Air purifiers - Asthma Treatments - Allergy Control Products.

Although asthma is very common, it is not well understood. Today, treatments for asthma are more effective and easier to tolerate than ever. In the next 10 years, it is hoped that advances in medical research will lead to even better treatments. This site is designed to help you learn about asthma, its causes, and its treatment.

General Introduction
Lungs

Healthy lungs are essential to feeling good. The lungs are the organs we use to breathe. They work by taking oxygen from the air we breathe in and then exchanging it for carbon dioxide, a deadly waste product made by the cells of the body. Once this exchange has taken place, we can then get rid of the carbon dioxide by breathing it out, or exhaling.

Asthma is a disease that affects the lungs and the airways that deliver air to the lungs. It causes periodic attacks of wheezing and difficult breathing. An asthma attack occurs when the airways become inflamed in response to a trigger, such as dust, mold, pets, exercise, or cold weather. However, some attacks start for no apparent reason. Triggers may inflame the airways to the lungs, allowing disease-fighting cells to accumulate and causing swelling in the lungs. In addition, the airways may become blocked or obstructed when the muscles surrounding the lungs tighten or go into spasm. This keeps air from circulating freely in the lungs. Or, mucus may clog and narrow the airways in the lungs, making breathing even more difficult.

During an asthma attack, the walls of the airways become inflamed, and the mucous membrane covering the walls becomes swollen with fluid. Sticky mucus fills the remaining space, making it difficult to breathe. Because air cannot flow in and out of the lungs freely, a whistling or wheezing sound may be heard. During severe attacks, wheezing may stop because there is too little air moving to make any noise.

Asthma attacks can be mild, moderate, or severe, and can last for a few minutes, a few hours, or several days. They can occur anywhere and at any time. Many occur at night. Sometimes, there are warning signs that an attack is about to happen, but sometimes there aren't.

Symptoms of Asthma
The symptoms of asthma can vary among people. Usually there is scratchy throat, or tightness in the chest, followed by a cough, wheezing, or shortness of breath.

Triggers of Asthma
Although the specific things that trigger an asthma attack can vary from person to person, some common triggers are well known. These include the following:

Allergens (substances that people are allergic to): Common allergens include pollen, mold, animal hair or fur, household dust/dust mites, cockroaches, and certain foods.
Infections: Both bacterial and viral infections can irritate the airways, triggering asthma attacks.
Sinusitis (inflammation of the nose and nasal airways): During a sinus infection, mucus draining into the nose, throat, and lungs can cause asthma symptoms.
Irritants: Examples of irritants to the airways include strong odors and sprays (perfumes, household cleaners, paints, and varnishes); certain chemicals like coal, chalk dust, and talcum powder; air pollutants; tobacco smoke; changing weather conditions (for example, cold weather).
Smoke: Inhaling smoke from cigarettes or fires harms the airways and is especially hard on the airways of people with asthma. In fact, cigarette smoking is responsible for more than half of the cases of asthma in people over 40 years of age.
Exercise: Although exercise is good for people with asthma, it can trigger an asthma attack. People with asthma need to work with their doctors to prevent asthma attacks due to exercise (certain drugs can help prevent asthma symptoms from occurring after exercise).
Exposure to irritants on the job: Many cases of asthma are worsened or even caused by exposure to vapors, dust, gases, or fumes in the workplace. This type of asthma usually improves when the person takes a few days off from work, such as on weekends and vacations.
Sensitivity to medications and sulfites: About 5% to 20% of adults with asthma have attacks triggered by sensitivities or allergies to sulfites and to medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, indomethacin, and naproxen. People with asthma should consult their physicians before taking any new medication, including those available without a prescription. Sulfites are often used to preserve foods and beverages, including tuna, foods available at salad bars, dried apples and raisins, lemon juice, grape juice, and wine.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: In March, 1997, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued a warning that people with asthma or allergies as to sulfites should not eat canned white (albacore) tuna or light tuna because most canned tuna contains sulfites, even though they are not listed on the label. If you want more information about the sulfite content of specific tuna products, please call 800-283-1112, a special number set up by the tuna industry.
Emotional anxiety: Strong emotions and nervous stress can trigger asthma in some people. This may be due, in part, to the ability of emotions and stress to weaken the body's defenses.

Allergies and Asthma
Allergy is the leading cause of asthma, and about 90% of children under the age of 10 with asthma have allergies. About 70% of people under 30 with asthma and 50% of those over 30 with asthma also have allergies. Allergy is likely to be a contributing factor to asthma if:

Since my child is likely to outgrow asthma, is there a need to treat it?
About 50% of children who develop asthma between 2 and 10 years of age will naturally outgrow the attacks. But asthma may recur when they reach their 30s or 40s. Asthma is a serious disease, and requires treatment. It can reduce your child’s ability to exercise and may harm his or her self-image. Since there are safe and effective ways to treat asthma, there is no reason to allow a child to suffer its symptoms.