mouthpiece that is held in their mouth with their lips closed, as long as they only breathe through their mouth (or consider using a nose clip).
* Teach your child to take long, slow, deep breaths during the treatment (and hold his breath for a few seconds if possible).
* Continue the treatment until all of the medicine is gone from he measuring cup. Most treatments last about 10 minutes.
* Turn off the nebulizer and clean your equipment when the treatment is finished per the manufacturers instructions, including rinsing the mask, mouthpiece and T-shaped part (but not the tubing) in warm water, allow it to air dry and then store everything properly.

Important Reminders

* Use your medications as directed by your Pediatrician. Do not change the medication's dosage or stop using a medication unless instructed to do so by your Pediatrician.
* If your nebulizer breaks, get a replacement as soon as possible, and before your child needs another treatment.
* Always have medication for your nebulizer on hand. Call in advance for refills.



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NEBULIZER: another way to cure for Pediatric Asthma

A nebulizer, also known as an atomizer, is a machine that vaporizes liquid medication into a fine mist to be inhaled into the lungs via a mouthpiece or mask. A nebulizer is used to administer medication primarily for those with asthma, but also for those with cystic fibrosis or other respiratory illnesses. Although studies have shown that both inhalers and nebulizers tend to be equally effective in delivering medications, nebulizers are preferred for use in more serious rescue situations when one is experiencing a severe asthma attack. Nebulizers can administer a higher dosage of medication, but inhalers are easier to use, preferred for their portability and low cost and good for everyday use.

Nebulizers can vary greatly in size and can run on either electricity or battery power. It consists of a compressor that pumps oxygen through plastic tubing into a cup that holds the liquid medication. Once the oxygen mixes with the liquid, it is delivered in vaporized form through the mouthpiece or facemask to the lungs.

Under normal circumstances, it should take about five to fifteen minutes to complete the nebulizer treatment. However, if a child taking the medication is uncooperative or crying, the treatment may take longer or the effectiveness of the dose may be reduced. A face mask may also need to be used for the elderly or for those unable to use an inhaler themselves.

Medications used in a nebulizer usually include Albuterol, which is a bronchodilator, as well as Atrovent, which is also known as ipratropium bromide. In order to use a nebulizer, a child must have some degree of coordination and be able to cooperate in order for the medicine to be delivered effectively. One of the benefits of using a facemask with a nebulizer is that an infant or elderly person can passively receive the medication when the mask is strapped on and he or she is sitting quietly.

In the case of an emergency involving a power outage, or when a patient needs a nebulizer treatment on the road, there are some nebulizers available on the market with batteries or cigarette lighter adapters. As with any piece of medical equipment, a nebulizer should be sanitized after each use per manufacturer’s instructions.



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Rising Heat, Humidity Raise Risk of Asthma Flares

Although many parents already know that changes in the weather can cause their children's asthma symptoms to flare up, a new study backs up their intuition.

If the humidity levels in the air rose by more than 10 percent or if the temperature increased by more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit in a single day, more children ended up in the emergency department of a Detroit hospital reporting asthma symptoms, the new research found.

"Parents need to be mindful of days when there are dramatic changes in temperature or humidity. A child's asthma may flare more on those days," said study senior author Dr. Alan Baptist, director of the University of Michigan asthma program, in Ann Arbor.

The findings were published in the September issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

As many as 9 million children in the United States have asthma, according to the background information in the study. There are numerous known triggers that can exacerbate the inflammatory airway disease, including viral infections, air pollution, exposure to tobacco smoke and airborne allergens, such as pollen, the study authors noted.

Baptist said that another asthma trigger reported by many parents is weather changes. While some past studies have looked at this phenomenon, Baptist and his colleagues pointed out that none of the previous studies controlled for air pollution and airborne allergens.

For the current study, the researchers reviewed data from two years of emergency department admissions for asthma at Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit. During the study time period -- Jan. 1, 2004 through Dec. 31, 2005 -- more than 25,000 youngsters between the ages of 1 and 18 were admitted for an asthma exacerbation, according to the study. That works out to about 35 children a day, according to Baptist.

The researchers then reviewed weather data for that time period, along with data on airborne allergens and air pollution. And, their statistical model was designed to control for these factors, Baptist added.

"A 10 percent increase in humidity two days before the admission day was associated with one additional visit to the emergency department," said Baptist. "For temperature, an interday change of 10 degrees one day before the admission resulted in two additional visits."

Although previous studies have found an association between barometric pressure and asthma symptoms, the current study found no link.

Asked why weather changes might affect asthma symptoms, Baptist said, "Asthma, at its core, is inflammation of the airways, and maybe these changes could be triggering more inflammation. But, it's really unknown why temperature and humidity changes exacerbate asthma, and it should be looked at further."

"This study brings up good discussion points, but I don't think this is going to be strong enough evidence to change practice," said Dr. Shean Aujla, a pediatric pulmonologist at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Aujla said that cold air is a known trigger for asthma, and confirmed that many parents say a change in weather triggers their children's asthma symptoms.

Until more research is done, she recommended focusing on each child's individual symptoms. "If your child is going outside to play and having persistent symptoms, they should use their albuterol inhaler whether or not it's humid," said Aujla.

And, she added, very few children need to stay inside because of their asthma and weather changes. "Unless a child has very severe asthma, I wouldn't say stay indoors," she said.



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When Allergies attack, Fight Back with Natural Remedies

According to the 2008 National Health Survey from the National Center for Health Statistics, it is estimated that about 19.6 million adult Americans suffer from hay fever, with 6.8m children also suffering. Even more, physicians state that more than 11 million office visits are by patients seeking relief from hay fever, which is also known as allergic rhinitis.

Symptoms of hay fever include itchy eyes, runny nose, congestion, and an endless amount of sneezing. All of these symptoms are caused by an overacting immune response to a variety of possible triggers, which include pollen from plants, dust, dust mites, airborne pollutants, mold, and pet dander.

Hay fever is marked by inflammation of mucous membranes in the eyes, throat, ears, sinuses, nose, and lungs. Although the development of inflammation in allergies is complex, one of the most influential factors is immunoglobulin E (IgE), which responds to protein allergens. Although there is a genetic component to susceptibility to allergic response to certain triggers, the focus of allergy relief is on the events that occur as a reaction.

Various natural products offer allergy relief by targeting the factors in allergy pathology. Similar to other areas of immune health, fruits and vegetables are suggested for the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that they provide. Vitamin C is a major antioxidant in the airway surface liquid of the lungs; therefore, it can severely impact allergies and asthma. Low levels of vitamin C have actually been associated with asthma in both adults and children. Also, low levels of vitamin E have been associated with asthma and other wheezing illnesses. Combining antioxidant ingredients also provides additional relief. Therefore, by combining vitamins C and E with the antioxidant NAC, pollen-induced airway inflammation is inhibited by blocking ragweed oxidases which cause oxidative stress and inflammation in the airways.

On its own, NAC reduces mucous viscosity and protects against lung tissue damage. According to scientists, lycopene may also be beneficial. As far as minerals are concerned, both magnesium and zinc have been proven to help. Quercetin has both antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties, allowing it to inhibit the release of histamine in nasal mucosa of allergic patients. Glucomannan was shown in a study to suppress allergy symptoms, while CLA reduces allergy symptoms such as sneezing.

One of the best natural remedies for allergies is comprised of botanicals such as licorice root, skullcap, pine bark extract, and butterbur. Licorice root offers anti-inflammatory activities along with aide in fighting IgE allergic reactions, while skullcap can restrict inflammatory cytokine production.
Pine bark extract blocks the release of allergy troublemakers in the body even better than a known pharmacological histamine inhibitor.

Similarly, butterbur has abilities in blocking histamine release by IgE-sensitized mast cells and relieving allergy symptoms as effectively as drugs without the drowsy side effects. Although allergies are widespread and disrupt the daily lives of many people, they strike one out of every four Americans, affecting six times more than cancer. The mechanisms of allergic reactions in the body, especially those in the upper respiratory system, are becoming more and more well-known.

Natural products are available that can help to address these mechanisms, along with the mediators that produce the inflammation and symptoms that allergies create. Natural vitamin supplements are available at your local or internet health food store.



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Changes in Weather May Trigger Child’s Asthma

Changes in humidity and temperature result in a increase in Emergency Department (ED) visits for pediatric asthma exacerbations according to a report published this month in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

“We found a strong relationship between temperature and humidity fluctuations with pediatric asthma exacerbations, but not barometric pressure,” said Nana A. Mireku, M.D., an allergist at Dallas Allergy Immunology in Dallas, formerly at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Mich. “To our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates these correlations after controlling for levels of airborne pollutants and common aeroallergens.

“Our study is also one of the few to examine the possibility that the weather one or two days before the asthma exacerbation may be as important as that on the day of admission, observing additional ED visits on these days,” she said.

According to the report, patients experiencing an asthma attack often complain that weather fluctuations are a major trigger. Authors note, “the latest National Institutes of Health guidelines list ‘change in weather’ as a possible precipitating factor for asthma, but do not cite any references for this opinion.”

The retrospective 2-year study was performed at a large urban hospital of 25,401 children visiting the ED for an pediatric asthma exacerbation. Data on climactic factors, pollutants and aeroallergens were collected daily. The relationship of daily or between-day changes in climactic factors and asthma ED visits was evaluated using time series analysis, controlling for seasonality, air pollution and aeroallergen exposure. The effects of climactic factors were evaluated on the day of admission and up to five days before admission.

A 10 percent daily increase in humidity on a day or two before admission was associated with approximately one additional ED visit for asthma. Between-day changes in humidity from two to three days prior to admission were also associated with more ED visits. Daily changes in temperature on the day of or the day before admission increased ED visits, with a 10°F increase being association with 1.8 additional visits.

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the lung airways that causes coughing, chest tightness, wheezing or shortness of breath. More than 22 million Americans have asthma, including 6.5 million under age 18.

"Pediatric Asthma is the most common chronic illness in childhood,” said allergist Richard G. Gower, M.D., president of ACAAI. “Allergists have always known that weather conditions such as extremely dry, wet or windy weather can affect asthma symptoms. This study further defines the role of temperature and humidity on children's asthma and confirms the importance of working with patients to identify the source of their symptoms and develop treatment plans that help prevent them.”


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Asthma May Start in the Womb

Children born in areas of heavy traffic areas could be at greater risk of developing asthma due to genetic changes brought on by pollution and acquired in the womb, a new study suggests.

In a study of umbilical cord blood from New York City children, researchers found a change in a gene called ACSL3 that is associated with prenatal exposure to chemical pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are byproducts of incomplete combustion from carbon-containing fuels, resulting in high levels in heavy-traffic areas.

Exposure to PAHs has previously been linked to diseases such as cancer and childhood asthma.

Researchers say this finding provides a potential clue for predicting environmentally related asthma in children — particularly those born to mothers who live in high-traffic areas like Northern Manhattan and South Bronx when pregnant.

The genetic alterations are called epigenetic changes, which may disrupt the normal functioning of genes by affecting their expression but do not cause structural changes or mutations in the genes.

"Our data support the concept that environmental exposures can interact with genes during key developmental periods to trigger disease onset later in life, and that tissues are being reprogrammed to become abnormal later," said Shuk-mei Ho, University of Cincinnati researcher and lead author of a paper on the results published in the Feb. 16 issue of the journal PLoS ONE.

http://www.livescience.com/common/media/video/player.php?videoRef=040907Staying_clean

Too Clean?

Just to confuse things, scientists also say a super-clean lifestyle can lead to more allergies in children.

The researchers analyzed umbilical cord white blood cell samples from 56 children for epigenetic alterations related to prenatal PAH exposure in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx. The mothers' exposure to PAHs was monitored during pregnancy using backpack air monitors.

The researchers found a significant association between changes in ACSL3 methylation — a gene expressed in the lung — and maternal PAH exposure. ACSL3 also was associated with a parental report of asthma symptoms in the children prior to age 5.

"This research is aimed at detecting early signs of asthma risk so that we can better prevent this chronic disease that affects as many as 25 percent of children in Northern Manhattan and elsewhere," said Frederica Perera, co-author on the paper from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

More research is needed to confirm the findings, the scientists said. If the study is confirmed, changes in the ACSL3 gene could serve as a novel biomarker for early diagnosis of pollution-related asthma.

"Understanding early predictors of asthma is an important area of investigation," said study team member Rachel Miller of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health. "because they represent potential clinical targets for intervention."


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Children with asthma more vulnerable to H1N1 virus

Secretary of Health Kathleen Sebelius met with students and their parents at Thurgood Marshall Elementary, one of 16 schools in Philadelphia that partners with the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN). The program works to help students better manage their asthma. She talked about the importance of education and creating healthy habits to avoid missing school.

"Nothing is more important than keeping our children healthy, in school and ready to learn as we start the new school year," said Dr. Floyd Malveaux, Executive Director of MCAN and former Dean of the College of Medicine at Howard University. "We applaud Secretary Sebelius for recognizing that staying healthy can be a challenge for students with asthma – a factor that is even further complicated with the possibility of being exposed to the H1N1 virus, which can increase the severity of asthma symptoms, leading to possible hospitalizations."

During the meeting, Secretary Sebelius highlighted the work of the Philadelphia MCAN project as a model for inner-city childhood asthma management. Launched in 2005, the Philadelphia MCAN project has improved asthma outcomes for children and reduced school absenteeism by using a community-based approach that integrates families, community agencies, schools and health care providers to implement scientifically proven asthma interventions.

The Philadelphia program brings hope into communities that shoulder a disproportionate share of the childhood asthma burden. Screening conducted with the Philadelphia MCAN project in partnership with The School District of Philadelphia found that one out of four students in the West, Southwest, Olney, Logan and Germantown communities – target communities for the program – have been diagnosed with asthma or have been admitted to the hospital for wheezing, compared to one out of ten nationwide. The Philadelphia program provides children with asthma and their families access to three key services: Community Asthma Prevention Program (CAPP) classes that educate parents, other caretakers and children with asthma; CAPP home visits where community health workers help families eliminate or control allergens and irritants within the home; and Health Promotion Council (HPC) Link Line services that connect families to asthma care coordinators.

"The unique structure of our program allows us to bring multiple stakeholders to the table to create a successful team that can get children to care and services for better long-term and immediate asthma management," said Dr. Michael Rosenthal of Thomas Jefferson University and co-lead investigator of the Philadelphia MCAN program. "By collaborating with specific schools to identify children that have asthma, the Philadelphia MCAN project has armed school nurses with essential information to assist students who are at higher risk for complications with H1N1 and seasonal flu virus, allowing them to be better prepared to manage these children at school."

Nationally, MCAN, a non-profit organization funded by the Merck Company Foundation, provides funding to four other local programs that target low-income, urban populations with high rates of pediatric asthma in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Puerto Rico. The goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs and use the findings to develop model programs that can be replicated and tailored in communities across the country.

"The Philadelphia MCAN program has shown that we can help children manage their asthma and that means improved quality of life, significantly fewer trips to the ER or stays in the hospital, and best of all, more days in school," said Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and co-lead investigator of the Philadelphia MCAN project. "Empowering caregivers and children with this knowledge has helped to greatly decrease the school days missed by children in Philadelphia, a segment of the nearly 13 million schools days missed each year by the millions of children nationwide that have been diagnosed with asthma."

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Dealing With Childhood Asthma

Asthma is a terrible disease, one that is hard enough to live with if you are an adult, but if you are a child it is especially traumatic. Childhood asthma can be so severe that it is practically debilitating, and can really take one’s childhood away from them. If your child has childhood asthma, also known as pediatric asthma, it is important that you make yourself as educated as you can on the disease and also that you watch and make sure that their symptoms do not worsen. If their symptoms ever do worsen and they start to have an asthma attack, they are going to need medical attention right away to treat the asthma. Symptoms would include anything from tightness in the chest and wheezing to coughing and shortness of breath. Keep in mind that these are not the only childhood asthma symptoms and that the asthma symptoms in children will vary from one to another.

Of course one of the most important issues on the subject of childhood asthma is management. There is no cure for the disease as of yet, but there are many effective treatments and remedies that you can use to keep the symptoms under control and help avoid the onset of attacks.

pWhen you are treating asthma in a child it will be much different than it would be in an adult. This is because children are much more susceptible to the effects of asthma, and also because their bodies are smaller and so therefore they are not able to use some of the treatments and remedies that are available to adults.

Combination therapy is the best option when it comes to keeping childhood asthma under control. This means using an inhaler that contains two or more medications rather than just one. Using inhaled corticosteroids only when needed may improve compliance which is likely to occur in patients with mild asthma who have infrequent symptoms.

Taking just one medication or another may help but for childhood asthma you want to avoid asthma attacks even more than you would in adults and so therefore using a combination of medications in the inhaler is going to be your best bet.

If your child has asthma, take every step that you can to become more informed and aware, and that you take every precaution possible to ensure that your child’s pediatric asthma stays under as best control as possible. Work as a team with your doctor to make sure that this happens.


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Natural Cure for Asthma

For people who have asthma, taking medication for a prolonged period of time could really aggravate the situation instead of make things better. It is a common experience for people with asthma that after taking certain medications for sometime, such medication will no longer be able to relieve them during an attack. If you are one of those people who have this kind of problem with your medication, it might be a good idea to start seeking for a natural cure for asthma.

Is there really a natural cure for asthma?

You may not believe it, but nature has the way of healing itself. There is a natural cure for asthma and many people who have tried it would really say that their condition did improve after sometime. The good news about natural cure for asthma is that it has a lasting effect without the ugly side effects that are closely associated with pharmaceutical drugs.

Speleotherapy as a Natural Cure for Asthma

In European countries, speleotherpy is very popular when it comes to a natural cure for asthma. Speleotherapy, which is otherwise known as climatotherapy, is the process of treating asthma by spending some time underground in subterranean caves about 2-3 hours a day for a period of 2-3 months. This practice is based on the belief that salt air is very potent when it comes to treating asthma.

Speleotherapy have been practiced in Eastern Europe for ages. In fact, this type of treatment is so old that this has been handed over from generation to generation and has been proven to be very effective. However, there is no concrete scientific explanation why such treatment could really help in treating asthma.

Aromatherapy as a Natural Cure for Asthma

Another popular natural cure for asthma is aromatherapy. There are a number of scents and oil, which you can use to produce the desired relaxing effect in aromatherapy. For people with asthma, the use of a rock salt crystal lamp has been proven to be quite beneficial. Not only will this rock salt crystal lamp calm the nerves of a person, it is said to relieve bronchial constrictions brought about by an asthma episode.

Purifying the Air You Breathe

You can help prevent asthma symptoms by identifying and avoiding your known asthma triggers. In fact, identifying and avoiding asthma triggers should be part of a detailed treatment plan to help successfully manage your asthma.

A natural way for preventing asthma attacks is to purify the air you breathe. Most asthma attacks are brought about allergic reactions to dusts and pollens that are suspended in the air. If you can minimize the existence of these asthma triggers by purifying the air you breath, you can effectively prevent asthma episodes.


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