Different types and stages of Asthma:
The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program has classified asthma as:
· Intermittent.
· Mild persistent.
· Moderate persistent.
· Severe persistent.
These classifications are based on severity, which is determined by symptoms and lung function tests. You should be assigned to the most severe category in which any feature occurs
· Classification is based on symptoms before treatment.
· Classification may change over time.
· A person in any category can have severe asthma attacks.
· Asthma in children younger than age 4 can be hard to diagnose. And its symptoms may be different from asthma in older children or adults.
Intermittent asthma
Asthma is considered intermittent if without treatment any of the following are true:
· Symptoms (difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing): Occur on fewer than 2 days a week and it does not interfere with normal activities.
· Nighttime symptoms occur on fewer than 2 days a month.
· Lung function tests (spirometry and peak expiratory flow (PEF)) are normal when the person is not having an asthma attack. The results of these tests are 80% or more of the expected value and vary little (PEF varies less than 20%) from morning to afternoon.
Mild persistent asthma
Asthma is considered mild persistent if without treatment any of the following are true:
· Symptoms occur on more than 2 days a week but do not occur every day.
· Attacks interfere with daily activities.
· Nighttime symptoms occur 3 to 4 times a month.
· Lung function tests are normal when the person is not having an asthma attack. The results of these tests are 80% or more of the expected value and may vary a small amount (PEF varies 20% to 30%) from morning to afternoon.
Moderate persistent asthma
Asthma is considered moderate persistent if without treatment any of the following are true:
· Symptoms occur daily. Inhaled short-acting asthma medication is used every day.
· Symptoms interfere with daily activities.
· Nighttime symptoms occur more than 1 time a week, but do not happen every day.
· Lung function tests are abnormal (more than 60% to less than 80% of the expected value), and PEF varies more than 30% from morning to afternoon.
Severe persistent asthma
Asthma is considered severe persistent if without treatment any of the following are true:
· Symptoms occur throughout each day. Symptoms severely limit daily physical activities.
· Nighttime symptoms occur often, sometimes every night.
· Lung function tests are abnormal (60% or less of expected value), and PEF varies more than 30% from morning to afternoon.
If you or your child has persistent asthma (mild, moderate, or severe) and is receiving appropriate therapy, the goal of treatment should be to control symptoms so that they occur only as frequently as those of intermittent asthma.
Different Stages of Asthma
Green Zone: Doing Well
No cough, wheeze, chest tightness, or shortness of breath; can do all usual activities. Take prescribed longterm control medicine such as inhaled corticosteroids.
Yellow Zone: Getting Worse
Cough, wheeze, chest tightness, or shortness of breath; waking at night; can do some, but not all, usual activities. Add quick-relief medicine.
Red Zone: Medical Alert!
Very short of breath; quick-relief medicines don't help; cannot do usual activities; symptoms no better after 24 hours in Yellow Zone. Get medical help NOW.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is Your Child's Beloved Pet the Cause of an Asthma Attack?
Measures you can take to prevent or minimize asthma attacks caused by pets.
That cute little kitten or lovable dog that your child (or partner) can't live without could be making them very sick. Sadly, as much as we love them, cats and dogs are often major asthma triggers for asthma sufferers and can send some to the emergency room. Contrary to what many people believe, it is the dander (dry flakes of skin), not the hair of the animal that actually is the cause of the problem. Your pet's dander is shed continuously, but it is so small that it's difficult to see. The dander is easily airborne and sticks readily to fibers- therefore it goes everywhere and gets on just about everything. If you have rugs and your pet comes inside the house, they are certainly full of it, so is your furniture and beds if they are allowed on them. If you cuddle or play with your pet, it's all over your clothing too. However, this doesn't mean that you have to get rid of Fido or Garfield.
There are a number of alternatives that you can take. Steam cleaning rugs and furniture in your home will help to remove the dander. Using a HEPA vacuum cleaner is also good. If possible, getting rid of rugs is the best solution. Make sure your pet stays out of the asthma sufferer's bedroom. Wash all bedding, floors and walls to remove the dander. Then use a HEPA air purifier at night in the bedroom with the door closed.
Take your pet to the groomer for a shampoo once a week or have a family member wash your pet outside to ensure that the dander level is kept as low as possible. Long haired pets should get clipped shorter. If your pet loves to show their appreciation by licking, this should be discouraged since their saliva will contain dander as well as proteins, which are also an asthma trigger for many asthma sufferers.
If you don't have a pet but your friends or relatives do, even a short visit to their home can cause problems for an asthma sufferer, especially children who can't resist playing with them. When you get home, get your child to take a shower and wash their clothing too to remove the dander.
Living with your beloved pet can be comfortable and symptom free when taking all of these measures. However, if your situation is more serious and your pet still makes you sick, then you may want to try a natural asthma treatment.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>>> The roles that can be played by different people to reduce Asthma:
Government and local health officials can:
· Track asthma rates and the effectiveness of control measures so continuous improvements can be made in prevention efforts.
· Promote influenza and pneumonia vaccination for people with asthma.
· Promote improvements in indoor air quality for people with asthma through measures such as smoke-free air laws and policies, healthy schools and workplaces, and improvements in outdoor air quality.
Health care providers can:
· Determine the severity of asthma and monitor how much control the patient has over it.
· Make an asthma action plan for patients. Use this to teach them how to use inhaled corticosteroids and other prescribed medicines correctly and how to avoid asthma triggers such as tobacco smoke, mold, pet dander, and outdoor air pollution.
· Prescribe inhaled corticosteroids for all patients with persistent asthma.
People with asthma and parents of children with asthma can:
· Receive ongoing appropriate medical care.
· Be empowered through education to manage their asthma and asthma attacks.
· Avoid asthma triggers at school, work, home, and outdoors. Parents of children with asthma should not smoke, or if they do, smoke only outdoors and not in their cars.
· Use inhaled corticosteroids and other prescribed medicines correctly.
Schools and school nurses can:
· Use student asthma action plans to guide use of inhaled corticosteroids and other prescribed asthma medicines correctly and to avoid asthma triggers.
· Make students' quick-relief inhalers readily available for them to use at school as needed.
· Take steps to fix indoor air quality problems like mold and outdoor air quality problems such as idling school buses.
Employers and insurers can:
· Promote healthy workplaces by reducing or eliminating known asthma triggers.
· Promote measures that prevent asthma attacks such as eliminating co-payments for inhaled corticosteroids and other prescribed medicines.
· Provide reimbursement for educational sessions conducted by clinicians, health educators, and other health professionals both within and outside of the clinical setting.
· Provide reimbursement for long-term control medicines, education, and services to reduce asthma triggers that are often not covered by health insurers.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>>> Side effects of Asthma drugs?
Asthma drugs can have very serious side effects for you or your loved one. Go through the listing of asthma drug side effects to be aware of before you start using them.
Health risks associated with asthma drugs and asthma medications for short term and long term use:
Generic name: Budesonide
Brand names: Pulmicort, Rhinocort
Side effects: facial edema, rash, herpes simplex, nervousness, nausea, nasal irritation, dry mouth, hoarseness, wheezing, nasal pain, delayed growth in children
Long Term Use: glucose intolerance, psychiatric disturbances, cataracts
Generic name: Beclomethasone
Brand names: Beclovent, Vanceril, Becloforte, Beconaise
Side effects: irritation of the throat, coughing, hoarseness, candidiasis in the region of the oropharynx or the larynx.
Long term use: depressed pituitary-adrenal functioning, osteoporosis.
Generic name: Flunisolide
Brand names: Bronalide, Aerobid-M, Nasalide, Rhinalar
Side effects: nasal burning and stinging, aftertaste, hoarseness, sore throat, cough, wheezing, Candida (yeast) infections, change or loss of sense of smell or taste, nausea, headache, diarrhea, allergic reaction (including rash, hives, itchiness and bronchospasm)
Long term use: permanent loss of sense of smell and/or taste
Generic name: Fluticasone
Brand names: Flonase or Flovent
Side effects: dry nose, nose bleeds, candida yeast infections in the mouth, hoarseness, sore throat, serious cortisol suppression, growth suppression in children, eosinophilic pneumonia, eosinophilic vasculitis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, vasculitic rash, worsening pulmonary symptoms, cardiac complications, increased risk of glaucoma
Generic name: Salbutamol or Albutrerol
Brand names: Ventolin, Easyhaler, Diskhaler, Proventil
Side effects: suspected to be a co-factor in asthma deaths, tremor, inner agitation, heart palpitation, muscle cramps, headaches, premature contractions during pregnancy, psychotic reactions.
Generic name: Salmeterol
Brand name: Serevent
Side effects: liver dysfunction and damage, increased heart rate, blood pressure, heart beat irregularities, chest pain tremor, nervousness, worsening of bronchospasm (life-threatening), allergic reactions: skin rash, hives, swelling, bronchospasm, and anaphylaxis (life-threatening), worsening of diabetes and lowering of potassium, potentially fatal heart complications.
"Expert Warns Against 5 FDA-Approved Drugs- In testimony Thursday (November 18, 2004) before the Senate Finance Committee, Food and Drug Administration reviewer David Graham cited Meridia, Crestor, Accutane, Bextra and Serevent. Serevent was shown, with 90 percent certainty in a long-term trial in England, to cause deaths due to asthma."
Generic name: Prednisone, Prednisolone
Brand names: Adasone, Cartancyl, Colisone, Cordrol, Cortan, Dacortin, Dellacort, Delta-Dome, Deltasone, DiAdreson, Econosone, Fernisone, Liquid Pred, Meticorten, Orasone, Panasol, Paracort, Parmenison, Prednicen-M, Prednicot, Predniment, Rectodelt, Sterapred
Side effects: systemic corticosteroid effects such as hypercorticism and adrenal suppression, Cushing's syndrome with moon face, truncal obesity, acne, psychiatric disorders, menstruation disorders, osteoporosis, muscular atrophy, and other myopathies,hypertension, edema, hyperglycemia, cataracts, glaucoma, aseptic bone necrosis, pancreatitis, delayed wound healing, sleep disturbances, nycturia, nausea; gastrointestinal bleeding, dermatrophy, cerebral pseudotumor, congestive heart failure, convulsions, impaired wound healing
*to discontiinue use: prednisolone, or prednisone must be reduced gradually if the therapy lasts longer than one week.
Generic name: Theophylline
Brand names: Theo-dur, Respbid, Slo-bid, Theo-24, Theolair, Uniphyl, Slo-phyllin
Side effects: loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, trouble concentrating tachycardia, palpitations, extrasystoles, headaches, tremor, nervousness, excitability, sleep disturbances, gastroesophageal reflux
Long term use: dangerous complications mostly affect the heart (arrhythmias) and the central nervous system (convulsions) and are frequently lethal.
Generic name: Zileutron
Brand name: Leutrol, Zyflo
Side effects: changes in liver functioning
Long term use: liver damage (yellowing of skin or eyes, unusual tiredness, abdominal pain)
Generic name: Zafirlukast
Brand name: Accolate
Side effects: headache, infections, nausea, diarrhea, numbness, tingling, pain, worsening respiratory symptoms, liver damage (yellowing of skin or eyes, unusual tiredness, abdominal pain); Churg-Strauss syndrome: can be very serious; if dose is reduced watch for the following symptoms: fever, muscle aches, pains and weight loss.
Long term use: liver damage (yellowing of skin or eyes, unusual tiredness, abdominal pain)
Generic name: Montelukast
Brand name: Singulair
Side effects: headache, abdominal pain, rash, dyspepsia, dizziness, diarrhea, sinusitis, and ear ache, gastroenteritis, cough, nasal congestion
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>>> Does having sex increase the risk of Asthma?
You Really Don't Have to Live Like a Monk If You Have Asthma
Sex can be a wonderful expression of love between two people, sadly, however for some asthma sufferers all that heavy breathing can actually trigger an asthma attack by drying out the airways. Fortunately, there is a solution that will make you and your partner happy.
Exercise induced asthma is quite common and the general consensus is to avoid those activities that trigger it, but avoiding love-making can certainly put a strain on any relationship.
There are several things that you can do ensure an active love life:
Since the bedroom is often where love-making actives take place, you will need to ensure that dust mites (a major asthma trigger, which live in your bedding and rugs) are reduced as much as possible. Moist, warm air prevents the airways from becoming dry, so using a good humidifier in the bedroom/home will help those who live in a dry climate.
Next, if you are out of shape, you will need to increase your fitness level gradually by activities such as yoga, walking, cycling and swimming. Those allergic to chlorine should find a warm lake or sea to swim in. Continuous running can trigger asthma, so team sports that require short bursts of running are far better. Avoiding temperature changes is also important: cold air entering the lungs at a rapid rate will dry out the airways and cause an asthma attack. Working out in gym is a good alternative to exercising outdoors in cold weather. When you have strengthened your lungs through exercise and applied the simple preventative measures in the bedroom, you are much more likely to enjoy lovemaking without threat of an asthma attack.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>>> What Every Parent Should Know about Asthma?
Simple Ways New Parents Can Significantly Reduce Their Baby’s Risk of Developing Asthma and Allergies
Childhood asthma and allergies have been on a steady increase worldwide, in the US alone there are more than 6 million children with asthma under the age of 18. Asthma drugs have potentially serious side effects and are not the optimal solution to asthma, particularly for children. During the last 15 years, there has been an alarming 160% increase in the rate of asthma in children under 5, sadly many of these children could have been prevented from ever developing asthma. The good news is you can do something to safeguard your child’s health by taking a few simple measures in your own home.
According to experts, the major causes are home air pollutants with house dust mites being the worst, next to cockroaches and secondhand tobacco smoke. Although dust mites and the feces they produce are found in vast numbers in every home, don’t despair: drastically reducing the population of these microscopic, spider-like insects is easily done by washing bedding in hot water weekly. Next, using zippered, plastic covers on pillows and mattresses will keep them from coming back. Since dust mites thrive in moist or humid conditions, it’s important to lower your home’s humidity level to less than 50% with a dehumidifier. Carpets, upholstered furniture, all dust and dust collecting objects should be removed from your baby’s bedroom. It’s also a good idea to keep pets out of your baby’s bedroom, as pet dander is also a very common allergy and asthma trigger.
Cockroaches thrive in moist environments, so to discourage them from invading your home, be sure to fix all leaky pipes and plug up any holes in walls or near plumping. Since they love to feed off crumbs, food droppings or open food containers, keeping food in sealed containers and maintaining a clean kitchen will discourage them from taking up residence. Beware of using pesticides as they can trigger an asthma attack.
Secondhand smoke during pregnancy and after pregnancy should be avoided completely. If family members smoke, have them do it outside and don’t let visitors smoke in your home. For women smokers who are planning a pregnancy, making an effort to quit smoking for the sake of their future baby’s health is a wise choice. If your town or city has poor air quality, then you should invest in a HEPA air purifier to keep air born pollution to a minimum inside your home.
Food allergies in infants and children can be life threatening and are also known to contribute to the development of asthma. Delaying the introduction of potentially allergenic foods to your baby is a good preventative strategy. Mothers who breastfed for at least 4 to 6 months can benefit their babies with stronger immune systems too. If breastfeeding is not possible, then avoid feeding your child milk or soy based formulas, instead use partially pre-digested protein hydrolysate formulas.
It’s best to feed your baby solid foods only after they are six months old, then vegetables, rice, meat, and fruit can be introduced to their diets. Trying each food one at a time makes it easier to identify and eliminate any foods that cause a reaction. When your baby reaches one year old, milk, wheat, corn, citrus and soy may be added. Wait until they are two years of age to serve them eggs. Next, when your child is 3 years old you can introduce fish and peanuts.
Taking these relatively simple preventative measures will help ensure your baby a healthy childhood free from allergies and asthma.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
References / Citations
1. National Institutes of Health (2007). National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (NIH Publication No. 08–5846). Available online: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/asthgdln.htm
http://www.health.com/health/condition-section/0,,20287301,00.html
The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program has classified asthma as:
· Intermittent.
· Mild persistent.
· Moderate persistent.
· Severe persistent.
These classifications are based on severity, which is determined by symptoms and lung function tests. You should be assigned to the most severe category in which any feature occurs
· Classification is based on symptoms before treatment.
· Classification may change over time.
· A person in any category can have severe asthma attacks.
· Asthma in children younger than age 4 can be hard to diagnose. And its symptoms may be different from asthma in older children or adults.
Intermittent asthma
Asthma is considered intermittent if without treatment any of the following are true:
· Symptoms (difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing): Occur on fewer than 2 days a week and it does not interfere with normal activities.
· Nighttime symptoms occur on fewer than 2 days a month.
· Lung function tests (spirometry and peak expiratory flow (PEF)) are normal when the person is not having an asthma attack. The results of these tests are 80% or more of the expected value and vary little (PEF varies less than 20%) from morning to afternoon.
Mild persistent asthma
Asthma is considered mild persistent if without treatment any of the following are true:
· Symptoms occur on more than 2 days a week but do not occur every day.
· Attacks interfere with daily activities.
· Nighttime symptoms occur 3 to 4 times a month.
· Lung function tests are normal when the person is not having an asthma attack. The results of these tests are 80% or more of the expected value and may vary a small amount (PEF varies 20% to 30%) from morning to afternoon.
Moderate persistent asthma
Asthma is considered moderate persistent if without treatment any of the following are true:
· Symptoms occur daily. Inhaled short-acting asthma medication is used every day.
· Symptoms interfere with daily activities.
· Nighttime symptoms occur more than 1 time a week, but do not happen every day.
· Lung function tests are abnormal (more than 60% to less than 80% of the expected value), and PEF varies more than 30% from morning to afternoon.
Severe persistent asthma
Asthma is considered severe persistent if without treatment any of the following are true:
· Symptoms occur throughout each day. Symptoms severely limit daily physical activities.
· Nighttime symptoms occur often, sometimes every night.
· Lung function tests are abnormal (60% or less of expected value), and PEF varies more than 30% from morning to afternoon.
If you or your child has persistent asthma (mild, moderate, or severe) and is receiving appropriate therapy, the goal of treatment should be to control symptoms so that they occur only as frequently as those of intermittent asthma.
Different Stages of Asthma
Green Zone: Doing Well
No cough, wheeze, chest tightness, or shortness of breath; can do all usual activities. Take prescribed longterm control medicine such as inhaled corticosteroids.
Yellow Zone: Getting Worse
Cough, wheeze, chest tightness, or shortness of breath; waking at night; can do some, but not all, usual activities. Add quick-relief medicine.
Red Zone: Medical Alert!
Very short of breath; quick-relief medicines don't help; cannot do usual activities; symptoms no better after 24 hours in Yellow Zone. Get medical help NOW.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is Your Child's Beloved Pet the Cause of an Asthma Attack?
Measures you can take to prevent or minimize asthma attacks caused by pets.
That cute little kitten or lovable dog that your child (or partner) can't live without could be making them very sick. Sadly, as much as we love them, cats and dogs are often major asthma triggers for asthma sufferers and can send some to the emergency room. Contrary to what many people believe, it is the dander (dry flakes of skin), not the hair of the animal that actually is the cause of the problem. Your pet's dander is shed continuously, but it is so small that it's difficult to see. The dander is easily airborne and sticks readily to fibers- therefore it goes everywhere and gets on just about everything. If you have rugs and your pet comes inside the house, they are certainly full of it, so is your furniture and beds if they are allowed on them. If you cuddle or play with your pet, it's all over your clothing too. However, this doesn't mean that you have to get rid of Fido or Garfield.
There are a number of alternatives that you can take. Steam cleaning rugs and furniture in your home will help to remove the dander. Using a HEPA vacuum cleaner is also good. If possible, getting rid of rugs is the best solution. Make sure your pet stays out of the asthma sufferer's bedroom. Wash all bedding, floors and walls to remove the dander. Then use a HEPA air purifier at night in the bedroom with the door closed.
Take your pet to the groomer for a shampoo once a week or have a family member wash your pet outside to ensure that the dander level is kept as low as possible. Long haired pets should get clipped shorter. If your pet loves to show their appreciation by licking, this should be discouraged since their saliva will contain dander as well as proteins, which are also an asthma trigger for many asthma sufferers.
If you don't have a pet but your friends or relatives do, even a short visit to their home can cause problems for an asthma sufferer, especially children who can't resist playing with them. When you get home, get your child to take a shower and wash their clothing too to remove the dander.
Living with your beloved pet can be comfortable and symptom free when taking all of these measures. However, if your situation is more serious and your pet still makes you sick, then you may want to try a natural asthma treatment.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>>> The roles that can be played by different people to reduce Asthma:
Government and local health officials can:
· Track asthma rates and the effectiveness of control measures so continuous improvements can be made in prevention efforts.
· Promote influenza and pneumonia vaccination for people with asthma.
· Promote improvements in indoor air quality for people with asthma through measures such as smoke-free air laws and policies, healthy schools and workplaces, and improvements in outdoor air quality.
Health care providers can:
· Determine the severity of asthma and monitor how much control the patient has over it.
· Make an asthma action plan for patients. Use this to teach them how to use inhaled corticosteroids and other prescribed medicines correctly and how to avoid asthma triggers such as tobacco smoke, mold, pet dander, and outdoor air pollution.
· Prescribe inhaled corticosteroids for all patients with persistent asthma.
People with asthma and parents of children with asthma can:
· Receive ongoing appropriate medical care.
· Be empowered through education to manage their asthma and asthma attacks.
· Avoid asthma triggers at school, work, home, and outdoors. Parents of children with asthma should not smoke, or if they do, smoke only outdoors and not in their cars.
· Use inhaled corticosteroids and other prescribed medicines correctly.
Schools and school nurses can:
· Use student asthma action plans to guide use of inhaled corticosteroids and other prescribed asthma medicines correctly and to avoid asthma triggers.
· Make students' quick-relief inhalers readily available for them to use at school as needed.
· Take steps to fix indoor air quality problems like mold and outdoor air quality problems such as idling school buses.
Employers and insurers can:
· Promote healthy workplaces by reducing or eliminating known asthma triggers.
· Promote measures that prevent asthma attacks such as eliminating co-payments for inhaled corticosteroids and other prescribed medicines.
· Provide reimbursement for educational sessions conducted by clinicians, health educators, and other health professionals both within and outside of the clinical setting.
· Provide reimbursement for long-term control medicines, education, and services to reduce asthma triggers that are often not covered by health insurers.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>>> Side effects of Asthma drugs?
Asthma drugs can have very serious side effects for you or your loved one. Go through the listing of asthma drug side effects to be aware of before you start using them.
Health risks associated with asthma drugs and asthma medications for short term and long term use:
Generic name: Budesonide
Brand names: Pulmicort, Rhinocort
Side effects: facial edema, rash, herpes simplex, nervousness, nausea, nasal irritation, dry mouth, hoarseness, wheezing, nasal pain, delayed growth in children
Long Term Use: glucose intolerance, psychiatric disturbances, cataracts
Generic name: Beclomethasone
Brand names: Beclovent, Vanceril, Becloforte, Beconaise
Side effects: irritation of the throat, coughing, hoarseness, candidiasis in the region of the oropharynx or the larynx.
Long term use: depressed pituitary-adrenal functioning, osteoporosis.
Generic name: Flunisolide
Brand names: Bronalide, Aerobid-M, Nasalide, Rhinalar
Side effects: nasal burning and stinging, aftertaste, hoarseness, sore throat, cough, wheezing, Candida (yeast) infections, change or loss of sense of smell or taste, nausea, headache, diarrhea, allergic reaction (including rash, hives, itchiness and bronchospasm)
Long term use: permanent loss of sense of smell and/or taste
Generic name: Fluticasone
Brand names: Flonase or Flovent
Side effects: dry nose, nose bleeds, candida yeast infections in the mouth, hoarseness, sore throat, serious cortisol suppression, growth suppression in children, eosinophilic pneumonia, eosinophilic vasculitis, Churg-Strauss syndrome, vasculitic rash, worsening pulmonary symptoms, cardiac complications, increased risk of glaucoma
Generic name: Salbutamol or Albutrerol
Brand names: Ventolin, Easyhaler, Diskhaler, Proventil
Side effects: suspected to be a co-factor in asthma deaths, tremor, inner agitation, heart palpitation, muscle cramps, headaches, premature contractions during pregnancy, psychotic reactions.
Generic name: Salmeterol
Brand name: Serevent
Side effects: liver dysfunction and damage, increased heart rate, blood pressure, heart beat irregularities, chest pain tremor, nervousness, worsening of bronchospasm (life-threatening), allergic reactions: skin rash, hives, swelling, bronchospasm, and anaphylaxis (life-threatening), worsening of diabetes and lowering of potassium, potentially fatal heart complications.
"Expert Warns Against 5 FDA-Approved Drugs- In testimony Thursday (November 18, 2004) before the Senate Finance Committee, Food and Drug Administration reviewer David Graham cited Meridia, Crestor, Accutane, Bextra and Serevent. Serevent was shown, with 90 percent certainty in a long-term trial in England, to cause deaths due to asthma."
Generic name: Prednisone, Prednisolone
Brand names: Adasone, Cartancyl, Colisone, Cordrol, Cortan, Dacortin, Dellacort, Delta-Dome, Deltasone, DiAdreson, Econosone, Fernisone, Liquid Pred, Meticorten, Orasone, Panasol, Paracort, Parmenison, Prednicen-M, Prednicot, Predniment, Rectodelt, Sterapred
Side effects: systemic corticosteroid effects such as hypercorticism and adrenal suppression, Cushing's syndrome with moon face, truncal obesity, acne, psychiatric disorders, menstruation disorders, osteoporosis, muscular atrophy, and other myopathies,hypertension, edema, hyperglycemia, cataracts, glaucoma, aseptic bone necrosis, pancreatitis, delayed wound healing, sleep disturbances, nycturia, nausea; gastrointestinal bleeding, dermatrophy, cerebral pseudotumor, congestive heart failure, convulsions, impaired wound healing
*to discontiinue use: prednisolone, or prednisone must be reduced gradually if the therapy lasts longer than one week.
Generic name: Theophylline
Brand names: Theo-dur, Respbid, Slo-bid, Theo-24, Theolair, Uniphyl, Slo-phyllin
Side effects: loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, trouble concentrating tachycardia, palpitations, extrasystoles, headaches, tremor, nervousness, excitability, sleep disturbances, gastroesophageal reflux
Long term use: dangerous complications mostly affect the heart (arrhythmias) and the central nervous system (convulsions) and are frequently lethal.
Generic name: Zileutron
Brand name: Leutrol, Zyflo
Side effects: changes in liver functioning
Long term use: liver damage (yellowing of skin or eyes, unusual tiredness, abdominal pain)
Generic name: Zafirlukast
Brand name: Accolate
Side effects: headache, infections, nausea, diarrhea, numbness, tingling, pain, worsening respiratory symptoms, liver damage (yellowing of skin or eyes, unusual tiredness, abdominal pain); Churg-Strauss syndrome: can be very serious; if dose is reduced watch for the following symptoms: fever, muscle aches, pains and weight loss.
Long term use: liver damage (yellowing of skin or eyes, unusual tiredness, abdominal pain)
Generic name: Montelukast
Brand name: Singulair
Side effects: headache, abdominal pain, rash, dyspepsia, dizziness, diarrhea, sinusitis, and ear ache, gastroenteritis, cough, nasal congestion
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>>> Does having sex increase the risk of Asthma?
You Really Don't Have to Live Like a Monk If You Have Asthma
Sex can be a wonderful expression of love between two people, sadly, however for some asthma sufferers all that heavy breathing can actually trigger an asthma attack by drying out the airways. Fortunately, there is a solution that will make you and your partner happy.
Exercise induced asthma is quite common and the general consensus is to avoid those activities that trigger it, but avoiding love-making can certainly put a strain on any relationship.
There are several things that you can do ensure an active love life:
Since the bedroom is often where love-making actives take place, you will need to ensure that dust mites (a major asthma trigger, which live in your bedding and rugs) are reduced as much as possible. Moist, warm air prevents the airways from becoming dry, so using a good humidifier in the bedroom/home will help those who live in a dry climate.
Next, if you are out of shape, you will need to increase your fitness level gradually by activities such as yoga, walking, cycling and swimming. Those allergic to chlorine should find a warm lake or sea to swim in. Continuous running can trigger asthma, so team sports that require short bursts of running are far better. Avoiding temperature changes is also important: cold air entering the lungs at a rapid rate will dry out the airways and cause an asthma attack. Working out in gym is a good alternative to exercising outdoors in cold weather. When you have strengthened your lungs through exercise and applied the simple preventative measures in the bedroom, you are much more likely to enjoy lovemaking without threat of an asthma attack.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>>> What Every Parent Should Know about Asthma?
Simple Ways New Parents Can Significantly Reduce Their Baby’s Risk of Developing Asthma and Allergies
Childhood asthma and allergies have been on a steady increase worldwide, in the US alone there are more than 6 million children with asthma under the age of 18. Asthma drugs have potentially serious side effects and are not the optimal solution to asthma, particularly for children. During the last 15 years, there has been an alarming 160% increase in the rate of asthma in children under 5, sadly many of these children could have been prevented from ever developing asthma. The good news is you can do something to safeguard your child’s health by taking a few simple measures in your own home.
According to experts, the major causes are home air pollutants with house dust mites being the worst, next to cockroaches and secondhand tobacco smoke. Although dust mites and the feces they produce are found in vast numbers in every home, don’t despair: drastically reducing the population of these microscopic, spider-like insects is easily done by washing bedding in hot water weekly. Next, using zippered, plastic covers on pillows and mattresses will keep them from coming back. Since dust mites thrive in moist or humid conditions, it’s important to lower your home’s humidity level to less than 50% with a dehumidifier. Carpets, upholstered furniture, all dust and dust collecting objects should be removed from your baby’s bedroom. It’s also a good idea to keep pets out of your baby’s bedroom, as pet dander is also a very common allergy and asthma trigger.
Cockroaches thrive in moist environments, so to discourage them from invading your home, be sure to fix all leaky pipes and plug up any holes in walls or near plumping. Since they love to feed off crumbs, food droppings or open food containers, keeping food in sealed containers and maintaining a clean kitchen will discourage them from taking up residence. Beware of using pesticides as they can trigger an asthma attack.
Secondhand smoke during pregnancy and after pregnancy should be avoided completely. If family members smoke, have them do it outside and don’t let visitors smoke in your home. For women smokers who are planning a pregnancy, making an effort to quit smoking for the sake of their future baby’s health is a wise choice. If your town or city has poor air quality, then you should invest in a HEPA air purifier to keep air born pollution to a minimum inside your home.
Food allergies in infants and children can be life threatening and are also known to contribute to the development of asthma. Delaying the introduction of potentially allergenic foods to your baby is a good preventative strategy. Mothers who breastfed for at least 4 to 6 months can benefit their babies with stronger immune systems too. If breastfeeding is not possible, then avoid feeding your child milk or soy based formulas, instead use partially pre-digested protein hydrolysate formulas.
It’s best to feed your baby solid foods only after they are six months old, then vegetables, rice, meat, and fruit can be introduced to their diets. Trying each food one at a time makes it easier to identify and eliminate any foods that cause a reaction. When your baby reaches one year old, milk, wheat, corn, citrus and soy may be added. Wait until they are two years of age to serve them eggs. Next, when your child is 3 years old you can introduce fish and peanuts.
Taking these relatively simple preventative measures will help ensure your baby a healthy childhood free from allergies and asthma.
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References / Citations
1. National Institutes of Health (2007). National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (NIH Publication No. 08–5846). Available online: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/asthgdln.htm
http://www.health.com/health/condition-section/0,,20287301,00.html