Freeway Congestion is a Leading Cause of Air Pollution

In the US, asthma continues to strike our kids. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the rate at which kids developed asthma doubled between 1980 and 1995. By 2001, 6.3 million kids had asthma.

Few researchers are prepared to state definitively why asthma rates have continued to climb during the past two decades. However, many researchers and investigators point to several factors that seem inextricably linked to this disorder, which is marked by wheezing, shortness of breath and coughing spells.

CO2 Buildup

A report from the American Public Health Association and researchers at Harvard puts a lot of the blame for the high rate of asthma on global warming, smog and the atmosphere’s growing burden of carbon dioxide.

In this increasing burden of toxins released into the atmosphere, the rate of asthma among toddlers has grown to be particularly worrisome. Their rate of asthma has climbed more than twice the national average: by 160% between 1980 and 1994.

According to these researchers (Inside the Greenhouse: The Impacts of CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) and Climate Change on Public Health in the Inner City), global warming—which involves large increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide released by internal combustion engines and industrial processes— has fomented the asthma epidemic in several ways:

• Extra heat in the atmosphere has stimulated rapid plant growth that results in more fungus, pollen and spores; this causes allergies that often lead to asthma. Weeds like ragweed, which release allergenic particles, have greatly increased during the past few years.

• Extreme weather has caused more floods and damp houses, leading to more indoor air pollution from molds.

• Diesel pollutants are now combining with pollen and mold to irritate lungs, causing troublesome allergic reactions.

Bus Fume Hazards

The report notes that in neighborhoods like Harlem, in New York City, 25% of all children suffer asthma. Rates are particularly high in children who live in apartments that are located along bus routes.

A finding that surprised the scientists is the fact that carbon dioxide released by city traffic in the burning of coal and natural gas persists over urban areas, causing a dome of CO2 pollution.

Research on air quality in New York City, Phoenix and Baltimore shows that these lingering CO2 domes contain from 400 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide to 600 ppm. Those levels are significantly above the global average of 379 ppm. Over the course of the Earth’s history, going back more than 400,000 years before the Industrial age, research shows the atmosphere has averaged only 180 to 280 ppm.

Nighttime Distress

According to Robert Fink, MD: “Asthma can be a nocturnal disease, at its worst between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., when cortisol [a hormone that regulates many bodily functions] levels are lowest” (Pediatric Asthma: Diagnosis and Treatment Goals, Medscape).

Dr. Fink says that if problems with breathing are bad enough to interfere with sleep, a health practitioner should be consulted to analyze the difficulty.

Catch Your Breath with Herbal Relief

Since asthma is linked to allergies, herbs that helped to quell respiratory allergies can possibly lower your risk of asthma.

A blend of standardized herbal extracts that contains phyllanthus emblica (Indian gooseberry or amla), terminalia chebula (harda or haritaki), terminalia bellerica (bedda nut tree), albizia lebbeck (Indian walnut), zingiber officinale (ginger root), piper longum (Indian long pepper), and piper nigrum (black pepper) has been found to improve breathing and reduce the effect of allergies (FASEBJ 2004; VOL. II:A912, Abs. 600.8). Other studies have shown that these herbs can relieve nasal congestion, ease sneezing and clear bothersome mucus (J AM Coll Nutr 22(5): Abs 46, 2003).

Antibiotic Avoidance

Avoiding antibiotics may also lower the risk of asthma. “Over the past four decades there has been an explosive increase in allergy and asthma in westernized countries, says Mairi Noverr, Ph.D., a researcher who has looked at the line between antibiotic use with asthma and allergies.

“We propose that the link between antibiotic use and dysregulated pulmonary immunity is through antibiotic-induced long-term alterations in the bacterial and fungal GI microflora.”

In other words, Dr. Noverr’s research shows that beneficial bacteria in people’s intestines which take part in strengthening immunity and regulating the immune response to pollen, may have been harmed by the over prescription of antibiotics by physicians.

Dr. Noverr and his fellow researchers gave lab animals antibiotics before exposing them to Candida albicans (a yeast infection).

They then exposed the animals to mold spores. The result: a greater sensitivity to inhaling the spores and breathing problems similar to what people experience during hayfever season (104th General Meeting American Society of Microbiology).

“The studies presented here are the first direct demonstration that antibiotic therapy can promote the development of an allergic airway response,” says Dr. Noverr.

On a global scale, the outlook for asthma is worrisome. As other countries continue their industrial growth, the burden on the Earth’s atmosphere will grow. Meanwhile, few serious measures are being taken to reduce global warming, and the U.S. national diet frequently neglects lung-friendly vegetables and fruits.

Within that uncertain scenario, you can still boost your chances of healthy lungs: Eat more fruits and vegetables. Stay away from smoky buses. Hope for clear skies.

Catch Your Breath Now! was originally posted on: Asthma Treatment and Management Information - Azmacare.com

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Dog and Cat Dander Can Lead to Asthma Attacks and Breathing Problems

The National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing, conducted from 1998 to 2002, conducted by the NIEHS (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) in conjunction with researchers from HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development), showed that 100% of US homes had detectable levels of cat and dog allergens. Even though cat ownership was reported in only 24% of the surveyed homes and dog ownership was reported in only 32% of the surveyed homes.

Nearly 100% of the homes surveyed had levels of cat and dog allergen which exceeded the threshold for allergic sensitization and over 30% had allergen levels high enough to produce asthma symptoms and asthma episodes.

In other words, even if you don’t own a dog or cat, chances are you’ve got cat and dog allergens all over your home at fairly significant levels.

The survey also showed that 46% of the houses surveyed had levels of dust mite allergens high enough to produce allergic reactions. Over 20% of all the surveyed homes had combined allergen levels high enough to trigger asthma symptoms and asthma episodes in genetically susceptible individuals.

As if that weren’t enough, survey results also show that over 65% of American homes have detectable levels of cockroach allergens, whether you see them or not.

The highest cockroach allergen concentrations are found in high-rise apartment buildings, urban settings, older homes, and low income households. Roughly 10% of the surveyed homes had cockroach allergen levels above the threshold for triggering asthma symptoms.

What can you do? NIEHS scientists, in collaboration with researchers from other asthma research centers have developed intervention strategies designed to reduce exposure to asthma triggers found in the home.

Read Indoor Asthma Triggers – Asthma Proof Your Home.

Asthma Triggers – Is Your Home Causing Your Asthma? was originally posted on: Asthma Treatment and Management Information - Azmacare.com

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2. Asthma Triggers – Do you know what yours are?
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Xolair was Designed for Treating Allergic Asthma Symptoms.

Xolair blocks allergy causing IgE antibodies produced by your immune system to attack substances which have entered your body. If you suffer from allergic asthma, Xolair may significantly reduce the number and severity of the asthma attacks (episodes) you will experience by blocking the action of your IgE antibodies.

Xolair asthma medication treatments involve injections every two to four weeks. Your doctor may recommend Xolair asthma treatments if you’re at least 12 years of age, if all other treatment options have been a failure and you suffer from allergy induced asthma with moderate to severe symptoms.

There are serious side effects and risks associated with Xolair. They may include possible blood-clotting problems, possible links to cancer which are currently being researched and the risk of severe reaction within two to three hours of taking the injection. As always, discuss your asthma treatment options, including Xolair, with your care providers and make an informed decision.

Xolair (Omalizumab) – Allergic Asthma Medication was originally posted on: Asthma Treatment and Management Information - Azmacare.com

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• Unless absolutely necessary, do not administer antibiotics to children under six months of age (European Respiratory Society Conference, Vienna, 09/03).
• Children under the age of three should consume full-cream milk and butter daily (PIAMA Birth Cohort Study 2003; 58:567-72).
• Stay out of indoor swimming pools; their chemicals can make lungs more susceptible to asthma (Occup & Environ Med 2003; 60:385-94).
• Avoid hormone replacement therapy when you reach menopause (Arch Int Med 2/23/04).
• Don’t smoke; don’t let family members be exposed to secondhand smoke. According to Robert Fink, MD “[T]he hospitalization rate for asthma in children is 50% higher if there is a smoker in the household.”
• Open windows at home to clear the house of indoor air pollutants.
• Avoid products, such as hairspray, that come in pressurized cans.
• Practice stress relief, and transmit this information to your children.
  “[E]motionally induced’ asthma is a real entity,” says Dr. Fink. “It has been shown that crying or laughing can elicit a histamine response”– that is, a release of the chemical responsible for allergic reactions.

Asthma Risk – How to Lower It was originally posted on: Asthma Treatment and Management Information - Azmacare.com

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1. Asthma Triggers – Do you know what yours are?
2. Catch Your Breath Now!
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