allergens

What is Asthma

Asthma Constricts the Airways of the Lungs — An Illustration of What Asthma Does to Your Lungs

What is asthma is a difficult question to answer. The general consensus is that asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes obstruction of your airways. Airways (aka. as bronchi) are the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs, asthma causes chronic swelling and soreness to their inside walls. If you are exposed to an allergen or irritant, your airways may begin to spasm, which results in what is known as an asthma attack or asthma episode.

Typically, asthma attacks are the result of acute spasms in the muscles surrounding your bronchi, which constricts or narrows your airways. Inflammation to the inside walls of your bronchi increases which narrows your airways even further. To top it all off, cells in your bronchi can generate additional mucus, which adds to the narrowing. The result is that you may feel as though you are “starving for air.”

Asthma Symptoms

Symptoms you’d normally experience during an asthma episode can include chest tightness, coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. Asthma attacks can last minutes or hours. They certainly are not all the same, some are much more severe than others. In extreme cases, vital organs will not receive enough oxygen, leading to death.

There are two forms of asthma, allergic and nonallergic. They often occur together. Because asthma symptoms may resemble those of other diseases it is difficult to distinguish it from other conditions making asthma difficult to diagnose conclusively. For example, bronchitis, lower respiratory infections and emphysema share many of the same symptoms as asthma.

Allergic Asthma

Allergic asthma can be triggered by your exposure to something your body is allergic to. Some of the more common asthma provoking allergens, also called asthma triggers, include environmental pollutants, animal dander, food additives such as sulfites, mold, chemicals, drugs, dust mites, cockroaches, exhaust fumes, feathers, and tobacco smoke.

Non-Allergic Asthma

Nonallergic asthma can be triggered by temperature changes, laughing, cold air, extreme dryness or humidity, low blood sugar, anxiety, exercise, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), adrenal disorders and stress. Cardiac asthma is a non-allergic type of asthma caused by heart failure.

Intrinsic Asthma

Intrinsic asthma, a nonallergic asthma, tends to appear during upper respiratory viral infections, is many times associated with bronchitis or sinusitis, and usually appears during adulthood. Intrinsic asthma sufferers seem particularly vulnerable to emotional stress, exercise, changes in the weather and other factors which are related to inner feelings.

The cause of Asthma is a mystery. No one knows what causes it, although a hereditary link to Asthma was discovered in late 1999.

Adults over the age of 65 and children under the age of 16, especially those living in urban areas are most likely to suffer from asthma. It is the number one cause of school absenteeism and the number one cause of hospitalization for children.

Asthma Medications and Treatments

There are several established asthma medications and treatments, as well as several new and promising treatment options on the horizon. In general, there are three groups of allergy medications:

Within the three general groups above your doctor will recommend your asthma treatment based on your individual needs. For example, pills, inhalants and injections are available, each with their respective positive and negative effects. In fact, inhaled and systemic bronchodilators and corticosteroids are routinely prescribed, depending on the circumstances.

The bad news is that there is no cure for asthma. The good news is that asthma is very treatable and manageable.

The Asthma Epidemic – No End in Sight

Industrial Air Pollution — Air Pollution is a leading cause of Asthma

22.2 million Americans suffer from asthma as of 2005, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 1982-1996, 2001-2005. Approximately 12.2 million of these suffered an asthma attack that year. In addition, there were approximately 1.8 million emergency room visits attributable to asthma in 2005. In 2004, acute asthma episodes resulted in 3,780 deaths.

The direct health care cost of asthma in the United States is $11.5 billion annually. Lost productivity and other indirect costs add another $4.6 billion. $5 billion are spent every year on prescription drugs used to treat asthma and $1.7 billion is attributable to lost productivity due to death.

Asthma epidemics related to atmospheric contamination–caused by the abundance of dust and chemical particles, especially in enclosed environments–are very well known and well documented. Major risk factors in occupational exposure to toxic substances, such as polyurethane and urethane, which are used in the adhesives and plastics industry; rubber epoxy resins from paint; dry cleaning chemicals; textile cleaners fumes; and many others may also play a major role.

The meteoric rise in the global incidence of asthma has baffled researchers. Possible causes, which are currently being researched include food additives, genetics, pollution, toxins, global warming, and allergens. Asthma researchers and asthma specialists speculate that the epidemic rise in the number of new asthma cases every year for the past 30 years is due specifically to rising levels of environmental pollution.

What can you do to protect yourself and your family? You can start with Asthma Relievers – Fruits and Vegetables and Catch Your Breath Now.

Asthma Triggers and Some Tips on How to Avoid Them

Pet Dander is a Common Asthma Trigger — Pet Dander is a Leading Asthma Trigger

Asthma triggers cause airway inflammation or irritation and lead to asthma symptoms. Some of the most common triggers can include:

Tobacco use or second-hand smoke
Exposure to cold air or sudden temperature change
Colds or respiratory infections
Air pollution or fumes
Allergic reactions to pollen or mold
Chalk dust
Animal dander from cats, dogs, and other furred animals
Paints
Feathers or feathered animals
Cleaning agents
Cockroaches
New furnishings or equipment
Dust, dust mites
Pesticides
Vigorous exercise
Strong odors such as dry erase markers, magic markers, perfumes or glue/paste

You can and should minimize your exposure from potential triggers from the environment by:

Avoiding tobacco use or second-hand smoke.
Reducing indoor humidity.
Have your heating and ventilation systems serviced and cleaned regularly.
Limiting your outdoor activities when pollen counts are high.
Keep your environment clean and dust free.
Avoid using strong-smelling cleansers and heavy perfumes.
Warm-up before doing any vigorous exercise.
Wear a scarf around your face during cold weather.
Take a flu shot annually to protect yourself from flu exposure.
Avoid furred or feathered pets.
Reduce carpet and upholstered furniture in your home.

Try to isolate your particular triggers and do everything you can to avoid or minimize your exposure to them. The best way to deal with an asthma episode is to not have one.

If you’re interested in more detailed articles on asthma triggers, please see: Is Your Home Causing Your Asthma?, Asthma and Outdoor Air Pollution in Southern California and Asthma Proof Your Home.

Asthma and Outdoor Air Pollution in Southern California

Toxic Air Pollution — A Factory Spewing Toxic Chemicals Into Our Air

Asthma research conducted in the past half-century has focused primarily on indoor allergens and their effect on asthma sufferers. As it turns out, Scientists are just beginning to realize that outdoor air pollution has a significant, if not more profound, effect on asthma.

A recent study conducted by the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, recently studied the outdoor air pollution levels of 10 Southern California cities.

The researchers found that the closer children live to a freeway, the greater their chances of being diagnosed with asthma. In addition, they found that children were also more likely to develop asthma symptoms if the air around their homes had higher levels of nitrogen dioxide. Nitrogen dioxide is a toxic pollutant emitted from the tailpipes of motor vehicles.

As a direct result of that study, the NIEHS has launched a new research program investigating and attempting to identify the genetic risk factors that predispose people to asthma. Using gene expression profiling, researchers will be screening thousands of genes in the hopes of identifying which of those genes are activated when a patient’s airways become obstructed or inflamed.

The goal of the study is to determine which genes make certain people susceptible to different types of asthma. It will attempt to explain why some people develop asthma living in and around urban centers, while others do not.

Read Catch Your Breath Now for more information on the effect of outdoor air pollutants on asthma.

Is Your Home Causing Your Asthma?

Chances Are, Your Home IS Causing Your Asthma — Chances are Common Asthma Triggers found in Your Home Are Indeed Causing Asthma Attacks

Is your home causing your asthma? Recent studies say yes. They also say that exposure to indoor allergens such as rodents, molds, fungi, dust mites, dogs, cats and cockroaches are among the most important and dangerous environmental triggers for asthma.

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 Asthma Proof Your Home.