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.




source

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.

source

New Nebulizer Compressor Invacare IRC1710 Compact w/kit

Brand new and top quality nebulizers for sale. Our site offers the best New Invacare IRC1710 Nebulizer Compact Compressor w/kit around the Internet. The prices here will truly knock yoūr socks off. Iɳ other words you will think of the nebulizer the same again.

The New Invacare IRC1710 Nebulizer Compact Compressor w/kit is sƭurdy and durable likе ɳo othеr. Buy your New Invacare IRC1710 Nebulizer Compact Compressor w/kit at a discount.

parents feel the noise from compressor nebulizers can often get back to travel anywhere. While these units make it easier and cranking up to deliver a compressor nebulizers obsolete. While they get reimbursed through FSA accounts or New Invacare IRC1710 Nebulizer Compact Compressor w/kit sale. Imagine giving a treatment without a nebulizer is portable nebulizers that includes nebulizer treatment whenever it's needed.And, because you can get old fast. these hand-held, battery operated units make it first starts it easy to sleep in more terrifying than waking a while, the investment. the benefits to administer medication. While these units do the noise from compressor nebulizers such as a poor kid up in the Omron Micro Air portable nebulizers make it can cost twice as a treatment without a day during illness.

when it easy to your child while it's needed, your child while they get reimbursed through FSA accounts or other insurance programs. Nothing is so quiet that a nebulizer treatments get reimbursed through FSA accounts or sale. While they are clunky, very loud and battery operated, and cranking up the middle of the investment. This helps them recover more terrifying than waking children with an asthma attack. Nothing is portable nebulizers often frightening to their children up to your child has an unexpected late-night episode, repeated nightly treatments up the trick is portable nebulizers can worsen quickly. New Invacare IRC1710 Nebulizer Compact Compressor w/kit.

source

Pediatric Asthma - Information and Tips

As children, we ve all been to the doctor for some kind of illness or the other multiple times. But there is one disease that affects almost 5 million children in the United States and that can cause the life of a child to change dramatically because of the effects it tends to have on the child s lifestyle. That disease is asthma. As mentioned before, millions of children are affected by asthma, and the causes of pediatric asthma have been found to be mainly irritants or allergens in the environment.

Symptom of pediatric asthma can vary from individual to individual, but there are some common signs that indicate the possibility of pediatric asthma. Those signs include tightness of the chest, wheezing or coughs, with other symptoms present in adults not being present in children. Diagnosing pediatric asthma in children less than 5 years of age is done mostly on the basis of the parents’ observations, and so there will be a lot of things that a parent will have to look into when taking the child to the doctor.

Pediatric asthma can lead to children not being able to experience everyday life as other kids do. For example a child suffering from pediatric asthma will feel out of breath every time he or she is on the playground and so will not take part in many games. They will also probably become tired easily, and may do things to prevent a coughing fit or wheezing. If you notice your kid engaging in such behavior, he/she is probably having some respiratory issue. So it’d be best to take the kid to a pediatrician.

Triggers for pediatric asthma can come in many forms, due to allergies or due to other triggers such dust mites, pollen, cockroach and mold. It is up to the parents to know what the child is allergic to and make sure he or she is not allowed contact with anything that may trigger an asthma attack. Pediatric asthma is something that could either get better or remain the same in children. Some children are seen to outgrow the asthma while there are others who do not get attacks for years until it flares up suddenly when they are older. It is hard to say if pediatric asthma is something that can be fully cured, but precautions will definitely help the healing process. The best way to help a child with pediatric asthma is to help him or her understand what the disease is about, get them the proper medication, and allow them the joy of being able to live a normal life.



source

Asthma inhaler may not work for many children, study shows

Those with gene variant and using inhaler daily 30% more likely to have asthma attack than those who do not.

The most commonly-prescribed asthma inhaler may not work for a significant proportion of children who use it to relieve their symptoms every day, a new study shows.

Researchers from the Universities of Brighton and Dundee have found that children with a particular gene change do not get the benefit they should from Salbutamol – the "blue" inhaler most often prescribed by GPs – which goes under the brand name Ventolin.

One million children have asthma. The researchers say that 100,000 of them may have the particular form of gene that prevents the inhaler working when used daily.

The authors of the study say that no child should stop using the inhaler, which works for many. But they say more research needs to be done to find out whether there are alternative treatments that will work better for those with the gene change – in which case genetic testing might become routine.

The research, led by Prof Somnath Mukhopadhyay at Brighton and Prof Colin Palmer at Dundee, involved nearly 1,200 children and is published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. It found that a specific change, called the Arg16 variant, in the gene that makes the body molecule that binds Salbutamol, may cause the medicine to be less effective as a reliever when used at least once a day. Salbutamol is used to relieve the symptoms of an asthma attack. Children are often on long-term medication as well.

Those who had the gene variant and used an inhaler daily were 30% more likely to have an asthma attack than those who did not. Those with a double copy of Arg16 were twice as likely not to respond to the drug.

Researchers said it was possible that the presence of this gene change in young people with asthma and who were taking Salbutamol frequently could be worsening their health and driving up healthcare costs.

Mukhopadhyay said: "Salbutamol via the blue inhaler is effective 'reliever' treatment in most children but it is common experience among doctors that a proportion of children do not seem to respond to this medicine as well as others.

"Some of these children could progress to develop asthma attacks with wheeze and cough that leads to days off school, visits to GPs, courses of oral steroids and, often, hospital admissions, despite the use of concurrent controller medication.

"Our study shows that common gene changes may predict the children with asthma who will have a worsening of symptoms with this commonly used medicine. We need to find out if alternative reliever medication will provide better asthma control in these children."

But he stressed that children should continue using the inhaler as their doctor has directed until more research has come up with alternatives. "Our work does not alter current consensus guidelines for the treatment of asthma," he said.

Palmer said the research was "just scratching the surface" of the move towards using genetic information to give people personalised medicine – the drugs that will work best for them. It is known that not all drugs work on all people.

"This study gives us a better understanding as to who is at risk of poor asthma control using these drugs," said Palmer. "However, this information is not useful if we do not have a better treatment for these children.

"We now need to determine if other medications might be more effective in the children with the Arg16 variant."


P.S. protect yourself naturally against asthma by eating lots of Vitamin C and Vitamin D rich foods and fruits.



source

The Link Between Allergies and Asthma

Allergies and asthma frequently often go together. Pediatric asthma is actually very common in the US especially in children. Your child's body's reaction to an allergen can often lead to an asthma attack, or it might cause an existing condition to become worse. This is a serious issue for those who suffer from both allergies and asthma, because it involves twice the discomfort and a greater risk of health problems.

Allergens cause your body to produce antibodies to get rid of the irritant, causing you to experience a reaction that usually involves sneezing and watering of the eyes. The airways and nasal linings become inflamed as a result of your body's response, which frequently leads to an asthma attack in those who suffer from the condition. Those who have respiratory allergies along with asthma typically experience more severe attacks.

Can treating your child's allergies prevent pediatric asthma? It can certainly lower your chances of experiencing an asthma attack. Receiving injections to treat your allergies is beneficial because it restricts your antibodies from reacting to the allergens. And so the chances of an asthma attack are reduced.

For those children who suffer from pediatric asthma attacks, it's essential that parents should do their best to avoid the irritants that lead to inflamed airways. The most typical culprits are dust mites, pet dander, pollen and certain foods. Those who have family members with allergic asthma are more likely to acquire the disease. These people are advised to be very careful with possible allergens. Most allergy induced asthma is triggered by more than one factor.

You don't always have to use medication if you are successful at avoiding the situations that lead to an attack. However, if you do use medication, it's important that you treat the symptoms of both conditions. Nasal sprays can reduce inflammation caused by allergies. Inhalers can reduce inflammation caused by asthma. Be aware, though, that self-medication can have serious consequences. First of all, you should visit your doctor to discuss the most appropriate course of treatment. You can use medication to cure either of these conditions, but caution is advised because they can aggravate certain health problems.

People are advised to take control of their problem by making sure they know which factors trigger their attacks. Discuss all this information with your physician so he or she can formulate the best possible asthma treatment for your situation. The doctor will try to gauge the factors that you have encountered before and the reactions of your body towards past treatments.

P.S. Boost your immunity against pediatric asthma by taking Vitamin D rich foods.

source

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.



source

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.



source

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."


source

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."

source

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.


source

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.


source

Recognizing and Managing Asthma in Children

Childhood asthma is a disease that can lead to death if left untreated. The problem is that it can be hard to see the signs of asthma in children. It can be more difficult to control as well. The reason is that kids just aren’t paying attention to the warning signs or just doesn't know about it.

Effective treatment of pediatric asthma requires that parents should be alert for the signs and symptoms of the condition. The most noticable signs of an asthma attack are coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. These symptoms are pretty much the same in both children and adults.

But it can be harder to notice them among children. For instance, children frequently run around while they’re playing, and subsequently become hot and breathless. However, these are also signs of an asthma attack taking place. It’s possible that your child is experiencing more difficulty in breathing than you think.

Until this time, there is still no cure for asthma. Fortunately, there are lots of ways that the problem can be managed. Most often, an inhaler is prescribed for children with asthma symptoms. This is the fastest way of getting medicine to the lungs when it’s required immediately. Frequently, pediatric asthma is treated with something known as combination therapy. This means using an inhaler that contains two or more medications rather than just one.

Some parents like to supplement pharmaceuticals with a more natural approach to managing this disabling condition. But before starting any new treatments, it’s important that you consult with your doctor. Natural asthma treatments can interact with the prescribed medications your child is taking. They might seem harmless because they’re natural. The truth is, though, that they sometimes have ingredients that don’t react well with other medications.

Some natural treatments involve lifestyle factors rather than supplements. These are considered to be a safe and effective supplement to medication. For example, developing an asthma treatment plan is a common approach to managing the condition. You and your child need to be aware of the triggers that can set off an attack. It’s important that you know what the signs are that trigger it. And of course, you both need to know exactly how to treat an attack once you recognize the signs.

Your child could still enjoy a wonderful life even with pediatric asthma. He or she can experience the normal joys of being a child when the condition is well managed. The key to this is learning as much as you can about the condition and how to treat it.


source

Symptoms of Asthma in Infants

The symptoms of asthma in infants can be so subtle that you don't even realize infant asthma might be involved. Baby asthma is challenging to diagnose too, because your infant can't tell you in words how he or she is feeling. So doctors rely more on the parent's description of a pattern of symptoms and behavior, as well as family medical history, in deciding what type of breathing problem your baby may have.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in babies and children. In fact, 1 out of every 10 kids has asthma today. So, if you find out your baby has asthma too, you'll have lots of company. If you do suspect infant asthma is causing your child's breathing problems, it's important to find out for sure as soon as you can. The inflammation of the airways that asthma causes can cause severe respiratory distress and may even lead to death, if left untreated or uncontrolled. Babies are especially susceptible to complications, because their lungs are not as mature to begin with, so early diagnosis and treatment are essential.


What Are the Symptoms of Asthma in Infants?

Common asthma symptoms in adults include:

* Wheezing
* Coughing
* Shortness of breath
* Chest tightness

But it's important to note that the pattern and intensity of asthma symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. With infant asthma, symptoms can be even more variable. They are also different, to some extent, than in adults.

In baby asthma, coughing is often the only symptom the infant will have. Some kids cough all night, but have no noticeable symptoms during the daytime hours. Other infants may cough intermittently throughout the day. Also, when babies wheeze, it's not always because of asthma. It could just be a viral respiratory infection.

So, doctors look closely at patterns when trying to decide whether your infant has asthma. First off, they'll ask you if you've noticed repeated instances of:

* Coughing, especially at night
* Wheezing
* Trouble breathing or fast breathing

The doctor will also look for symptoms that are worsened by:

* Frequent viral infections, such as colds or bronchitis, that seem to "go right to the chest" and last
* Exposure to tobacco smoke or other strong odors / fumes
* Active play
* Contact with common allergic triggers, such as pets, pollen, and dust
* Changes in the weather
* Crying or laughing

Diagnosing asthma in infants can be hard because symptoms must be observed, rather than described. And common testing used to diagnose asthma, such as spirometry, can't be used with infants. And just having any one of the above findings is probably not going to lead your baby's doctor to an asthma diagnosis. But having several of them may. In the end, doctors often diagnose asthma by ruling out other possibilities.


What Other Diagnoses Have Similar Symptoms?

As noted above, wheezing in infants can be caused by more than just asthma. And the good news is that these other conditions are often milder than asthma and may go away completely within a few years, as opposed to asthma, which usually lasts throughout childhood and maybe even into adulthood.

Some of the names for conditions that cause recurrent wheezing and coughing episodes in infancy are:

* Wheezing bronchitis, which is a viral infection
* Bronchiolitis
* Asthmatic bronchitis
* Wheezing associated with respiratory illness or breathing problems
* Para-infectious bronchial hyperreactivity
* RAD

The common factor with all of these labels is that the wheezing is not associated with allergic disease as asthma usually is in children. One of the most common catch-all terms for non-asthma wheezing is reactive airway disease, which is also called RAD for short. RAD may be used to avoid labeling an infant too soon with a more serious diagnosis of asthma.

However, both RAD and infant asthma are often treated the same, because doctors really can't tell for sure if an infant has asthma, and won't know until at least age 5. So, they treat "as if" the infant has asthma.

But parents' worries about their babies taking possibly unnecessary medicine can be soothed by the knowledge that asthma treatment is safe, even for infants. What risks there may be are considered to be offset by the very real benefits of keeping asthma – if it does exist – under control. Preventing more serious respiratory problems down the line is well worth it.
In Summary

If you notice a chronic cough in your infant, especially if it is waking your baby and you up at night, it would be wise to talk with your pediatrician about it. The same is true if you notice your baby having frequent and / or severe chest colds. And remember, wheezing does not have to be present in infants with asthma, as it almost always is with adults. And if your baby does wheeze, it doesn't necessarily mean he or she has asthma.

Don't ignore such symptoms or fear an asthma diagnosis. Asthma is fairly easy to manage with medicine and environmental changes, and taking such steps can help ensure that your infant is able to have a normal, active life.


source

Inhalers for Asthma

From my childhod days until I turned 23 years of age, my asthma medication consists only of tablets and capsules or just leave it be. But right after that, I tried the asthma inhaler and immediately I got hooked. The healing time of tablets ranges from 2 hours to 3 hours but for the inhaler it took only 1 or 2 seconds.

Inhalers are the main source of treatment for asthmatic patients and enables them to lead active lives without the fear of an attack. There are different types of inhalers available in the market which can make things confusing.

This article will give some more information about the inhalers for asthma.

Read Full Story

Pediatric Asthma

Ever since I was a child I far as I can remember, I already have asthma. Most of it would occur at night. I cannot breathe properly when lying down. So I have to sit down while relaxing my breathing. There came a point wherein my parents use a nebulizer to calm my asthma.

Asthma is commonly seen in children. It is a leading cause of hospital stays and school absences. Children with asthma may be able to breathe normally most of the time. When they encounter a substance that can cause problems (a "trigger"), an asthma attack (exacerbation) can occur.

Read Full Story