Breathe Better by Taking Vitamin D Study Suggests

Asthma and COPD sufferers seem to be able to stop or to slow the decline of the "human airway muscle" that restricts breathing - simply by taking Vitamin D according to a new study from the University of Pennsylvania.

That's great news (thank you We Are Breathless for telling us). For once a low-cost, easy-to-follow option.

Calcitriol, a form of vitamin D synthesized within the body, that can also be administered, can "prevent or forestall the irreversible decline in breathing that leaves many asthmatics even more vulnerable when they suffer an asthma attack."

Breathe Healthy Air in the One Place You Can Control

At least 186 million Americans’ health are in danger from polluted air according to a report issued last month by the American Lung Association.

In fact, “ 60 Percent of Americans Live In Areas Where Air is Dirty Enough to Endanger Lives.”

This is especially bad news for those with respiratory conditions like asthma, emphysema and bronchitis. Some research shows that this level of air pollution also increases risk of heart attacks and strokes.

So it behooves us to ensure that we get clean air in the on place we can control – inside our homes. If you have young children, work at home or are older (lungs have reduced capacity with age) or have respiratory or allergy problems take action.

With the affordable, newer whole home air cleaning systems, you can avoid time-consuming and messy maintenance (just 1 – 2 filter changes a year for a total of no more than 10 minutes). More importantly, unlike room-only air cleaners (who lives in a closed room after all?) and the older air cleaning units, you can now get a continuously high-performing system bolted right onto your hvac system. I recommend a new, non-metallic (no rust, etc.) technology that cam out about 4 years ago called AspenAir Inside.

The key is to remove the tiny, airborne particles that go deep into the lungs, the so-called RSPs.

BTW, “Visalia and Fresno, two mid-size towns in central California ranked high for short-term and year-round particle pollution. Birmingham, Ala., and Cincinnati were listed in the top 10 of metro areas with unhealthy levels of year-round particle pollution. In the Southwest, the Houston, Dallas and Phoenix metro areas had high ozone levels.

Getting your children to eat the Mediterranean diet

... may reduce their risks of asthma by up to 40%, according to research from Spain and Mexico. I got it straight from the doc. Now, what’s your version of that diet?

A Child’s Cold May Actually be Asthma

"Wheezing can be serious," says pediatrics professor, Dr. Eigen at Riley Hospital who found that it is difficult for doctors to diagnosis asthma in young children. Coughing, the flu or bronchitis might actually be harbingers of asthma. Are the episodes of sickness seasonal or perennial? Work with your doctor to detect the patterns for earlier, more accurate diagnosis. Also remove from your air at home the tiny airborne particles, (the RSPs) that go deep into the lungs and exacerbate respiratory conditions. This is vital as 'asthma is the most common long-term disease of children and its incidence is growing worldwide."

Give Cleaner Air to Your Child or Grandchild Who Lives With a Smoker

"In my view, smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke are the most serious public health threats that we face today. I say this not only as Commissioner of New Jersey's Department of Health and Senior Services, but also as a doctor who specialized in pulmonary disease for 40 years." Almost 50% of Americans are exposed to second hand smoke. It "kills an estimated 50,000 people each year" in the U.S.

In spite of the horrific health results, some still continue to smoke and endanger those around them, including the ones they love. Second hand smoke can cause breast cancer in younger women. Those exposed to smokers at work or home increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent and lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.

Second hand smoke is a “lethal mix” for fetuses, infants and children. Those under five are most vulnerable, “especially at home.” They breathe more air, drink more water, and eat more food per unit of body weight than adults do, so they tend to experience higher rates of exposure to pathogens and pollutants. Result? They are at a much higher risk of impaired lung and brain development, sinusitis, cystic fibrosis, and chronic respiratory diseases. Plus they may become nicotine dependent.

But what if your grandchild or someone else you love lives in a home with a smoker who refuses to quit? Your first choice may not be possible – helping that loved one leave a home polluted by second hand smoke. The fall-back? Giving cleaner air to breathe in their home. For this upcoming holiday, providing a high-performing whole home air cleaner is a powerful sign of love. By the way, October is National Home Indoor Air Quality Action and Awareness Month.

Eco-socialite Says Green Goes With Everything

When her son was diagnosed with asthma, eco-socialite, Sloan Barnett sought relief, not from the steroid her doctor recommended, but by taking preventive measures. She went green in what she bought for her home and to clean it – not surprising as her husband runs Shaklee.

Yet, to complete the preventive measures, one needs to remove the tiny airborne particles that can go deep into the lungs, causing asthma, allergies and other respiratory and even heart problems. This isn’t just a one-time or periodic task. You need constant air cleaning protection that only a highly-efficient, whole home air cleaner can provide. Even HEPA-grade, room-only, portable air cleaners can’t do a thorough job unless you stay in one room without opening the door and windows – and keep the unit on all the time. That’s not the way we live. And asthma is on the rise. The good news is that a continuously high-performing system is affordable now. AspenAir Inside, for example, is easy to install, requires less than 10 minutes of maintenance a year (one to two filter changes), is quiet, and doesn't emit harmful ozone as some air cleaners do. Winter is coming. Will you be spending more time indoors? Now might be a good time to consider cleaning up the air you breathe in the one place you can control – in your home.

The Danger of Asthma During Pregnancy

This may also startle you. "Asthma is the most common chronic condition in pregnancy. Despite the frequently held notion that it is harmless, asthma can cause tremendous morbidity to both the fetus and the mother. In fact, severe and/or poorly controlled asthma has been associated with numerous adverse perinatal outcomes," according to Markus Little, MD and Richard Sinert, DO. Some of those dire outcomes include including preeclampsia, pregnancy-induced hypertension, uterine hemorrhage, premature birth, congenital anomalies, fetal growth restriction, and low birth weight. If someone you know is pregnant, she may want to take preventive steps now to clean the air at home - the one place where she can reduce the chances of an asthma attack. Relatedly, there's a study that could increase a pregnant woman's stress. It found that women who are stressed during pregnancy bear children who are "at a greater risk for allergies or asthma."

What’s Your Infant Breathing in the Nursery?

Changing tables, cribs and dressers may be emitting formaldehyde at levels that induce childhood allergies and asthma. So found the Maryland PIRG Foundation. In their report, In Toxic Baby Furniture: The Latest Case for Making Products Safe from the Start, the non-profit announced that tests from an independent laboratory show “formaldehyde emissions from common baby nursery furnishings can significantly contribute to indoor air pollution.”

“The more we look, the more we find chemicals in our children’s products at levels known to contribute to significant health problems ranging from asthma to cancer.

Unfortunately, formaldehyde is just the latest example,” said Johanna Neumann, state director of Maryland PIRG. Lab tests of 21 products often found in a baby nursery found several with, “an increased risk of developing allergies and asthma…the Child Craft Oak Crib emitted the highest levels of formaldehyde.”

What if every parent asked their state legislators to back these recommendations from the Maryland PIRG Foundation, “to protect children from exposure to toxic chemicals?

• Require chemical manufacturers to prove their chemicals are safe before allowing them to be used in consumer products,

• Empower state regulators to restrict or ban the manufacture and use of chemicals that pose potential dangers to human health or the environment, and

• Ensure the public has access to information about chemicals used in consumer products and the potential health impacts they pose.”

Disarming Asthma – A Mother's Perspective

“Asthma, believe it or not, is a disease that can be very dangerous,” writes Janean Brown at atchoo! allergy.

Not only can it affect a child’s ability to breathe, but it can also cause low blood oxygen and prevent oxygen from reaching vital organs in the body. If severe enough, asthma attacks can cause death. In fact, in 2002, over 4,000 deaths were attributed to asthma, 170 of which were children.

Parents today have become experts at determining when their child is getting an ear infection or a fever, but are they ready for an asthma attack? One of the first steps in asthma management is to know what to look for. Every child with asthma exhibits symptoms or warning signs that an attack is near.

Some symptoms include coughing, fast breathing, fatigue that is not play-related, wheezing, vomiting, unusual paleness or sweating, irregular breathing, and an anxious look when the child is trying to take in more air. Just as in my own experience, many children try to overcompensate by taking in too much air, which can lead to an attack itself. But by recognizing the symptoms, my family and I have become experts at predicting asthma attacks. I now take great pleasure in knowing that not only can I predicate the attacks, but I can stop them before they begin.

Relax Mom, to Help Your Child

Helping your children take control over their asthma before it takes hold of them can be the most powerful tool in reducing and eliminating their asthma attacks. “The most important thing to remember is to relax”, I can still hear my mother’s voice in my mind. Relaxing allows your body the opportunity to breathe normally and to get oxygen into the needed organs.

It also allows you and your children some time to either consult your pediatrician or take any necessary medication. Reassuring your children in a soft, confident tone helps to soothe them and allows you to make an assessment as to how the attack began and to how to end it.

It wasn’t until I was knee-deep in research that I realized that asthma, like allergies, has environmental triggers too. Approximately 75 to 80 percent of children with asthma have significant allergies. Though this may sound like a bad thing, this knowledge can work to your advantage. Isolating triggers can help you to eliminate asthma attacks all together. Some triggers for asthma include exercise, infections, allergies, weather, emotional states of mind, and chemical irritants.

Most of the time we can’t do anything about the weather or how hard our children play and exercise. However, we can control their environment to help reduce the risk factors for triggering an asthma attack. Monitoring what your child eats and drinks can be helpful in determining whether food or drink allergies are responsible for the attacks. Things like pollen, dust, mold, and pet dander can also trigger allergic reactions.

Don’t forget to be mindful of irritants like cigarette smoke, air pollution, aerosol sprays, or strong odors like paint fumes or strong cooking. These irritants can react to your child’s body just like allergens do, producing the same coughing, wheezing, and watery-eye reaction that can trigger asthma attacks. Also, be aware that emotional stress can also lead to an asthma attack. Excessive crying, laughing, or yelling can cause your child’s body to begin erratic breathing that can also trigger their asthma.

New Help for Hay Fever Sufferers

Hay fever is the top cause of work absenteeism due to chronic illness and leads to more than 2 million missed school days for children. The medical name is as inelegant as the symptoms: allergic rhinitis. But it packs a whallop.

Hay fever affects 20 percent of adults and 40 percent of children in the U.S.

The good news, announced in August, 2008, is that your doctor can be better prepared to diagnosis and help you, using the new guidelines established by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Learn more and find an allergist/immunologist in your area, in the Patients and Consumers section here.

Obese Asthmatics Hospitalized More Than Other Asthmatics.

Much more.

Extremely overweight people who suffer from asthma are nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized for the condition than others with asthma.

David M. Mosen, Ph.D., MPH’s study at Kaiser Permanente was published in the September, 2008, issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

"Given that nearly 30 percent of our country is obese, this study is yet another example of the long-term dangers of obesity, along with heart disease, diabetes, stroke and dementia."

Past studies found that obese
• People are more likely to suffer asthma than non-obese people,
• Patients often have more severe asthma than their non-obese counterparts.

Since asthma afflicts more than 20 million Americans, Mosen’s other discoveries are also alarming:

• Nearly a third of adults with asthma are also obese.

• Obese people with asthma had significantly worse asthma control, lower asthma-related quality of life, and had 4.6 times higher risk for asthma-related hospitalizations than non-obese asthmatics.

• Obese people with asthma were younger and less educated than non-obese people with asthma.

• Obese people with asthma used more oral corticosteroids.

• Obese people with asthma had a higher incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disorder.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines obesity as having a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher

Allergy Induced Asthma is on the Rise

Isabelle Boulay has an excellent article on how allergies can cause asthma in your child and what you can do about it. Her briefing will help prepare you before you visit the doctor. If your child is asthmatic, then be prepared to inspire the people at school to be supportive of good treatment during the school day.

Car Fumes (Is Your Garage Attached to Your Home?)

Donna Barnett of Chasing Clean Air, called Steve Ferguson, a senior engineer at the Harvard School of Public Health. She sought his advice about buying a device that could measure the air pollution in her home. That got them to talking about the kinds of substances in home air that she should worry about.

According to Barnett, Feguson said he “is most concerned with VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in car fumes. He noted his concern for people with garages attached to their house--what else are they bringing in the house when arriving?

He made an interesting comment: It'd be interesting to study the health of truck drivers, since they breathe the most particulate matter. Poofs of diesel smoke from their smokestack frequently dump along the truck's surface, and behind the truck where the airflow is rough and turbulent.

Trucks frequently follow one another in truck lanes so they'd breathe fine particulate matter the most.

5 Tips for Reducing Asthma or Allergy Attacks at Home

The American Lung Association and the EPA offer four tips for relieving respiratory problems at home and I’ll suggest a fifth.

1. Reduce or remove asthma and allergy triggers. They include:
• Cold air.

• Tobacco smoke and wood smoke.

• Perfume, paint, hair spray, or any strong odors or fumes.

• Allergens (particles that cause allergies) such as dust mites, pollen, molds, pollution, and animal dander - tiny scales or particles that fall off hair, feathers or skin - and saliva from any pets.

• Common cold, influenza, and other respiratory illnesses

2. Use air filters and air conditioners -- and properly maintain them.

3. Pay attention to the problem of dust mites. Work hard to control this problem in the bedroom.

4. Vacuum cleaners with poor filtration and design characteristics release and stir up dust and allergens. Select a unit with high-efficiency filters such as micro filter or HEPA media, good suction, and sealed construction.

Ask for test data from manufacturers to determine the quantity and size of dust particles captured (e.g., 96 % at 1.0 micron or 99.97% at 0.3 micron). Alternately, consider a central vacuum that exhausts particulate outside the home.

5. Just as there is a wide variation in vacuum cleaner perform, air filters vary. Along with purchasing a HEPA-level vacuum, also get a HEPA-equivalent Electronic Air Cleaner (EAC). EACs perform better than conventional whole home air filtering systems. In fact the EAC technology used by AspenAir Inside also uses less energy, does not require a whole new HVAC system, installs quickly, lasts longer and requires less maintenance. Learn more here.

Here’s “ten more tips to making your home asthma-friendly.” (PDF)

Think you or someone you love has asthma? See the free online test here, to help a doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

Beware! Many Air Fresheners Have Harmful Ingredients

86 percent (12 of 14 top sellers) of air freshener products tested have harmful phthalates in them according to tests conducted by The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) an international non-profit environmental organization. Some of those tested were sold as “unscented” or “all-natural.” Phthalates are known to cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects, and reproductive problems. Plus they may mash harmful odors in your home.

None of the products tested listed phthalates on their labels. The NRDC recommends that government regulators do more thorough tests on these products and enact basic measures to limit exposure to these chemicals.

Advises Cassandra Dass-Pearce of Green Clean Institute – Canada:

• Most phthalates are well known to interfere with production of the male hormone, testosterone, and have been associated with reproductive abnormalities.

• Numerous animal studies have linked prenatal exposure to certain phthalates with malformations of the genitalia, decreases in testosterone, and reduced sperm production.

• Studies in humans have shown that phthalates have been associated with changes in hormone levels, poor semen quality, and changes in genital development.

• Five phthalates -i ncluding one found in air freshener products - are listed by the State of California as chemicals “known to cause birth defects or reproductive harm.”

• Phthalate exposure indoors has also been associated with allergic symptoms and asthma. Because there are no labeling requirements, even so called “natural” products can contain toxic chemicals. It is virtually impossible for the average person to know which products may pose a potential health risk.

• Researchers have also detected other chemicals of concern to human health in these products as well. The European Consumers’ Organisation, BEUC (Bureau Europen des Consommateurs), commissioned a study in January 2005 to analyse the chemical substances present in indoor air following the use of air fresheners (including incense, natural products, scented candles, gels, aerosols, liquid and electric diffusers.
The BEUC study found volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in these products at high levels and concluded that VOCs significantly contributed to indoor air pollution.

In particular, the European study detected cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde in some air fresheners. Benzene is known to cause leukemia in humans, and formaldehyde has been linked to cancers of the upper airways.

The majority of products also contained allergens (such as limonene). People with allergies to these chemicals could have adverse reactions, including rashes or even asthma attacks, from exposure to air freshener products.

When necessary, use products with the lowest levels of phthalates to limit exposure to these toxic chemicals, or use products that are certified by organizations such as Green Seal (USA) and EcoLogo (Canada) as being an environmentally responsible product. EcoLogo It is the only North American standard approved by the Global EcoLabeling Network as meeting the international ISO 14024 Standards for environmental labels.

For a simpler, safer solution to an odor in the air at your home, Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman suggests that you, "simmer a pot of water with a cinnamon stick or cloves tossed in."

While you're into discovering ways to reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals in your home here are nine more.

Young children are more likely to develop multiple allergies

… later in life, when they are exposed to fungal spores that are “abundant in the air that we breathe every day” according to University of Cincinnati researchers.

They found that infants who were exposed to basidiospores and other airborne fungal spores (called penicillium/aspergillus and alternaria) early in life were more likely to develop allergies to mold, pollen, dust mites, pet dander and certain foods as they grew older.

That finding is worth reading twice.

“Because mold exists naturally in the outdoors, it’s very difficult to completely remove mold spores from the air," concluded Melissa Osborne, a graduate of the university’s environmental and occupational hygiene program and the lead author of the study.

(Yet it is not as difficult to remove most of those spores in your home than outdoors.)

Stress Worsens Your Allergies in Ways Traditional Treatments Don’t Help

If you're allergic, stress and anxiety are a bad combination," reports Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD, Ohio State University Medical Center. When one gets upset allergies get worse – and continue to worsen the next day.

Kiecolt-Glaser concluded, "This is clinically important for patients since most of what we do to treat allergies is to take antihistimines to control the symptoms runny nose, watery, itchy eyes, and congestion.”

"Antihistimines don't deal with those symptoms on the next day."

People may be setting themselves up to have more persistent problems by being stressed and anxious when allergy attacks begin," Kiecolt-Glaser said. Pratanu Banerjee agrees and so does Debra Fulghum Bruce, PhD.

Diagnosing Allergy-induced Asthma in Children

Doctors will diagnose asthma differently depending on the age of the patient. Children under five, for instance, may find it difficult to follow instructions for breathing capacity tests. Doctors will often use history, both the child’s and the family medical history, to help determine the possibility of asthma. Often, if asthma is suspected, the doctor will prescribe a bronchodilator. If it helps, the diagnosis is confirmed. Learn more from Isabelle Boulay.

What’s the Top Reason to Build Green?

According to certified green builders TMG Homes it is to “improve the air quality in your home."

Here’s their elaboration: “The quality of a home’s indoor air is the most important feature of green homes. Green homes limit the use of chemicals that can off-gas from building materials that can affect allergies and respiratory ailments. Steps are taken to control and filter air contaminants during and after construction. All green homes contain passive radon mitigation systems.”

For some people, good air quality at home isn’t “just” a nice green feature; it is vital: Infants, young children, those with asthma, allergies or other respiratory conditions, work-at-home folks, the elder because of their much-reduced lung capacity, smokers and those who live with them, people in urban areas and (winter is coming!) those who are indoors even more because they live in colder climates.

In a study by AirAdvice of more than 10,000 North American homes and businesses, almost 96% had health-affecting indoor air quality problems in at least one of six areas: particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide.

For the most continuously high-efficiency (performance does not go down after 45 days as happens in most conventional air cleaners), whole home air cleaner get the best-in-category of electronic air cleaner (EAs). It is made by AspenAir Inside. Any size home can use this new technology. It can be bolted right onto any HVAC system in 40 minutes or less. It gets rid of the most dangerous and difficult-to-remove tiny particles - the RSPs and the VOCs.

It is energy-saving, quiet, requires less than 10 minutes of maintenance a year (1-2 filter changes) - and unlike many conventional air cleaners it does not emit harmful ozone. It makes the air cleaner than fresh air. (Yes, I am a fan.)

Here TMG Homes’ next nine reasons to build “green.” Note that TMG Homes smartly partners with Ecobrokers.

Avoid Household Chemicals When Pregnant

... …or at any other time. Got bleach, paint or air fresheners in your home. Throw them out. That is, safely recycle them.

Women who use a lot of household cleaning products when they are pregnant or shortly after the birth of their baby, may be increasing the risk of their child developing asthma, concludes the "Children of the 90s" study.

The report also found that children who are exposed to high levels of chemicals contained in these products (what is a high level?) had a 41% increased risk of wheezing persistently to the age of 7 _ years and had slightly lower than normal lung function.

It would certainly help to know what “a lot” and “a high level” are.

Dr John Henderson, lead author of the study, from the University of Bristol, said small children might be more likely to develop asthma in homes where more chemicals are used. “We think that is perhaps due to irritant effects of the chemicals on the child after birth, which may cause inflammation of the airways leading to the development of asthma,” he said.