Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America - A Great Site With Free Stuff

In my many Internet cruises, I re stumbled upon a site I am sure I had previously visited before. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America is a great resource, not just for asthma, but also for food allergy information and free downloads. http://www.aafa.org/index.cfm

They have some absolutely wonderful educational material many of which are available in both English and Spanish. They have lots of general information on all your basic food allergies, including a section on the American with Disabilities Act. http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=20&cont=280

It is a great site to look around on your own, and see what is useful for your own particular situation. Some of the really cool (and free) things I found are:

http://www.aafa.org/pdfs/asthmaactioncardchildcare.pdf

This is a combination asthma/allergy/anaphalyxis action plan. Although it does not have all the cool colors I love on an emergency action plan, it is the first plan I have really seen that addresses both asthma and anaphalyxis to food allergies on the same action plan.

http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=4&sub=82&cont=396

They have some great free downloads including 5×7 Cards that have all sorts of useful information. QuickAllergy Cards offer a fast way for you to learn life-saving information. “Your Epi-Pen® – Storage, Usage and Disposal” and “Allergy Emergencies – Is This Anaphylaxis?” are heavy-duty, 5”X 7” cards that are ready for you to personalize and tuck in your purse, briefcase or backpack. There are also great cards for asthma and related emergencies.

I love finding free stuff!!

How is asthma treated?

childhood asthma in india need for modifying GINA guidelines for INDIA

http://drpeds.blogspot.com/ http://funnytrivias.blogspot.com/ Dr Kondekar Santosh venketraman is a MD pediatrician at seth GS medical college and KEM HOSPITAL MUMBAI INDIA

ASTHMA : FACTS, CAUSES, TREATMENT & PREVENTION

The prevalence of asthma worldwide is around 200 million with a mortality of around 0.2 million per year according to a consensus statement developed under the World Health Organisation – Government of India Collaborative Programme (2004-2005). Though the prevalence is more in the developed countries, the developing countries have a higher total burden of the disease due to differences in population. In India, the estimated burden of asthma is believed to be more than 15 million.

Facts about Asthma
The most common chronic disease among children, it currently affects 235 million people.
Symptoms may occur several times in a day or week in affected individuals.
Failure to recognise and avoid triggers that lead to a tightened airway can be life threatening and may result in an asthma attack, respiratory distress and even death.
Through appropriate treatment the number of asthma related deaths can be reduced.
The strongest risk factors for developing asthma are exposure to indoor allergens such as house dust mites in bedding, carpets and stuffed furniture; pollution and pet dander; outdoor allergens such as pollens and moulds; tobacco smoke and chemical irritants in the workplace.
Asthma triggers can include cold air, extreme emotional arousal such as anger or fear, and physical exercise.

Alternative treatments for Asthma
Asthma sufferers may lessen their need for chemical treatments prescription medications (steroids) and inhalers through lifestyle and dietary changes and nutritional supplements.
Avoid exposure to cigarette smoke, indoor and outdoor pollution, and common allergens such as dust.
Avoid food additives and processed foods. The diet should emphasise whole, organic foods as much as possible. Avoid artificial food additives, flavourings, and sweeteners; fried foods; and pork.
Avoid nitrates/nitrites and sulphites. Many asthma patients are sensitive to these substances and should avoid foods containing such additives. This may include deli meats and cheeses, hot dogs, bacon, wine and beer.
Include a balance of aerobic exercise, resistance training, and stretching or yoga in your workout routine. Try to avoid exercising in cold, dry air, and always warm up with at least 10 minutes of lower-intensity exercise.
Supplement with Omega-3s. Fish oil and flaxseed oil, both excellent sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, may help decrease inflammation.
Get plenty of antioxidants through diet or supplements. They decrease free radical activity, which tends to stimulate inflammation.

Step-Up Therapy Improves Asthma Control in Children

From Medscape Medical News
Deborah Brauser

March 3, 2010 (New Orleans, Louisiana) — Children with asthma who continue to have symptoms while using low-dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) can benefit from “stepping up” treatment by increasing the dosage or adding either a long-acting beta agonist (LABA) or a leukotriene-receptor antagonist (LTRA), according to a new triple-crossover randomized study called BADGER (Best Add-On Therapy Giving Effective Responses).

In fact, 98% of the study participants showed a significant improvement in asthma control after the addition of at least 1 of these options, according to research presented here at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) 2010Annual Meeting and published online simultaneously in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Although the overall best response was achieved by adding a LABA, many of the children had a best response with one of the other step-up treatments, “highlighting the need to regularly monitor and appropriately adjust each child’s asthma therapy,”

He added that factors such as baseline Asthma Control Test (ACT) score, the absence of eczema, and race might also help clinicians to “better predict which of the 3 treatment options will help a patient the most.”

Past Step-Up Evidence Lacking

Although clinicians usually agree on treatments going from step 1 (intermittent asthma) to step 2 (persistent), the few studies that have been conducted on how to best treat children whose asthma is poorly controlled while receiving low-dose ICS have shown inconsistent results, reported Dr. Lemanske.

“The evidence to guide step-up therapy is lacking,” he told Medscape Allergy and Clinical Immunology. “So we wanted to answer the question: What is the best way to go from step 2 to step 3?”

Researchers from 5 centers (in 4 states), making up the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute–funded Childhood Asthma Research and Education Network, worked on the BADGER trial.

They sought to conduct a comparison study to establish not only which step-up therapy was best, but also “whether there are phenotypic or genotypic characteristics that can be used to predict whether a child will have a better response to one particular treatment than to another.”

A total of 498 children between the ages of 6 and 17 years with mild to moderate asthma were enrolled between March 2007 and July 2008, with 157 (65.4% male; mean age, 10.8 years) receiving each of the 3 step-up treatments in random order for 16 weeks each.

These treatments were the standard low-dose ICS (100 µg of fluticasone twice daily) plus either the LABA salmeterol (50 µg twice daily) or the LTRA montelukast (5 or 10 mg daily), or 2.5 times the standard ICS dose (250 µg fluticasone twice daily) only. Each patient also received a metered-dose inhaler of albuterol and prednisone.

At the end of each 16-week period, the number of days that the asthma symptoms were under control, lung function, and the number of exacerbations and attacks were measured before the patient moved on to the next treatment option.

Methods used included the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, the ACT (with scores from 0 to 27), spirometry tests, and patient- or guardian-recorded diary entries.

A Place for All 3 Therapies

The results, concentrating on the 165 patients who completed at least 2 study periods, showed that “although our goal was for 25% of the patients to see a difference in their asthma symptoms after using at least 1 of the treatments, we were surprised to see that 161 showed substantial improvement [P

The best response was shown in almost 40% of the patients by adding the LABA, in 30% by adding the LTRA, and in 28% by increasing the dose of ICS.

Using rank-ordered logistic regression, the predicted response to the LABA addition was significantly better than to the addition of the LTRA (relative probability [RP], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 – 2.3; P = 0.004) and the ICS step-up (RP, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2 – 2.4; P = .002).

“In other words, the LABA was more than one and a half times as likely to produce the best response,” explained Dr. Lemanske.

“All 3 therapies clearly have a place in the management of kids with persistent asthma not well controlled on low-dose [ICS] alone,” said investigational team member Leonard B. Bacharier, MD, from the Department of Pediatrics at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, in a press release. “Statistically, LABA therapy was most likely to help the most patients, but it’s hard to look at an individual patient and know which one to choose.”

Significant predictor factors included ACT score, eczema, and race.
LABA treatment was the best add-on therapy for patients with an ACT score greater than 19 (P = .009). However, “if it was 19 or under, there was no difference among the therapies in producing a differential response,” reported Dr. Bacharier.

Although patients who had eczema did well on any of the 3 treatments, those who did not have eczema did better on the LABA.

The LABA was also most likely to give the best response in whites. The LABA and higher-dose ICS were equally likely to show the best response in African Americans, whereas the LTRA was least likely.

Factors that were not found to be significantly predictive of a drug’s effectiveness included age, sex, allergies, bronchodilator response or reversibility, and number of recent exacerbations.

Dr. Lemanske said that although he was disappointed to not find more predictors, “we’re not done analyzing and still have lots of genotyping to do.”

A Ceiling Effect for Low-Dose ICS

“Overall, our findings suggest that there is a ceiling effect of low-dose [ICS] in many, though not all, children, and that the addition of a different class of medication is often required to achieve improvements in asthma control,” said Dr. Lemanske. “The important take-home message is that if you choose something at step 3 and you’re not happy with it, based on the control, instead of pushing it up to step 4, look to one of these other treatments.”

He noted, however, that none of the study treatments provided perfect asthma control, and that there were still 120 asthma exacerbations or attacks among the patients who required rescue medication with prednisone. “We obviously still need to do more work.”

When asked about the recent mandates of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the need to lower the use of LABAs in patients with controlled asthma, Dr. Lemanske said that that was like comparing apples and oranges.

“The FDA was talking about step-down treatment, and our study was on step-up therapy for patients who did not have control of their asthma. Also, BADGER was an efficacy trial and we were not powered to look at safety outcomes. The duration of our trial and the size of our sample precluded statements regarding long-term risks.”

In the journal article, the authors write that “clinicians who prescribe LABAs (never to be used as monotherapy) in combination with [ICS] should continue to evaluate risk-benefit ratios.”

N Engl J Med. Published online March 2, 2010.

Cough Variant asthma - all you need to know and exciting news

Cancer solution site

Cough-variant asthma is a type of asthma in which dry cough is the most common and may even be the only symptom. This cough is non-productive, meaning that it does not any mucus and it lasts for several days at a time. The cough is easily triggered or aggravated by different asthma triggering factors, such as:

ExerciseAllergens vigorous or irritants, such as the cold air, dust, strong odours smokeRespiratory infections (such as sinusitis, which is an inflammation of the sinuses) beta-blockers, which are drugs used to treat various heart problems, migraine headaches and other conditions; and can be found in a few drops to the eyes (prescribed for glaucoma)

Cough-variant asthma is a type of asthma and in time, it may bring other symptoms of asthma, shortness of breath and wheezing. This type of asthma can be difficult to diagnose, seeing that the cough is the only sign. Some tests may be used, including spirometry (measure of the amount of air in the lungs from a spirometer) and methacholine challenge test (spirometry was not conclusive, used to demonstrate bronchial hyper responsiveness). Treatment may be another way to ensure that asthma of cough is the type of this asthma.

Treatment of cough variant asthma

Treatment of cough variant asthma is not very different from the other type of asthma treatments. Treatment can consist of:

Inhalers (or bronchodialators) such as albuterol for daily Useantie-inflammatory therapy: corticosteroid inhalers or if the situation does improve, oral steroids may also prescribe (prednisone oral or Zafirlukast in some cases)

Cough variant asthma can be greatly improved with these treatments, the changes can be seen everywhere from one to eight weeks. If the processing was not successful, it may be the case of different diseases, such as sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses), gastro-esophageal reflux disease (or GERD, a type of digestive disorders), whereas the similar symptoms. Correct diagnosis of this type of asthma is very important, because it can lead to a development of classical asthma. Wheezing in cough variant asthma may be present, but it is usually not as audible as in the classical case of asthma.

Variant of coughing asthma symptoms are worse in the morning. There is no cure for this condition. Treatment and preventive measures can help to significantly improve the quality of life. Make sure to pay attention to your asthma triggers and talk to your doctor if you experience symptoms.

It is difficult for people with asthma, since this disease changes everything. But some recent developments in the field of research on asthma are offering hope that this disease will be finally completely solvable. The new treatment protocol is known as the Norton Protocol and is designed around the autoimmune aspects of asthma.

You can visit the official homepage of the Norton Protocol and learn more about the asthma of cough.

Gwen Simmons is a consultant in nutrition and health and another researcher medical. Born and lived in Ottawa her life, she has developed and interests in the field of health and welfare at the age of 28 when his mother died of cancer.

It is now a consultant to leading health and nutrition, specialized expertise in alternative medicine research. It has a small practice of Charleswood, Ottawa. Recreation – yoga.

view more cancer tips : astma solution site

Asthma UK Loch to Loch day 2

I woke on Sunday morning, feeling surprisingly good. The temperature hadn’t dropped too much over night so it was quite comfortable in the tent, and sleeping on the ground seemed to have helped stretch out tired muscles. There was an option of a sports massage the previous night, but I don’t think I could handle one. I am so ticklish I even laugh when I put my socks on!!
I was a little concerned when I put my head out of the tent at the amount of people wearing mosquito net hats around the camp, but soon became jealous of them as the little blighter’s sought out fresh blood. A quick spray of repellent, which seemed to effect the others in the tent more than the midges, helped to get across the field to the main tent for breakfast. The food was once again fantastic, and there was plenty of it. I chose to have a sausage and bacon butty, and a bowl of authentic Scottish porridge (with salt YUK!)

After breakfast we got ready for the days ride, and I took advantage of the free mechanic service, and added a little lube to the chain, as the previous days rain had done a good job of removing any signs of lubrication! We were optimistic that the rain would hold off for a while, which it did, well for about 15 minutes! As we lined up to leave the camp site I felt a little rain in the air, so I decided to put on my Rain coat. This was a god idea, as we turned out of the road from the camp and turned to head north to Kilmartin the heavens opened again and the Sportful Hot pack was put to the test again, and it didn’t let me down. I did however get wet feet as it didn’t seem worth putting wet overshoes on. We tackled the first climb of the day and were treated to a fast sweeping descent to the coast and then as the rain had stopped and the sky cleared  I was able to stop and take some scenic pictures!

Salmon Farm at Kames Bay

I even managed a smile for the Official Photographer!

The first stop of the day was just before Kilmelford and we were treated to some more great cake! I think I will need to go on another diet to compensate for all the chocolate goodness!

Ken and I ready to burn some post cake calories

From the cake stop we rode on towards our northerly destination, again surrounded by stunning scenery.

The lunch stop was at Kilmore, and this time we were offered some more gourmet sandwiches, I chose Duck in hoisin sauce! really tasty and probably the last thing you would expect on a bike ride.

Loch Nell

The next part of the ride was similar to some of the Welsh lanes we ride in. It was a single track with some steep inclines. The view at the top of the road was stunning, once you got past the grumpy looking bull stood at the top of the climb!

On the descent one of the group hit a large pot hole and cracked his frame. A real blow to his trip, but credit to him, he waited for the support vehicle, took the pedals off his bike and fitted them to a spare (hybrid bike) and completed the ride! To add insult to injury, Warren had been the fastest finisher the day before!!

We skirted behind Oban and then started following the Sustrans number 78 route. For the majority of the route we followed, the surface was better than the road, and obviously there was no threat from traffic. There were times when I think I would have been faster on the road, and maybe safer, as there were some leaves and moss on the path under the trees, and a couple of the group did fall on slippery bridges.

We had been told that there was a surprise stop in the afternoon, and as we had suspected, David was waiting in a lay by 15 miles from the finish with his now infamous Cheese Board. A luck tourist cyclist happened to be passing and was welcomed to join us in a little al fresco dining!

Wild Fox Events vehicle of choice to carry the Cheese Board!

The view across Loch Linnhe was stunning as the sun began to break from behind the cloud.

We followed the cycle path for a little longer,and as you can see from the photo below, the surface was great in places.

After a little detour due to a collapsed bridge on the path we made the final descent to the banks of Loch Leven, and it was all over! I couldn’t really believe it was finished. We received our medals and champagne from the Asthma UK team, and then started thinking about getting ready for he return journey to Balloch.

The journey had been great, the company was fantastic and the organisation was brilliant. There was a real sense of achievement within the group, from the seasoned riders to the first time adventurers, everyone had worked together either on the road, or at the stops to encourage each other on and motivate tired legs and bodies.

The Bikes were loaded onto the van for the return journey, Ken and I made sure they understood how important the bikes are to us and what may happen if there was any damage in transit. But true to the form they had set over the weekend the team delivered our bikes back to Balloch safe and sound. 

The location of the finish was stunning, surrounded by high hills and right at the end of the Loch. a fitting place to share our stories from the previous two days.

As we drove through Glencoe and headed south Ken and I discussed that we could have stayed for a night at the hotel where we finished, and then ride back to Balloch. It sounded like a good plan, but these things always do in principle!

We arrived in Balloch just ahead of the bikes, but we were met by Mrs Palefish’s Cousin who lives near Stirling. It was nice to see a friendly face and have someone to share our exploits with over a fish and chip tea!

After a good nights sleep and a hearty breakfast we loaded the car and headed back down south.

I hope that Asthma UK decide to do another event like this next year as it was by far the best delivered event I have taken part in so far.

Please consider sponsoring me, as that was the point of taking on the challenge: http://www.justgiving.com/palefishbikes and thank you so much to every one who has sponsored me so far.

Day 2 Route: http://app.strava.com/rides/20694180

For the official photos from Wild Fox for the weekend please follow this LINK

I have asthma!!

I have asthma! Mummy is very heartbroken….she felt that she had did the wrong move by enrolling me into childcare too early.

These few weeks were really tough on my parents, especially mummy.
I woke up almost every 3-4hrs at night cos i couldn’t breath properly.
My flu and cough kept coming back… for these 3 months, Daddy had already spent almost $ 1k/- on my medical bills.

See…me on my mask!!

Mummy had a hard time convincing me to put on this!

Me on my nebuliser….Mummy say she’s heartbroken whenever she see me using this!

Passive Smoke increase Asthma in children

From Medscape Education Clinical Briefs

Passive Smoke Exposure Associated With Wheeze, Asthma in Children 

News Author: Troy Brown
CME Author: Charles P. Vega, MD

 03/21/2012

CLINICAL CONTEXT

Secondhand smoke exposure has a profound effect on the risks for morbidity and mortality worldwide, according to a study by Oberg and colleagues published in the January 8, 2011, issue of the Lancet. They note that the largest proportion of the nonsmoking population exposed to secondhand smoke is children. Overall, approximately 1% of worldwide mortality may be the result of secondhand smoke, with ischemic heart disease accounting for most deaths. Similarly, approximately 0.7% of worldwide disability is caused by secondhand smoke, with most of this burden borne by children. Lower respiratory tract infections among children younger than 5 years account for the largest proportion of all disabilities related to secondhand smoke exposure.

New research has provided better data regarding the relationship between prenatal and passive smoke exposure and the risks for incident asthma and wheeze among children. The current systematic review and meta-analysis by Burke and colleagues provides an accurate assessment of these risks.

STUDY SYNOPSIS AND PERSPECTIVE

Children who are exposed to tobacco smoke prenatally or in their home after birth are at least 20% more likely to have wheezing episodes or develop asthma. The magnitude of the risks is higher than seen in previous estimates, according to a meta-analysis published online March 19 in Pediatrics.

Hannah Burke, BMBS, from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 71 prospective epidemiologic studies that examined the association between passive smoke exposure and the incidence of pediatric wheeze and asthma.

After conducting an extensive literature search that included Medline, Embase, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, as well as conference abstracts, they identified and screened 5074 articles, yielding 70 articles with a total of 71 studies.

“We included all prospective epidemiologic studies assessing the association between passive smoke exposure and incidence of asthma or wheeze in children or young people up to the age of 18 years in which participants were free of disease (asthma or wheeze) at the start of the study and passive smoke exposure was documented at a time point before the incidence of disease was determined,” the authors write.

The researchers analyzed the effects of 4 different types of smoke exposure on the development of wheezing and asthma: prenatal maternal smoking, maternal smoking, paternal smoking, and household smoke exposure.

Prenatal Maternal Smoking

Prenatal maternal smoke exposure was associated with a 40% increase in risk for wheeze in children aged 2 years or younger (odds ratio [OR], 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20 – 1.67; I², 82.5%; 14 studies). Results were similar for children aged 3 to 4 years (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.14 – 1.44; I², 65.5%; 8 studies). This exposure also was associated with a 52% increased risk of wheezing in children aged 5 to 18 years (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.23 – 1.87; I², 21.1%; 5 studies).

In addition, prenatal smoke exposure was associated with an increased risk for asthma; this risk was highest in children aged 2 years or younger (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.35 – 2.53; I², 41.9%; 5 studies).

Risks declined progressively with age, but children aged 5 to 18 years still had an increased risk of developing asthma (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.12 – 1.36; I², 50%; 11 studies).

Maternal Smoking

Postnatal maternal smoke exposure was associated with an increased risk for wheezing episode in children aged 2 years or younger (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.24 – 2.35; I², 0.0%; 4 studies), in children aged 3 to 4 years (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.20 – 2.28; I², 48.5%; 4 studies), and in children aged 5 to 18 years (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.99 – 1.40; I², 1.4%; 3 studies).

Postnatal maternal smoke exposure was not associated with increased risk for asthma in children aged 4 years or younger, but there was a borderline association for children 5 to 18 years of age (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.98 – 1.46; P = .08; I², 65.3%; 8 studies).

Paternal Smoking

There were limited data on paternal smoking, with only 2 studies available for analysis of risk of wheezing in children 5 to 18 years of age (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.05 – 1.85; I², 0%; 2 studies).

No studies had data on the association between paternal smoke exposure and the risk for asthma in children 2 years of age of younger, and there was only 1 study with data on children 3 to 4 years of age. That study showed a significant effect of paternal smoking (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.23 – 1.46).

There was no association between paternal smoke exposure and development of asthma in children aged 5 to 18 years (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.71 – 1.36; I², 0%; 4 studies).

Household Smoke Exposure

Exposure to household smoke was associated with an increased risk of wheezing in children aged 2 years or younger (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.10 – 1.64; I², 64.5%; 9 studies).

Household smoke exposure was not associated with an increased risk of wheezing in children aged 3 to 4 years (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.88 – 1.27; I², 54.5%; 4 studies), but it was associated with an increased risk of wheezing in children aged 5 to 18 years (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.12 – 1.56; I², 0%; 5 studies).

Exposure to household smoke was not associated with an increased risk for asthma in children 2 years of age or younger (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.94 – 1.38; I², 0.1%; 3 studies), but it was associated with an increased risk for asthma in children aged 3 to 4 years (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.00 – 1.47; I², 72.7%; 5 studies) and children aged 5 to 18 years (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.04 – 1.62; I², 37.7%; 5 studies).

Effects of Passive Smoke Higher Than Previous Estimates

“Our findings indicate that the effects of passive smoking on the incidence of wheeze and asthma are substantially higher than previously estimated, particularly for the effect of maternal postnatal smoking exposure,” the authors write.

The authors note that this systematic review and meta-analysis is the largest reported review of this subject to date.

“Exposure to passive smoking is an important risk factor for the incidence of wheeze and asthma throughout childhood…. [I]t is important to limit children’s exposure to passive smoke both during gestation and throughout the child’s life,” the authors write.

This study was supported by a project grant from Cancer Research UK and by core funding to the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies from the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, and the Department of Health, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Pediatrics. 2012;129:735-744.

STUDY HIGHLIGHTS

• Researchers identified prospective epidemiologic studies evaluating the relationship between passive smoke exposure and the incidence of new wheeze or asthma among children and adolescents. Studies published through February 2011 were included in the review.


• Studies included prenatal smoking exposure as well as passive smoke exposure during different stages of childhood.


• 180 studies received full-text review, and 70 articles were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The collective research was fairly evenly divided in the evaluation of childhood wheeze and asthma and in the assessment of the effects of prenatal and postnatal passive smoke exposure.


• The overall quality of the included studies was moderate. The main methodologic flaws in the research were a lack of objective measure of smoking and a lack of adjustment for confounding factors.


• Prenatal maternal smoking was associated with an OR for wheeze of 1.41 (95% CI, 1.20 – 1.67) among children at 2 years old or younger.


• The OR associated with prenatal maternal smoking for wheeze among children 3 to 4 years old was 1.28 (95% CI, 1.14 – 1.44). The respective OR for children 5 to 18 years old was 1.52 (95% CI, 1.23 – 1.87).


• The effect of postnatal maternal smoking increased the risk for wheeze among children 2 years or younger (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.24 – 2.35), children 3 to 4 years old (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.20 – 2.68), and children 5 to 18 years old (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.99 – 1.40).


• More limited data were available regarding the association between paternal smoking and wheeze, but paternal smoking did significantly increase the risk for wheeze among children 15 to 18 years old.


• The collection of data demonstrated a generally weaker association between passive smoke exposure and the risk for asthma vs passive smoke exposure and the risk for wheeze. The strongest type of passive smoke exposure promoting a higher risk for asthma was prenatal maternal smoking in children 2 years or younger (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.35 – 2.53).


• Other passive smoke exposures during childhood increased the risk for incident asthma by approximately 20%, and the sum of these results was statistically significant.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

• Overall, approximately 1% of worldwide mortality may be caused by secondhand smoke, with ischemic heart disease accounting for most deaths. Children are the largest proportion of the nonsmoking population exposed to secondhand smoke, and they bear the greatest burden of disability caused by secondhand smoke. Lower respiratory tract infections among children younger than 5 years account for the largest proportion of all disability related to secondhand smoke exposure.


• The current study by Burke and colleagues suggests that passive smoke exposure increases the risks for wheeze and asthma in children by at least 20%.

What happens during an asthma episode?

Usually, your airways allow air to flow through freely. People with asthma have inflamed airways that are very sensitive. Asthma triggers cause:

• -swollen airways


• -mucous to clog the airways


• -tightened muscles around the airways

This causes breathing to be more difficult and stressful.

Skin Asthma Diary: Pictures

 Her allergies as of  feb 24, 2012

It breaks my heart.

Top 5 Videos to Watch in Asthma Week

Hi, Guys! I’m Dr. Mella. Asthma Week in the Philippines is celebrated every August of each year. This year in 2013, it’ll be August 16-20 according to the Department of Health website. You can also check a copy of the Philippine health department website in my Health Calendar section.

Asthma is a chronic condition of the lungs where the airways are blocked by inflammation and mucus. It is likened to an allergic reaction confined only to the lungs. How come not everybody gets asthma? And why do people die from asthma? Why is there no cure? Those are the common questions asked to me a lot and there are a lot of materials on the web that can help shed light on these topics.

Top 5: Understanding Asthma

Babies given Calpol and other forms of paracetamol are more likely to develop asthma

Babies given Calpol and other forms of paracetamol are more likely to develop asthma before going to school, say researchers. More exposure to the drug resulted in a greater chance of developing the condition. The latest study from Denmark adds to mounting evidence of a link between the painkiller and asthma, with previous research into adults and babies suggesting its use increased the risk of the disease.

 

Babies given Calpol and other forms of paracetamol are more likely to develop asthma before going to school, say Danish researchers

Scientists believe paracetamol may cause changes in the body that leave children more vulnerable to inflammation and allergies. The study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology says paracetamol has not been proven to cause asthma. But senior researcher Hans Bisgaard, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Copenhagen, advised parents to only use the drug when needed, such as when a child has a fever. ‘We would like to stress that the use of this drug indeed is beneficial in the appropriate circumstances,’ he said.

The study included 336 children who were followed from birth to age seven. All had mothers with asthma, which put them at increased risk for the lung disease themselves. Overall, 19 per cent of the children had asthma-like symptoms by the age of three, meaning recurrent bouts of wheezing, breathlessness or coughing. Prof Bisgaard’s team found the risk generally went up the more often a child was given paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen in the first year of life.

Scientists believe paracetamol may cause changes in the body that leave children more vulnerable to inflammation and allergies

For each doubling in the number of days a baby received the drug, there was a 28 per cent increase in the risk of asthma symptoms. The link disappeared, though, by the time the children were seven years old. At that point 14 per cent of the children had asthma, and the risk was no greater for those given the drug as babies. Researchers said children with asthma tend to get more severe respiratory infections so may have been given more medication as a result.

One recent study found that children given other common pain medications, including ibuprofen and naproxen, also had an increased asthma risk. The researchers said that suggested children with asthma symptoms were simply more likely to need the medications. ‘We think it is too early to conclude a causal relationship, but the findings should encourage further research into a ‘plausible biological mechanism’. An international study, covering 300,000 teenagers in 50 countries, also found paracetamol users were more likely to suffer from the skin disorder eczema and allergic nasal conditions.


Source: Daily Mail UK  

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Skin Asthma Diary: Dermablend Colloidal Oatmeal Lotion

Dermablend Colloidal Oatmeal Lotion-Php155.00, Dermablend Oatmeal Soap -Php100.00

It’s been two days exactly since we stopped the glycerine combo and used Dermablend +Desowen+Iterax+Cetirizine products. And her allergies definitely improved. I’m torn between smashing the effin bottle off or drinking it since it’s my fault this worsened. 

Only issue I have with Dermablend is it’s so hard to find. I went to 2 different Mercury drugs, robinsons supermarket, and department store, nothing. Was able to find it tho in Mercury Drugs tutuban. I should have hoarded.

I hope this one works!

Chronic Lung Disease Often Mistaken Asthma

Chronic lung disease often mistaken for asthma

During this time, most people still difficult to distinguish between asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or also known as COPD.

This is according to Prof. Dr. Faisal Yoenoes SpP (K), from the Department of Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of Indonesia (Faculty of medicine) is caused because the symptoms caused almost the same.

“Sometimes people confuse asthma and COPD. If asthma that typically occurs at a young age and worsened at night. If nighttime increasingly congested, more and more frequent asthma coughing it,” he said during the show Socialization Public Discussion Non-Communicable Diseases, Monday, (15/08/2011) and then, in Jakarta.

While COPD is generally experienced at the age of about 45 years and no history of disease or illness in the family. The biggest risk factor for smoking and air pollution.

Early symptoms such as cough with phlegm in the morning to watch as a sign of COPD. Moreover, in people with COPD will experience shortness of breath during walking. Thus, if the person is running slower than people his age, there is the possibility of suffering from COPD.

“The symptoms, cough, shortness of breath, grew worse, so similar to asthma. During this time, people know only asthma alone. Better check your lung function obstruction what already exists or not. If you already have, then COPD,” he said.

He also added, for the treatment of people with COPD are not much different with asthma. But the difference is, asthma may disappear with age, whereas COPD can not be cured completely and will continue to deteriorate with age.

Faisal added that so far no exact data on the number of COPD cases in Indonesia. In the near future, about September 2011, Faisal said, Balitbangkes Ministry of Health will conduct the survey together with the Faculty of Medicine to investigate cases of COPD.

“Then we’ll know how much. The survey itself will we do for three months, hopefully at the end of the year we have a number of COPD in Indonesia,” he explained.

To find out if someone is at risk of suffering from COPD or not, can be easily determined by taking into account Brinkman index. Someone said to be at risk of developing COPD if the index is above 200.

“The trick, the number of cigarettes per day multiplied by the average year. For example if the person smoking 10 cigarettes a day, then if the result is multiplied by 20 years of his 200. So when it’s over, he had a risk of COPD, “he said.

Air fresheners can trigger allergies, asthma

This is no news to me!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45181988/ns/health-allergies_and_asthma/

By Joseph Brownstein
updated 11/6/2011 12:53:38 PM ET

People with asthma or allergies may want to avoid air fresheners and other chemicals used to spread fragrant scents through their homes, and their doctors should be aware of the hazards.

“The chemicals in some of these products can trigger the nasal congestion, sneezing and the runny nose,” Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergist with Emory University and the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic. “With the asthmatics, there’s really good data showing their lung function changes when they’re exposed to these compounds.”

[...]

A 2009 study by Caress and Anne Steinenmann at the University of Washington found that nearly a third of people with asthma also have chemical hypersensitivity, and more than a third reported irritation from scented products.

“The more you’re around, the more likely it is to cause an attack,” Caress said. “People with asthma, many of them should try to avoid artificially fragranced products.”

Caress said that advice can apply to products that may be labeled “natural” as well. “Some people have natural allergies to things like wood, so they might have trouble with things like that as well.”

..

ALLERCA Cats Bring "Sneeze Free" Companionship to Allergy and Asthma Sufferers

Since delivering the first hypoallergenic kittens to customers in 2006, ALLERCA’s hypoallergenic cats have established a unique place in the pet world.

WILMINGTON, Calif., Oct. 24, 2007 – ALLERCA, the company that developed the first scientifically tested hypoallergenic cat, is celebrating the one year anniversary of the first kitten deliveries to eager customers. Since then, the company has delivered dozens of the ALLERCA ‘sneeze-free’ kittens that for the first time have allowed severely allergic and asthmatic cat lovers to enjoy the companionship of a furry friend. For Jill Skibba of Los Angeles, an ALLERCA cat was her only option to own anything but a pet fish: “I had been looking for a pet for over a year that wouldn’t make my eyes swell, my skin itch and make me sneeze endlessly. I was about to give up having tried just about every breed when I heard of ALLERCA. I now have Sela and couldn’t be happier. It’s a miracle every time she jumps up on my lap and I am totally fine. No sneezing, not itching! She is loving and just a joy to have in my life!”

Judy Smith of Connecticut was one of the first allergic cat lovers to sign up with ALLERCA, placing her order back as far as 2004. As a cat owning teenager, she found her allergies getting progressively worse as she moved into adulthood. “When near a cat, I usually begin having symptoms within the first 15 minutes; runny nose, sneezing, coughing, trouble breathing, and itchy watery eyes. I could usually tolerate it for a few hours and then I have to leave. It usually takes another hour or more for me to return to normal. I’d take multiple daily allergy medications, which helped, but only enough so I could suffer through these visits for a few hours.” Since taking delivery of her ALLERCA hypoallergenic cat, Judy says, “He’s just a great cat who doesn’t cause me allergies. I am so very delighted to finally be able to live with a cat again.”

For Dr. Erik Viiree from San Diego, an ALLERCA customer, the ALLERCA cat was the only option. “This summer we were given the pleasure of receiving Jet, our kitten from ALLERCA. Our home has long been devoid of pets because of my allergies, and although my family was desperate to get a cat, I was trepidatious about as I didn’t want a return of my allergy symptoms. For the last number of years, I’ve been free of allergies and definitely didn’t want them back. When I heard about ALLERCA, I immediately signed up for a kitten. I was nervous when Jet arrived, but I haven’t had a problem and Jet is now a permanent part of our family.”

Simon Brodie, the founder of ALLERCA and inventor of the ALLERCA GD hypoallergenic cat, says having hypoallergenic kittens in homes of allergic individuals is the fulfillment of a long entrepreneurial and technological journey. He first became interested in emerging genetic technologies after the first cat was cloned back in the late 90′s, and began exploring how new technology could be introduced to the pet industry. Brodie evaluated a number of projects before deciding on the development of a hypoallergenic cat. “For the millions of feline allergy sufferers, the idea of a hypoallergenic cat had always been a dream, which in turn meant there was a commercial demand.” So in 2004 Brodie began to seek out experts in the field of genetics who could help produce this unique cat. “I knew I faced a number of major obstacles and didn’t even know if it was possible. But I had so many potential customers committed to buy if I was successful, that I remain encouraged.”

The project was officially announced in October of 2004 and garnered worldwide attention. Says Brodie, “I was taken aback with the huge positive response and massive amount of interest. The press did make a thing about the then price of $ 4,000 (the kittens now sell for $ 8,000), but those cat-loving, allergy sufferers aware of the cost and inconvenience of allergy treatments required to live with a cat understood that this was a small price to pay.” And Brodie kept true to his promise to customers: deliveries began exactly 24 months later.

Although Brodie sold off his interest in the hypoallergenic cat long ago, he remains actively involved and is pleased with how the business is growing. “When a little girl tells me this (her hypoallergenic cat) is the best thing ever to happen to her, then I know we really have something unique and special.”

Based on the current waiting list and ever increasing demand, the company expects sales to grow rapidly through 2008. As for new “lifestyle pets”, Brodie has developed a large exotic domestic cat called the Ashera, now on sale and priced at $ 22,000, which already has a year waiting list. A new breed of small dog is in development and expected in 2009.

Sleep Well When You Have Asthma

When you suffer from asthma, having a relaxing sleep can really be an issue. Asthmatic people can really have a hard time in getting the rest they need. They usually have to cope with nocturne asthma attacks which do not let them sleep or even the fear of having such an attack may keep them awake all night long.

Even though it may seem hard to attain that state of relaxation most people have when sleeping, asthmatics can have a good night sleep if they follow some simple rules. First of all it is necessary to have clean bedding. Washing the bedding once a week in hot water it is absolutely essential if you want to get rid of all the allergens which can trigger an asthma attack. Dust, animal hair or any other types of allergens can easily get stuck in the bedding fibers and trigger an asthma attack when you go to bed. So, cleaning the bedding is the first essential step you have to take in order to have a good and relaxing sleep, all night long.

Next, it is advisable to choose a position in which you will be able to breathe easily. Most doctors recommend that you use two or three pillows instead of one and place them all under your head, neck and back, so that the upper part of your body is lifted up a little. Also, you should avoid sleeping on your back or on your stomach, as these positions obstruct your airwaves, preventing the air from getting in and out of the body. A much more suitable position for asthmatic people is the sleeping on the left side, if possible with the legs brought up at the levels of your stomach.

In order to get the amount of rest you want, it is also recommended that you go to sleep only when you feel you are so tired that you can only sleep. This way you will fall asleep immediately and will not have time to worry about whether you are going to sleep that night or not.

Last, but not least, you should not sleep during the day. If you are really tired and cannot really focus on anything, you can take a 30 minutes nap in an armchair. Thus, you will refresh your brain a little bit, without giving your body too much energy. You will become tired in the evening and you will sleep all night long, without waking up during the night.

Follow these simple methods and you will see that you will be able to sleep normally again, even

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