Aerobic Exercise Can Help Curb Asthma

Aerobic Exercise Can Help Curb Asthma

THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Workouts that really get the heart pumping may help ease asthma in people with the respiratory condition, a new Brazilian study finds.






 

Researchers led by Celso Carvalho of the University of Sao Paolo School of Medicine looked at outcomes for 43 people, aged 20 to 59, with moderate to severe asthma. They were randomly selected to do 30-minute yoga breathing exercises twice a week, or the breathing exercises plus a 35-minute indoor treadmill session twice a week.

After three months, those in the treadmill group showed greater reductions in asthma severity and more improvement in their quality of life, according to the study published June 10 in the journal Thorax.

For example, Carvalho tested the participants' "bronchial hyperresponsiveness" -- the speed at which the airway constricts in asthmatics -- and found improvements in people who engaged in aerobic exercise versus those who didn't.

Levels of proteins tied to the inflammatory response that are key to asthma also fell for those involved in the more rigorous exercise, the Brazilian team found.

Exercise is often recommended for asthma patients because it boosts physical fitness, enhances quality of life and reduces the need for inhalers, the study authors noted. However, it hasn't been clear whether the benefits of exercise outweigh potential harms.

"These results suggest that adding exercise as an adjunct therapy to [drug] treatment could improve the main features of asthma," the researchers said.

The findings are important, they added, because many people with asthma fail to exercise because they think it will trigger an asthma flare-up.

Source : https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_153039.html

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Asthma Management In Pregnancy

Need for better asthma management in pregnancy

A better maternity care model could help reduce the risk that poorly managed asthma has on pregnant women and their unborn children, new research finds.

Published in respiratory journal, CHEST, 60 women less than 20 weeks pregnant were split evenly into two groups: one received counselling by their pharmacist (education about asthma/use of preventative medications, regular monitoring, feedback, follow-up) in conjunction with seeing their regular doctor, while the other followed their normal asthma routine.

The study found that women in the intervention group were in significantly better control of their asthma after six months than the other group.

Despite the proven safety of using asthma-preventing medications during pregnancy, some women believe steroid inhalers are harmful, choosing to stop taking their medication without notifying their doctor.

On the contrary, women risk their own and their unborn child’s safety by not using asthma preventers. Poorly controlled asthma in pregnancy can limit the oxygen provided to a growing fetus and has been associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and pre-eclampsia.

The study focussed on educating women about the safety of inhaler medications during pregnancy, optimising their delivery technique and stressing the importance of continuing medications recommended by the doctor.

Researchers believe improved education and monitoring programs in Australian hospitals could help pregnant women better manage their asthma.

Source : http://theconversation.com/need-for-better-asthma-management-in-pregnancy-23249

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Help to Manage Asthma?

Can Natural Therapies Help to Manage Asthma?

Some natural therapies may help to manage symptoms of asthma. For instance, a negative response to emotional stress can cause an asthma attack. Some natural relaxation remedies like deep abdominal breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and biofeedback can help relieve stress.

Other findings suggest that diet plays a role in alleviating asthma symptoms. For example, it’s thought that omega-3 fatty acids found naturally in high-fat fish such as salmon, mackerel, or cod enable the body to make more products that tend to decrease inflammation. Whether this may be of benefit to those with asthma is still unproven.








Pros and Cons of Natural Asthma Remedies

As you consider the different types of natural asthma remedies available, it’s of utmost importance to cautiously balance your desire to breathe easier with the possible dangers of the treatment, which may be unknown. Never use any natural dietary supplement without checking first with your health care provider or asthma specialist. Some natural herbal products, such as bee pollen, may trigger an asthma attack if you are allergic to the specific plant. Also, never stop using your asthma drugs without your health care provider’s knowledge. The result of not following your health care provider's prescribed medical regimen to treat your asthma can be very serious, even life threatening.

If you are uncertain about the claims on a natural dietary supplement product label, call your health care provider before taking it. A health care professional can assess the product to let you know what it contains.

Goals of Managing Asthma

Even though there’s no natural cure for asthma, your symptoms can be treated and controlled with several asthma medications. Your goal in managing asthma is to:

•     Get an accurate asthma diagnosis.

•     Work with your doctor to develop an asthma action plan.

•     Monitor your peak flow rate daily and take appropriate measures when it drops.

•     Keep an asthma diary so you can track all your symptoms and medication use.

•     Avoid asthma triggers or causes of asthma, including outdoor irritants such as smog.

•     Seek medical advice and treatment for coexisting problems that can worsen asthma symptoms, such as GERD, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis.

•     Exercise daily to maximize your aerobic fitness.

•     Prevent exercise-induced asthma by medicating before exercise.

•     Eat nutritious foods to maximize your immune defenses against viral and bacterial infections.

•     Maintain a normal weight.

•     Get plenty of restful sleep.

•     Call your health care provider at the first sign of asthma symptoms.

•     Check in with your health care provider regularly for breathing tests to make sure your asthma is managed and your medications are working optimally.

You hold the key to living well with asthma. Trust your health care provider to give you guidance, and then take daily responsibility for your breathing with proven self-care measures.

Source : http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/natural-cure-asthma

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Aminophylline For Asthma

About aminophylline

Aminophylline is an oral bronchodilator medicine which is prescribed for people with breathing problems, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a medicine that you take by mouth as a tablet. It is also available as an injection, but this is usually given in a hospital environment. Aminophylline is actually a mixture of a medicine called theophylline, and ethylenediamine. The ethylenediamine is used to improve how well the active medicine, the theophylline, dissolves.

It works by opening up the air passages in your lungs so that air can flow into your lungs more freely. This makes breathing easier and helps relieve symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.

How to take aminophylline

•     Before starting this treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. The leaflet will give you more information about aminophylline and a full list of side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

•     Aminophylline is taken twice a day, in the morning and evening. There are two different strengths of tablet available, and you will be asked to take either one or two tablets for each of your doses. Your dose may be adjusted over the first few weeks depending on the results of some blood tests. The tests allow your doctor to make sure that you have the dose that helps your condition, but avoids any unwanted symptoms. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you what strength of tablet is right for you and how many tablets to take for each dose. Your dose will also be on the label of the pack to remind you.

•     Try to take your doses at the same times each day, as this will help you to remember to take them. You can take the tablets before or after meals.

•     Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water. Do not chew, break, or crush them.

    If you forget to take a dose but it is still within four hours of the time you should have taken it, take a dose as soon as you remember. If it is more than four hours since you should have taken it, do not take the missed dose but do remember to take your next dose when it is due. Do not take two doses together to make up for a forgotten dose.

Read More : http://patient.info/medicine/aminophylline-phyllocontin-continus

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