At least half of adults and as many as 80 percent of children with asthma have allergies that frequently trigger asthma attacks.  Possible allergens to which the bronchial tubes react include pollens, dust mites, molds, pets, insect parts, fish, eggs, peanuts, nuts, cow’s milk, soy, additives such as sulfites and latex.  Also triggering asthma symptoms are irritants such as tobacco smoke, respiratory infections, drugs such as aspirin, smog, diesel fumes, paint, detergents, deodorants, chemicals, perfume, exercise and emotional or hormonal factors.
[SOURCE: “Asthma trigger checklist,” MedicineNet.com, last editorial review August 9, 2006]

Changing Home Environment Works                                                                       

Making changes in the home environment brought about a reduction of asthma symptoms comparable to that achieved through medication, according to results from the Inner City Asthma Study published in the New England Journal of Medicine [2004]. Among changes recommended to alleviate asthma triggers, 2007 guidelines indicate that reducing dust mites may have the greatest effect.  Asthma affects more than 10 percent of American children. At greatest risk are children of color, inner city children and those from low-income families. 
[SOURCE: “Ten tips to help asthma-proof your home,” News-Medical.Net, October 29, 2007]

Clearing the Air To Head Off Asthma
                                                                       

Whether it’s their desire or not, the smokers you see huddled together in the parking lot for their 10-minute break are doing their part to make life better for asthma patients. Second-hand smoke is one of the most common triggers for an asthma attack, particularly in children and adolescents. In addition to worsening symptoms in persons already diagnosed, passive smoking causes as many as 26,000 new cases of asthma every year, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
[SOURCE: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, “Asthma overview,” last updated 2005]

COPD Is Growing Threat to Women
                                                                                               

As recently as 1959, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was primarily a male malady, killing five times as many men as women. For the past four years, female deaths from COPD have slightly outnumbered male deaths.
The change is usually attributed to increased smoking rates for women compared to those for men. A female smoker has a risk of dying from COPD 13 times that of a woman who has never smoked.

[SOURCE: Antonello Punturieri, et al, “The Changing Face of COPD,” American Family Physician, February 1, 2007; American Lung Association, “Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Fact Sheet, August, 2006]           

COPD Suffering Comparable
To That of Lung Cancer
                                                                       

Persons in the advanced stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have symptoms at least as disabling as those of patients with lung cancer. These include breathlessness, fatigue, sleep problems, anxiety and depression.
According to one study, COPD patients had more frequent breathlessness than lung cancer patients both in the final year and the final week of life. About 90 percent of COPD patients developed depression or anxiety compared to 52 percent of those with advanced lung cancer.

[SOURCE: Donna M. Goodridge, “COPD as a Life-Limiting Illness: Implications for Advanced Practice Nurses,” Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing eJournal, January 29, 2007]                       

 Don’t Waste Time Wondering

About 5 million Americans go to the emergency department each year with chest pain. While slightly less than half of these cases involve heart-related pain, nearly all require a doctor’s opinion. Those who waste time wondering if they should go to the ER could literally die of indecision. [SOURCE: W. Steven Pray, “The Patient with Chest Pain,” U.S. Pharmacist, 2007; 32(2), 2007]

 Oxygen Therapy Improves Survival                                                                                                 


Long-term oxygen therapy can extend life as well as improve quality of life for patients with severe emphysema. The goal of home oxygen therapy is not simply to relieve shortness of breath but to improve survival and make it possible to carry out every day activities. When deemed medically necessary, the cost of home oxygen therapy is covered by Medicare and most insurance carriers. Patients using home oxygen therapy usually need to use it for about 18 hours a day, even when sleeping, and for activities requiring physical exertion such as walking or grocery shopping. 
[SOURCE: Laurie Lewis, "Optimal Treatment for COPD," Patient Care, May 30, 2000]