In This Article
Subscribe to Health Updates
Asthma Sufferers Wasting Money On Expensive Equipment
April 17, 2008 10:27 AM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
A new study says asthmatics should not buy expensive equipment that may be of little use. Common-sense methods probably work better to prevent asthma attacks.
Email This30-Second Summary
Researchers conducted a study of specialized equipment such as high-efficiency vacuum cleaners and mattress protectors, and found a small reduction in dust mites, but not enough to ward off asthma attacks.
"The level of allergens is so high in most homes that what remains after the treatment is still high enough to cause asthma attacks,” said Dr. Peter Gotzsche, lead author of the study.
There have been recent positive advances in asthma research, however.
Puerto Rican participants in a culturally tailored asthma intervention program in New York were 37 percent less likely to have visited an emergency room because of their asthma.
Simple methods may prove far more effective at reducing allergens and preventing attacks.
Leanne Male, assistant research director at charity group Asthma UK, said that tried and true strategies, like washing bed linens in hot water and removing soft toys from beds, could help the 90 percent of people whose asthma is triggered by dust mites, reports The BBC.
Roughly 20 million Americans suffer from asthma, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Symptoms can include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and breathing trouble.
"The level of allergens is so high in most homes that what remains after the treatment is still high enough to cause asthma attacks,” said Dr. Peter Gotzsche, lead author of the study.
There have been recent positive advances in asthma research, however.
Puerto Rican participants in a culturally tailored asthma intervention program in New York were 37 percent less likely to have visited an emergency room because of their asthma.
Simple methods may prove far more effective at reducing allergens and preventing attacks.
Leanne Male, assistant research director at charity group Asthma UK, said that tried and true strategies, like washing bed linens in hot water and removing soft toys from beds, could help the 90 percent of people whose asthma is triggered by dust mites, reports The BBC.
Roughly 20 million Americans suffer from asthma, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Symptoms can include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and breathing trouble.
Headline Link: Expensive equipment not worth it
Thirty-six trials were conducted by the nonprofit health organization The Cochrane Collaboration. Mattress protectors, specialized cleaners, high-efficiency vacuum cleaners and air filters were among the products tested and found mostly ineffective, according to the study.
Source: The BBC
Related Topics: Promising treatments
Researchers found that asthma symptoms and asthma-related hospital admissions decreased in Puerto Rican children whose families participated in a home-based management program. Poor asthma management is one of the factors causing high asthma rates and illness seen in low-income Puerto Rican children, according to Reuters.
Source: Reuters
University of Houston professor Richard Bond believes that using beta-blockers instead of stimulants, which have traditionally been used to treat asthma, may work better in helping patients control the condition. He has coined the term “paradoxical pharmacology,” reports ScienceDaily, because his research shows that “treating patients with medicine that initially worsens their symptoms before eventually improving their overall health,” may be the answer to decreasing asthma attacks.
Source: ScienceDaily
Maryland paper The Delmarva Daily Times offers a positive story about new education measures offered to local asthma sufferers. “Living With Asthma” night is geared to “help families manage the disease, recognize asthma attack triggers, discuss potential exercise modifications and control medications.”
Source: The Delmarva Daily Times
Asthma and poverty
The New England Journal of Medicine examines the global reach of asthma, including a map of the prevalence of asthma, by country. The story looks at the link between poverty and asthma, and at the complications that arise: “In the United States, pediatric asthma results in 14 million missed days of school each year, which in turn result in lost workdays—and lost wages—for caregivers.”
Source: The New England Journal of Medicine (subscription required)
Reference: Resources for those with asthma
FindingDulcinea provides a Web Guide to asthma with links to online resources for learning more about the condition, including specialized information for children and pregnant women.
Source: findingDulcinea
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute states that it is not exactly clear what causes asthma, but a person is more likely to develop it if other people in his or her family have asthma as well. Research also suggests that being exposed to smoke, infections and some allergens early in life may increase a person’s chances of developing the condition.
Source: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
© 2008 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
