Asthma
Asthma More than 20 million
Americans are estimated to have asthma, an immune
disorder that affects the muscles around the bronchial
tubes leading to the lungs. In a reaction to certain
stimuli, the muscles tighten, narrowing the airways
and causing them to become inflamed and clogged.
The person finds breathing difficult, and wheezes
and coughs. In severe episodes, the person finds
it almost impossible to breathe and requires immediate
medical attention.
Most asthma attacks are caused by allergies to
inhaled substances such as pollen, dust, and animal
dander. Food allergies, infections, and emotional
stress also can cause attacks. There is no cure
for asthma, and proper management is essential.
People with the disease can avoid substances and
situations that act as triggers. They also can
learn to recognize early warning signs and take
medications to reduce underlying inflammation and
prevent or relieve narrowing of the airways.
News
"Our results show that close proximity to vehicular
traffic-related emissions, either at home or at school,
can lead to chronic effects in the respiratory health
of children with asthma," said Fernando Holguin,
M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of pulmonary medicine
at Emory University School of Medicine, and lead
author of the study, which appeared in the second
issue for December of the American Journal of Respiratory
and Critical Care Medicine.
A Sydney study involving over 500 children has found
HDM allergen levels to be at their minimum in summer
and increasing approximately 2-3 fold during late
autumn.
The new study looked at the effects on 60 people
with mild and moderate asthma of walking along the
western end of busy Oxford Street in London, where
only diesel-powered taxis and buses are permitted.
Articles
The children of pregnant women who consumed more
apples and fish had significantly lower rates of
asthma and eczema at age five than the children of
mothers who had consumed less, according to a new
study conducted at the University of Aberdeen in
Scotland and presented at the American Thoracic Society's
2007 International Conference.
Using antibiotics in the first year of life may
significantly increase a child's risk of contracting
asthma by age 7, according to a study conducted by
researchers at University of Manitoba and McGill
University in Montreal and published in "CHEST," the
journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.
Until recently, people who experienced respiratory
problems from household use of spray cleaners had
no facts to back up their claims of shortness of
breath or wheezing. That has changed.
