Asthma

The asthma action plan will look at what triggers or brings on an asthma attack in your child. The plan also includes a list of your child's medicines, and rescue medications to be used during an attack.

Work with your doctor to develop a written plan for your child. Share the plan with your child's teachers, babysitters, family members, and anyone else who may be spending time alone with your child.

Concerning the corticosteroid controversy (regarding children) The National Institute of Health's Updated Guidelines state: "There has been concern about slowed growth in children due to use of inhaled corticosteroids.

Breathing exercises help you control the emptying of your lungs by using your abdominal muscles. Detailed directions are given for three types of breathing that you might not be used to doing: diaphragmatic breathing, pursed-lip breathing, and deep-breathing exercises. They should be done two to four times daily.

The Lung Association gives this proven advice: The best way to treat allergies is to prevent them - stay away from the things that you are allergic to. No treatment will work as well as simply avoiding the allergen in the first place.

Read the full article if you are using an inhaler to find out which are safe and effective and those (beta-agonists) that are being linked to a two-fold increased risk of death compared to a placebo.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic condition that results when the heart muscle is unable to pump blood as efficiently as is needed. High blood pressure can cause congestive heart failure. Failure of the heart pump can also result from many other causes, such as severe anemia, hyperthyroidism, heart attacks, and arrhythmias of the heart.

The American Lung Association reports that: "Exercises Reduce Need for Asthma Inhaler...Reuters reported on June 5, 2006 that a new study has found that shallow breathing exercises, as well as non-specific upper body exercises, can reduce the need to use a short-acting relief inhaler."

The seven masks evaluated were those used with the Aerochamber, Optichamber, Easivent, BreatheRite, Ace, Pocket Chamber and Vortex inhalers.

The researchers found that some masks don't fit well or have too much dead space volume. Dead space volume in the mask contains drug that doesn't get into the lung with each breath. Check the link below to find out which ones worked and those which did not.

24% Of Kids Very Susceptible To Respiratory Illness When Exposed To Second-Hand Smoke

Children with a certain genetic makeup are at heightened risk of chest infections and other respiratory illnesses due to second-hand smoke

The FDA has asked that a new warning be placed on labels of Serevent and Advair (GSK) and Foradil (Novartis). The warning should advise patients that they may face increased risk of severe, possibly fatal, asthma attacks. The drugs, known as long-acting beta 2-adrenergic agonists, are used to prevent asthma attacks; they relax the bronchial muscles.