In the Cincinnati study into Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution, 624 babies and toddlers of allergic parents were assessed and when exposured to a combination of high levels of indoor allergens (such as bacteria from throat infections, house dust mites and mould spores) plus traffic air pollution, this increased their risk of developing wheezing and persistent asthma by six fold. The well-established Hygiene Hypothesis highlights the connection between a sterile home environment in infancy and the risk of deveoping childhood allergies. It was the combined effect of exposure to high levels of indoor allergens (endotoxin) together with the motor car diesel exhaust fumes that seemed to be such a potent trigger for wheezing and persistent airway inflammation. The resultant chronic airway inflammation is also known to retard long-term normal lung development. While in children exposed to moderate levels of indoor or outdoor allergens, only 11 percent developed asthma and in those exposed to low levels of allergen but high level air pollution, 18 percent developed persistent or chronic asthma.
Posts Tagged ‘chronic asthma’
Motor traffic air pollution increases allergies
Thursday, December 10th, 2009Asthma sufferers don’t use inhalers correctly
Monday, November 23rd, 2009More than five million individuals in the UK receive regular treatment for chronic asthma. Many are unsure about when or how to use inhalers, which reduces the effectiveness of their medication and can be a health risk.
A leading pharmacy group has developed a service, designed to help patients use long-term prescription drugs correctly. They found patients either breathe in too fast or not strongly enough and many individuals don’t seem to be able correctly alter their inhaler technique. These patients are then advised to speak to their GP about finding an alternative asthma medication delivery system. A study at Belfast City Hospital revealed 35 per cent of asthmatic patients used half or less of their prescribed medication, and another 21 per cent used treatment more than prescribed.
Asthma control is reliant on adequate use of low dose inhaled steroids as preventer medication particularly during the winter months when viral infections are likely to exacerbate asthma attacks.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/diets/article-1229842/Millions-asthma-sufferers-misuse-medication.html
