Asthma and Smoke, Bushfires and Asthma

Even though this post is dedicated to bushfires, the effects for the asthmatic are the same in heavy smogged areas caused by log/coal fires.

That said – let’s get on with the post.

Summer time in Australia and other parts of the world can be particularly problematic for people with asthma if they have a bushfire problem.

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Thunderstorms and Asthma

Hello everyone,

This latest post is one that I think is so very important. It doesn’t matter where in the world you are, this can happen – Thunderstorm induced asthma.
As you know, thunderstorms more often than not combine heavy rain, high humidity and strong winds.

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Seasonal Asthma, Asthma Winter, Best Asthma Info, Part 3

Welcome back, I have so much to tell you today, this is the third post regarding, Seasonal Asthma, Asthma Winter.

Following are more things that you can do to keep you or your asthmatic child healthier this winter. In fact the tips you pick up today, will benefit everyone in your household, not just those suffering this debilitating life threatening disease.
So, let’s get on the same page here and all agree when we suffer from colds, flu and other bugs and Asthma attacks, we feel like poop and have a general lack of energy, motivation and enthusiasm. That said; now let’s look at what we can do with Nutrition to help our immune system stay on top of its game. No. No come on, stop that groaning, I heard you – it is not that hard honestly. Look studies have shown that a good diet, rich in good quality vegetables, fruit, lean protein, low fat diary, whole grains, adequate sleep and a little exercise all helps your immune system stay healthy which in turns promotes faster recovery from illness.

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Seasonal Asthma, Asthma Winter, Best Asthma Info, Part 2

Welcome back, I hope that you have all got your Asthma Management Plan out and up to date, and that you are now taking your Peak Flows daily.

I did have an email from a reader who asked me if he should still take his Asthma medication in winter, even if his Peak Flows were OK and he was feeling fine.  I emailed back immediately and will make my reply public.

“Dear ________, many thanks for your email.  I am not a medical practitioner, however, I feel you should take all medications even if your Peak Flows are in the correct zone and you are feeling fine.  Winter can be a tricky time for asthmatics, with attacks triggered at any time due to the many and varied triggers winter can bring especially the nasty viruses that inevitably get spread from one person to another.

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Seasonal Asthma, Asthma Winter, Best Asthma Info, Part 1

One thing that my daughter hates is the onset of winter due to the varying temperatures, plus the smog that appears in many areas due to people having log fires and the inevitable viruses that people catch. These people invariably spread their germs due to bad management of their symptoms plus many people seem to have an inability to cough and sneeze into tissues and then dispose of them correctly and then disinfect their hands.

Does this Sound familiar??

Harsh words you may say, sorry if you think that, but we have to “Call a spade a spade”!

It is an indisputable fact that as winter arrives so do the cold and flu and with this the number of people dropping like flies due to catching the virus.  For Asthma sufferers and those with suppressed immune systems or any chronic condition it can spell disaster.

For the Asthma sufferer even a simple cold virus can trigger a major asthma event let alone catching the ‘flu.  Hospitals report that in autumn (fall) and winter the number of hospital admissions or those seeking help in the emergency departments increase dramatically.

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Asthma Questions: The Hygiene Hypothesis

Question: I’ve heard something called the “hygiene hypothesis” being referenced when discussing asthma. What is this?

Answer:

The “hygiene hypothesis” is a school of thought presented by certain medical studies, discovered during investigations in to why asthma is seemingly on the rise. While by no means a new condition, cases of asthma have been steadily rising since records began. Certain medical studies have tried to find out why this is, and along with environmental factors, the hygiene hypothesis has been suggested for this rise in cases.

“Hygiene hypothesis” is the term used to describe the fact that, as a species, we are far more hygienic than we have ever been. Most households use strong cleaning products, and young children are not as exposed to dirt and bacteria as they were in the 1950s and 1960s. While this cannot really be seen as a bad things, some studies have suggested that it may have contributed to a rise in asthma cases.

Bacteria in the air, when inhaled, is aggravating – and can cause temporary inflammation of the lungs. This usually manifests itself in coughing. Young children in the earlier parts of the 20th century would have had daily exposure to bacteria due to less rigorous hygiene and cleaning standards; as a result, the bronchi of their lungs would appear irritated. The body would then learn how to deal with this, and calm the bronchi down.

Asthma can essentially be described as a irritation of the bronchi. As children nowadays are not exposed to the same levels of bacteria, their bodies do not learn to ‘calm’ the bronchi in their early life. This, some suggest, has lead to a larger number of asthma cases, as when presented with bacteria now, the body is not as well-versed in how to react.

Peak Flow Meter – Best Asthma Info

Today I want to write about something very important, something that I know and guarantee will help you the asthma sufferer or your suffering asthmatic child.  Today I write about a “Peak Flow Meter”.  A Peak Flow meter helped me care correctly for my asthmatic daughter, and today she is a grown woman caring for herself, however, she still uses it twice a day!

What is a Peak Flow Meter?

A peak flow meter is a device measuring air flowing out of the lungs, called peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and is used to measure whether a person’s asthma is under control.  This is done by the person with asthma forcefully blowing into the device.

A Peak Flow Meter, when correctly used, can reveal narrowing of the airways well in advance of an asthma attack. You can then take action – this device is paramount and should be incorporated in your asthma management plan (In my opinion)

Used mainly by persons with moderate to severe and persistent asthma, peak flow meters can help determine:

• What is going on in your airways rather than just guessing by the way you feel.
• You can find out if your treatment is having the effect it should on your asthma.
• You will know whether you need to change your treatment.
• Your doctor will be able to see how well you have been.
• What triggers the asthma attack (such as exercise-induced asthma
• When to seek emergency medical care.

You can get them from most good pharmacies or your Respiratory Physician can prescribe one for you.

Peak Flow Meters come in several different makes of and two different types known as low and standard range.

Standard range peak flow meters are suitable for both adults and children.

Low range peak flow meters are designed for adults and children with severely impaired function of the lungs.

It doesn’t really matter who makes it, they all do the same thing and that is measure your expiration rate = “Breath Out” = how hard and quickly you blow air out of your lungs.

If you have a child with Asthma you would need to check with its Respiratory Physician that your child is old enough to use a peak flow meter, as sometimes they can get a bit confused with sucking in their inhaler and blowing into the Peak Flow Meter.  On saying that each child is different, and I feel that if a child is say 4-5 years and over, and can understand the difference then a peak flow meter maybe suitable.

If you do have a Peak Flow Meter added to Asthma Plan, you will need to keep an Asthma Diary, and take daily readings, as one reading will not be enough.  An asthma Diary is so important, as you can chart each day and see whether you asthma is being properly controlled, also when visiting your Doctor it gives him a more information to help you or your child.

I will not go into detail here about how to use a Peak Flow Meter, as I feel your pharmacist or your physician is the person to teach you CORRECTLY how to use one and take correct readings by using the physical product.

Until Next time,

I wish you and yours the best of Health!

P.S. Is Asthma Draining The Life Out of You?

My daughter and I are ¾ of the way through reading an interesting book – we also got as a bonus 7 other books (thank god we are avid readers!) Take a Look

P.P.S Peak Flow Meters can also be obtained from – Peak Flow Meter

P.P.S. Both my daughter and I use Dust Mite and Allergy Control Pillow Encasement - We have found these are amazing and my daughter reckons, by using them, she has never had a coughing fit or sneezing attack when in bed!

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Disclaimer

It is important to note that information contained in this post is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Any questions regarding a medical diagnosis or treatment should be directed to a medical practitioner.

The Causes of Asthma

The exact causes of asthma are unknown; there is no direct chain of events that effects every single sufferer. There is some evidence that asthma is a genetic condition, as people inherit the tendency towards inflamed airways – the primary problem associated with asthma. If a child’s parents both have asthma, they are statistically more likely to suffer from the illness themselves – but this is not always the case. Similarly, a child can have asthma even if there is no genetic history of it in their family. It really does seem to be the luck of the draw.

People who suffer from asthma are more likely to have allergies, particularly to dust mites and hay fever But again, this is not a certain link: lots of people who have hay fever do not have asthma, for example, just as lots of people who have asthma do not have hay fever

There are no known substances that are thought to actively ’cause’ asthma – though certain things, such as chemicals, allergens and smoke are known to exacerbate an existing condition.

It is natural when you, or someone you know, is diagnosed with asthma to question why it has happened. Unfortunately, asthma is one of the many illnesses that simply do not have a specific and clear-cut cause for why they have occurred. Learning to accept that sometimes, quite genuinely, these things do just happen is an important part of coming to terms with their asthma diagnosis.

Finally, if you are a parent and are concerned about passing asthma on to your children, this is by no means a certainty, so try not to fret.

Asthma Questions: The Hygiene Hypothesis

Question: I’ve heard something called the “hygiene hypothesis” being referenced when discussing asthma. What is this?

Answer:

The “hygiene hypothesis” is a school of thought presented by certain medical studies, discovered during investigations in to why asthma is seemingly on the rise. While by no means a new condition, cases of asthma have been steadily rising since records began. Certain medical studies have tried to find out why this is, and along with environmental factors, the hygiene hypothesis has been suggested for this rise in cases.

“Hygiene hypothesis” is the term used to describe the fact that, as a species, we are far more hygienic than we have ever been. Most households use strong cleaning products, and young children are not as exposed to dirt and bacteria as they were in the 1950s and 1960s. While this cannot really be seen as a bad things, some studies have suggested that it may have contributed to a rise in asthma cases.

Bacteria in the air, when inhaled, is aggravating – and can cause temporary inflammation of the lungs. This usually manifests itself in coughing. Young children in the earlier parts of the 20th century would have had daily exposure to bacteria due to less rigorous hygiene and cleaning standards; as a result, the bronchi of their lungs would appear irritated. The body would then learn how to deal with this, and calm the bronchi down.

Asthma can essentially be described as a irritation of the bronchi. As children nowadays are not exposed to the same levels of bacteria, their bodies do not learn to ‘calm’ the bronchi in their early life. This, some suggest, has lead to a larger number of asthma cases, as when presented with bacteria now, the body is not as well-versed in how to react.

Asthma Questions: Can A Child “Grow Out” Of Asthma?

Question: My daughter is six years old, and I recently took her to the doctor as I had noticed she was occasionally struggling to breathe and was coughing a lot. She was diagnosed with mild asthma and given two inhalers to use, which seem to be doing the job. I have, however, heard that sometimes children of my daughter’s age “grow out” of asthma and it does not effect them as a child. Is there any truth in this?

Answer:

There is actually some truth in this – perhaps not in medical record, but certainly in people’s experience of young children with asthma. Some children do indeed appear to “grow out” of asthma, and do not need to use inhalers or suffer attacks in their adult life.

There are various theories for this; the main one being that a child’s developing lungs are more sensitive, and this can make a mild tendency towards asthma seem more serious than it actually is. When the child grows up, their asthma appears to almost vanish, as their lungs grow and mature.

However, the concept of children never suffering from asthma again in their adult life is very rare – many childhood sufferers will find their illness returns as they age, particularly in their 50s and 60s. Hoping that your child’s asthma will fade away as they grow is natural, though it is important to be realistic. This is particularly true if your child has moderate to severe asthma, as this is less likely to be improved with age.

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