An interesting find recently in asthma news is the fact that asthma rates are on the rise in the United States. As of May 2011, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) shows that 24.6 million Americans are suffering from asthma and the number is projected to continue to rise. The CDC said that the number of people living with asthma in the U.S. grew by 4.3 million between 2001 and 2009. Scientists are still researching to find out why exactly this is the case. The efforts to go green by members of society and industries across the U.S. have decreased the carbon footprint, increasing air quality. Also, the government has enacted smoking bans to cut back on second hand smoke. Despite improvements in these two areas (known to trigger asthma symptoms) the numbers are still on the rise. According to this asthma news, with increasing numbers of those living with asthma in the U.S. will cause more deaths from the disease. The disease also increases the country’s health care costs by rates of billions of dollars. For now, doctors and the government want to better educate those suffering from asthma on how to live with and handle the symptoms. The long term effects of this type of education will be for people to live longer, healthier, and reduce some of the health costs. Small steps can be taken to cut back on asthma triggers, such as keeping the house clean and avoiding pollution as much as possible. Hopefully scientists and researchers can find a reason for the increasing rate, and manage the number of those affected.
Just how effective are hypoallergenic dogs inside the home? According to an article on sciencedaily.com, hypoallergenic dogs really don’t lower household allergen levels when compared to other dogs as advertised. The idea behind these types of dogs is that they shed less pet dander and fur along with producing less saliva. The scienedaily.com article goes on to explain that just by simply purchasing one of these dogs, the dog allergy symptoms will not completely disappear. For example, even a dog that is hairless and cannot shed fur can produce enough dander to trigger a reaction in a highly dog allergic person. The study that the article references found that the amount of dog allergens inside homes with hypoallergenic breeds of dogs were no different from homes with non-hypoallergenic breeds. One of the main issues with this type of dog, is that the classification of “non-hypoallergenic” dog breeds is very vague. Lists of these kind of dogs can be found on the internet and allergy magazines and differ according to opinions. There is no single “official” list of the breeds. Some on the list have very little hair and some hairless. The fact that the study shows is that all dogs do in fact produce saliva and shed dander. It’s just the amount of these substances can be less in certain breeds. Effectively, what the article is saying is that with no “official” list of the so called hypoallergenic breeds, there isn’t a way to prove they truly exist. I suppose people will still buy the hypoallergenic breeds for peace of mind.
I’ve been looking to learn about asthma products ever since someone close to me got diagnosed with the chronic condition. After doing some research online, I was encouraged to see that there are many products on the market that combat the symptoms and lead to healthier lifestyles for those affected. I have some basic information on some of these products but will continue to learn more about asthma products in the upcoming weeks. Here is some information about some of these asthma related products. Inhalers are hand-held portable devices that assist in delivering medication to asthma sufferers. Nebulizers are one of the types of inhalers. Basically these products administer medicine by turning the liquid medication into mist format. This mist is then inhaled by the person with asthma. Nebulizers are often used by children suffering from asthma symptoms. They come in a variety of different sizes and styles. Nebulizers can be more of a stationary machine used for home use or of the handheld variety that allow you to transport them easily. Metered dose inhalers have medicine stored in a pressurized canister that contains a propellant. Once activated, a fixed dose of medication is propelled into the user’s lungs. Spacers are another asthma product that are used with metered dose inhalers. The spacer is attached to the inhaler and allows the medication to mix with air before being inhaled. Spacers increase the amount of medication breathed in by the user. Peak flow meters can measure the capacity of the lungs breathing capability. These instruments are important because they can see when the lungs are performing properly and predict when a possible asthma attack may occur.
Occasionally, I like to catch up on asthma related news by reading online articles on asthma. I recently caught one from HealthDay News that discussed breast feeding and its relationship with asthma. New research suggests that babies that are breast fed for six months or more are less likely to develop asthma related symptoms in early childhood. Previous studies have shown a link between breast feeding and asthma related symptoms, however this one is different, as it provides a time limit of six months or more. Researchers in the Netherlands conducted tests and research on more than 5,000 children that were fed during their first year of life. The researchers kept research on each of the children until they turned four. The results they found were very interesting. Children who had never been breast-fed had an increased risk of wheezing, dry cough, shortness of breath, and high phlegm levels during first four years of life when compared to those children who were breast fed for their first six months of life. Also of note were those children that were not only breast fed but were also given other forms of milk or solids. These children were also more likely to develop common asthma symptoms such as cough, wheezing, and high phlegm levels. More research is needed to determine the relationship between breast feeding and developing asthma later in life. These results support current health policy trends that lead to exclusive breast feeding of infants for six months in industrialized countries.
One of the best ways to cope with asthma and it’s many symptoms is to educate yourself about the disorder. People who have asthma often have difficulty breathing due to airway restriction and inflammation. When an asthmatic’s lungs are exposed to an external agent known as an irritant, the bronchioles, or tiny air passageways in the lungs, contract. This contraction narrows the air passageway and makes it difficult for the person to breathe, causing the wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath typically associated with asthma. For additional asthma-related symptoms, look into the Wikipedia article entitled “Asthma” on Wikipedia.com. Common irritants include smoke, cold, exertion, pollution, allergens, scents, chemical fumes, viruses, bacteria, and specific medicines. The Wikipedia article contains more information on how asthma attacks occur and the different types of asthma. Those who contract asthma are predisposed to have the disease.
For a look at the many ideas that experts have about what causes asthma, check out the Wikipedia article for more information. Some factors that are typically associated with contracting asthma include having a family member with asthma, smoking mothers, low birth weight, high exposure to traffic fumes, specific respiratory infections during childhood, and little exposure to infections during early childhood. About half of children diagnosed with asthma “grow out of it” and display no symptoms later on in life. Although there is no cure for asthma, many treatment options are available to help control and minimize symptoms; see the Wikipedia article for more information on medications and other items that can help decrease the impact of asthma symptoms in day-to-day life.
Finding ways of understanding asthma is important for the prevention and treatment of asthma symptoms. Asthma is a chronic disease which makes breathing difficult. The main key to understanding asthma requires knowing how the lungs work. First, air travels through the windpipe (or trachea) and branches off into two bronchi that lead to the left and right lung. These branch off into increasingly smaller bronchioles in the lungs. When the bronchioles contract, airways become narrower. Asthmatics are predisposed to be more sensitive to irritants that cause the bronchioles to contract. The inner lining of the bronchi becomes inflamed during an asthma attack, which further restricts airway passages and causes the lining to create excess mucus.
Understanding that asthma attacks have two main causes (inflammation and irritation) is important to understanding asthma as a whole. These two reactions cause symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath in an asthmatic person. Some factors that are connected with contracting asthma include low birth weight, smoking mothers, parents who have asthma, certain respiratory infections, traffic fumes, and little exposure to infection during early childhood. Understanding asthma irritants, or external agents that can cause asthma symptoms, can help asthmatics avoid acute asthma attacks. Typical irritants include smoke, pollution, cold, exertion, and scents. Other irritants could be allergens such as pollen, dust, animal hair, mold, and other types of food. Viruses, bacteria, chemical fumes, and specific medicines such as aspirin and other drugs may also cause an asthma attack. Although a cure for asthma does not yet exist, it is possible to treat asthma effectively so it interferes little with daily life. Discuss treatment options with a doctor and remember that understanding asthma is key to preventing and treating symptoms.
I needed to learn about asthma and I was excited to find the articles and information I needed online. I was looking for ways to help my little brother deal with his asthma symptoms and found a great deal of information available online for anyone needing to learn about asthma. On one site I was able to find several products that help minimize my younger brother’s symptoms, like air cleaners, bed covers, and hypoallergenic cleaning products. I thought that inhalers were the only real solution to helping with asthma, but the more that I learn about asthma, the more I realize there are other items that can help make my brother’s life easier. They have hypoallergenic bedding and other hypoallergenic products, sinus treatments, pet allergy controls, hypoallergenic bath and body products, disinfecting items, and more. The only treatment items I think they don’t sell are inhalers, which is somewhat disappointing because they can save lives.
I found, in particular, the online articles very helpful. They help visitors learn about asthma, allergies, and other common health conditions. One website was truly a one stop shop when it comes to everything asthma related. Everything could be found on one site: visitors could learn about asthma, find treatment options and products, and find inhaler reviews to help them choose a life-saving inhaler. The site is full of great information to help you learn about asthma, allergies and other everyday conditions and provides products to help keep them under control. I recommend checking out online sources and finding the right solutions for you and your loved ones.
