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Asthma
Some articles about asthma, courtesy of News Canada.
Please also read our articles:
Asthma in Canada
Asthma facts
- Canada has one of the highest incidences of asthma in the world. This chronic lung disease affects an estimated 2.5 million Canadians.
- Close to six in 10 Canadians with asthma do not have control of their disease and are leading a life compromised by their symptoms.
- In Canada, there are approximately 10 deaths from asthma per week.
- It is estimated that more than 80 per cent of asthma deaths could be prevented with proper asthma education.
- Education plays an important role in asthma treatment because non-compliance with asthma medications is common. Often, patients rely solely on their rescue medication (blue "puffers") for instant relief of symptoms without treating the underlying cause of the disease, resulting in poor asthma control.
- For many patients, controller medication must be taken every day and maintained at the correct dose to control symptoms, improve lung function and prevent future attacks.
- If you or a family member has asthma, speak to your doctor. Asthma does not have to control your life. Take the 30-second asthma test to see if your asthma is under control (www.30secondasthmatest.com), and speak to your doctor about the treatment option that is right for you.
More articles follow ...
The 30 second asthma test
Is your asthma out of control? Take this quick test to find out.
- I use my blue inhaler four or more times a week (Except one dose/day for exercise)
- I cough, wheeze, or have a tight chest because of my asthma (four or more days a week)
- Coughing, wheezing, or chest tightness wake me at night (one or more times a week)
- I stop exercising because of my asthma (In the past three months)
- I miss work or school because of my asthma (In the past three months)
If you answered yes to even one question, your asthma could be out of control. Talk to your doctor to find out how to improve your asthma control and strive to live a symptom-free life.
Gasping for Air? Don't compromise your quality of life
According to a national survey, more than half of the 2.5 million Canadians living with asthma make compromises every day because of their disease. They experience symptoms which are unnecessary, such as wheezing and coughing, that hinder their day-to-day activities. Whether it's missing work or having to visit the hospital emergency room, people with uncontrolled asthma make compromises that they mistakenly see as inevitable.
"Compromises do not result from negligence or ignorance, but rather a complex set of behaviours," says Dr. David Aboussafy, PhD, clinical psychologist at the University of British Columbia and vice-president, BC Psychological Association. "One of the biggest factors of compromising behaviour is the generally low expectations held by asthma sufferers regarding the level of control possible with their disease. Low expectations feed into a multitude of attitudes and behaviours that ultimately impact quality of life."
Other reasons why people with asthma make compromises include misconceptions about asthma, anxiety about the disease or treatments, a sense of helplessness or psychological fatigue. Such compromises impact asthma sufferers' ability to manage asthma effectively.
However, an international group of asthma experts suggest that with appropriate care people may be able to control their disease well enough to prevent most attacks. If you have asthma, the first step toward aiming for a symptom-free life is to speak to your doctor about available treatments. Greater asthma control may be achieved if both patients and their doctors have higher expectations. Managing asthma on a daily rather than on a crisis basis could allow many patients to regain those important elements of their lives that they may have compromised on in the past.
Visit www.30secondasthmatest.com to see if your asthma is under control, or if you are compromising your quality of life.
Travelling with asthma
Got the travel bug but feel your asthma keeps you grounded?
"The climate can definitely affect your asthma," says Chris Haromy, Certified Asthma Educator with The Lung Association. "It's important to keep your asthma under control so that you can lead a normal, active life that can include vacations away from home."
Here are some tips to help you enjoy a worry-free, healthy holiday:
- Take a supply of medication to last the length of your holiday.
- If you are travelling by airplane, carry all of your medicines with you in case your luggage gets lost. If you are travelling outside Canada and the U.S., make sure you book onto a smoke-free flight.
- If you are travelling outside of Canada, ask your pharmacist for a printout of your medicines. This should help if Customs questions you about them.
- Keep your medications in their original containers.
- If you are using a compressor to take your medications, make sure that the country you are visiting has the same electrical voltage as Canada. (If not, speak to the compressor supplier and they can perhaps give you an adapter or rent you a compatible compressor to take with you.)
- Ask your doctor for a written action plan in case you have problems while you are away.
- Even if your symptoms improve while you are away on vacation, do not decrease or stop your medication.
- If you are travelling outside of the province, make sure you have enough medical insurance to cover you in case of an emergency.
For residents of Ontario, Canada, additional information is also available through The Lung Association's toll free Asthma Action Helpline at 1-800-668-7682 to speak with a certified asthma educator. Helpful tips are also available at www.on.lung.ca.
Editor's note: U.S. based readers can visit the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Residents of other jurisdictions are urged to use a search engine such as Google to locate an agency in their area. Do a search for asthma and the name of your region.
For the latest news about asthma issues, see the news list at the bottom of this web page.
News Canada
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News about Asthma
These news items are supplied by "Yahoo! News". You can visit them at http://news.yahoo.com/.
- Topigen completes enrollment of Phase II asthma trial (Pharmaceutical Business Review)
Topigen Pharmaceuticals has completed patient enrollment in a Phase II safety and efficacy study in asthma with one of its lead product candidates, TPI ASM8.
- Topigen Completes Enrollment Of Phase II Study Of TPI ASM8 In Asthma (Medical News Today)
TOPIGEN Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specialized in developing products for respiratory disorders, has announced the completion of patient enrollment in a Phase II safety and efficacy study in asthma with one of its lead product candidates, TPI ASM8.
- UGA researchers find tie between asthma, thunderstorms (The Red and Black)
Asthma attacks and thunderstorms. Though the two seem totally unrelated, a team of researchers from the University and Emory University have found that there is a three percent increase of attacks in the days following a thunderstorm.
- Surprise benefit linked to asthma (TVNZ)
Asthmatics and hay fever sufferers get a surprise benefit from their condition, according to research suggesting they have some protection from cancer of the lymph system.
- Early Exposure To Tobacco Smoke Causes Asthma And Allergy (Science Daily)
Babies exposed to cigarette smoke before birth or during the first months afterwards run a greater risk of developing asthma and allergy. It is a well known fact that babies are harmed by tobacco smoke in numerous ways, but it has always been difficult to separate the effects of the mother smoking during pregnancy and passive smoking after birth.
- Controlling Asthma a Challenge in Children (Carteret County News-Times)
(ARA) - Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease, affecting nearly 9 million children in the United States. Although it has serious health consequences, many parents don't know how to keep their child's asthma under control.
- Reflux may trigger asthma in some (UPI)
DURHAM, N.C., July 22 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they have linked gastroesophageal reflux disease -- or GERD -- to asthma.
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