April 6th, 2009
Allergy and asthma are two conditions which can be influenced by the air quality and by the humidity levels in a home. High humidity favors the appearance and development of mold, which is a killer even for healthy people. Too much moisture in the air may lead to sleeping troubles such as insomnia or sleep apnea, not to mention that in high relative humidity the mold spores and dust mites thrive and multiply at incredible speeds, giving your well-known allergy and asthma respiratory symptoms.
How Dehumidifiers Work
A dehumidifier does exactly what its name says: it extracts the water vapors from the air with the help of a refrigeration system. The water collected from the air is stored in a tank, which is very easy to detach and empty. There are two types of dehumidifiers: with and without a pump to help directing the collected water towards the tank. According to the room size and to the humidity level in your home, this is a table which will help you choose the correct type of dehumidifier for your case.
|
ROOM SIZE |
Small
(up to 8′ x 10′) |
Medium
(up to 15′ x 15′) |
Large
(up to 20′ x 20′) |
Extra Large
(up to 20′ x 30′) |
H
U
M
I
D
I
T
Y |
Low
(40% to 55%) |
30 pint* |
40 pint |
50 pint |
65 pint |
Medium
(55% to 65%) |
30 pint |
40 pint |
50 pint |
65 pint |
High
(65% to 80%) |
40 pint |
50 pint |
65 pint |
65 pint |
Very High
(80% to 95%) |
50 pint |
65 pint |
65 pint |
65 pint |
*A non-electric dehumidifier can be used if the room size is especially small.
This is only an informative guide. More factors should be taken into consideration when buying a dehumidifier, so the best action from your side would be to call a specialist who can provide you with all other details and give you informed options of home and basement dehumidifiers.
Tags: air humidity, air moisture, allergy, asthma, basement dehumidifiers, dehumidifiers, dust mites, home dehumidifiers, mold
Posted in Air Quality | 1 Comment »
October 24th, 2008
Allergic asthma is a particular type of asthma and it is similar to allergy, but with a wider array of symptoms. Although the manifestations are similar to those in common asthma, the difference is in the circumstances that trigger these symptoms. Asthma is defined as a condition that narrows or constricts the air passages, resulting in wheezing, coughing, short breath and reduced air flow in the lungs. What causes the constriction of the air passages makes the difference between allergic asthma and the other type of this condition.
While the short-term allergic asthma treatment can be the same as in general, with bronchodilators and corticosteroids, or even alternative medicine choices such as Siddha home remedies for asthma, we should not forget where the symptoms started and treat also the allergy induced asthma with appropriate medication such as antihistaminics and anti-inflammatory drugs. The best way to treat it is to prevent getting in contact with the substances you’ve tested positive at the allergy tests. Don’t dust the house if you are allergic to dust. Don’t keep pets inside your home, if you are allergic to pets. Forget those foods you develop allergic reactions to. It is more important to be able to breathe freely than eating strawberries, peanuts or crayfish.
Under no circumstances should you attempt to treat yourself with medication you saw other people taking. What is their honey can be your poison. Go to the doctor, get a proper diagnose of your disease, then follow the prescription you’re going to get. Allergic asthma is no children’s play, so likewise simple allergy, is should be kept under control with appropriate treatment.
Tags: Allergic Asthma, asthma drugs, Asthma Medication, asthma symptoms, asthma triggers
Posted in Allergic Asthma, Asthma Medication | No Comments »
October 23rd, 2008
Allergic asthma is the most widespread type of asthma, affecting children as well as adults and many times appearing as a consequence of allergy. Childhood asthma is associated with allergies in most of the cases, while adult asthma is associated with allergic reactions in half of the total cases of asthma. Allergy is defined as an exaggerated sensitivity of the human body to certain substances which are in fact harmless, but which are mistakenly considered as intruders, thus triggering an annihilation reaction from the immune system. One category of allergic reactions is the airway obstruction and inflammation. These reactions are reversible if appropriate anti allergic medication is taken by the patient. If we think that there are more than 2.5 million children suffering from allergic asthma, we can understand the real proportions of this plague of the modern civilization.
Difference Between Allergy and non-Allergic Asthma
Allergic asthma symptoms are similar to the non-allergy asthma ones. Both types of sufferers experience wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, sleep troubles. The early warning symptoms can be signs of frequent colds such as sneezing, sore throat, nasal congestion, running nose, or a permanent feeling of tiredness and bad mood. While both types of asthma manifest the same symptoms, the difference is made by the trigger of these symptoms. In case of allergic asthma, attacks are triggered by allergens such as pollens, pet dander, mold or dust. This is why all asthma sufferers need to be aware of their type of asthma, so they can apply preventive measures such as eating healthy foods and staying away from allergens. It is very important that allergic asthma sufferers try not to get in contact with the substances they are allergic to (allergens). These substances are easy to be determined by running some special tests, which any allergology lab can do.
Allergic Asthma Preventive Measures
If you’ve already been diagnosed with allery or allergic asthma, then you should also have a list of allergens you are sensitive to. It is not a joke, you need to stay away as much as you can from getting in contact with those allergens, if you want your allergic asthma not to bother you very often. Living a symptom-free life is possible in a big degree, but you need to understand how serious this allergic asthma issue has to be treated. Maybe this means that you’ll need to stay indoors in the days with high pollen activity, or maybe you won’t be allowed to eat strawberries again for the rest of your life. Understand that your lifestyle could change forever after you’ve found out that you suffer from allergy or allergic asthma.
Tags: allergens, Allergic Asthma, allergy, allergy symptoms, asthma symptoms, Childhood Asthma, coughing, nasal congestion, wheezing
Posted in Allergic Asthma | No Comments »
October 15th, 2008
Pediatric asthma is one of the most delicate conditions that affect children of all ages. Before getting to the pediatric asthma treatment, we have to talk about the correct diagnosis, as this is a very hard thing to accomplish. Small children and infants cannot tell what bothers them, so the symptoms have to be guessed first by parents, and then by doctors. If a parent doesn’t suspect anything abnormal in their child, why would they seek for pediatric medical consultation? Children get frequent colds and childhood diseases, so there’s another reason for parents not getting too worried if their child coughs and has difficulties in breathing.
Explaining Pediatric Asthma Control to Children
Pediatric asthma, after being diagnosed, raises another problem: making your child understand how he needs to behave in order to avoid asthma episodes. In asthma and allergies there are no diseases but only patients. Each child has unique manifestations of pediatric asthma, different triggers and different ways of reacting to them. This is why children have to understand from early ages what harms them and why it is important to stay away from everything that may worsen their condition. Taking the asthma medication as prescribed is also crucial in controlling the symptoms. The peak flow monitoring can help in keeping asthma under control. Children need to be taught how to control their peak flow twice or three times a day, so the historic can be established and the efficacy of the medication can be evaluated. Specific goals setting can help the progress of the child in understanding how to control the illness, so that pediatric asthma makes lesser victims.
Tags: asthma attack, asthma children, asthma symptoms, asthma triggers, pediatric asthma
Posted in Childhood Asthma | No Comments »
October 5th, 2008
Allergy affects three quarters of the population in developed countries. Although they may not have too much in common, fact is that many times allergies and asthma occur together, causing sufferers a double trouble. The allergic asthma mechanism can be described in simple words like that: the allergic response to the contact with an allergen will cause the body cells to release histamines, which are chemicals that have the role of defending the body from the intruders. Because of these histamines, the airways and nose linings start to swell. This inflammation makes the air passages constrict, thus preventing the air to enter the lungs in enough quantities.
Will Treating the Allergy Make Allergic Asthma Disappear?
Yes, the asthma symptoms can be perfectly kept under control if you take care of your allergies. If you’ve already suffered an allergic reaction thanks to getting in contact with an allergen, the allergy medication will only alleviate a bit the allergic asthma manifestations. However, if you manage to control your allergy, then your asthma is not going to bother you at all, because it is triggered only by allergic reactions. If you notice a relationship between your exposure to certain allergens and your airways behavior you definitely need to talk with your doctor about that. A life of avoidance can almost guarantee you that your allergic asthma will be fully controlled.
Tags: Allergic Asthma, allergy symptoms, asthma attack, asthma children, asthma triggers
Posted in Allergic Asthma | No Comments »
October 1st, 2008
There is a tight connection between asthma and allergies. While asthma can have other causes than allergies, an allergy never comes alone. Most of the times, it develops into an allergic asthma which can give a lot of trouble to the person in cause. That’s because an allergic asthma sufferer has to fight two diseases in one: first of all, he needs to take anti-allergic medication, so he avoids occurrence of symptoms such as running nose, itchy eyes, sore throat, each time he gets in contact with the allergens. On the other hand, as allergic asthma progresses, there may be needed some asthma medication such as corticosteroids or bronchodilators, in order to ease breathing and allow the patient to have some rest. Night time is a hard time for asthma and allergies sufferers. That’s because we usually have difficulties in falling asleep when we cannot breathe properly. Not having enough sleep leads to exhaustion, depression and irritability, thus endangering the social life of the ill person.
Children – the Most Affected By Asthma and Allergies
Asthma and allergies are very frequent among children under 18 years of age. When they get asthma episodes, children miss their school, so their education has to suffer. They are very affected because of their colleagues, who cannot understand that illness is not a subject for hoaxes and amusement. There are cases when colleagues of allergic kids try to put peanut butter on their skin, only because they know that they shouldn’t. The allergic kid gets extremely scared, because this contact could actually kill him, therefore he attempts to run away from the danger. It is very hard to prevent such incidents to happen. Asthma, which prevents the child from breathing properly, makes him keep the mouth open all the time, so asthma children start to look like fish. In time, their face changes the shape, so they are recognizable from a distance.
Asthma in children needs special care, early diagnosis and an understanding environment. In these conditions, children can live a normal life, even with their asthma and allergies, because they are kept under control.
Tags: Allergic Asthma, asthma attack, asthma children, asthma drugs, asthma symptoms, asthma triggers, Childhood Asthma
Posted in Asthma General Info | No Comments »
September 10th, 2008
There is a popular belief which is wrong, that says that “asthma is all in the mind”, thus making asthma medication not necessary. This is not true. Fact is that asthma can be triggered by emotions such as anger, anxiety, fear or joy, but the cause is real, and it consists of a narrowing of the air passages caused by the swelling and inflammation of the airways walls.
Types of Asthma Medication
Asthma medication can be of three types: long-term asthma control medication, quick relief medication and allergic asthma medication. The first asthma medication group contains inhaled corticosteroides, long acting beta 2 agonists, leukotriene modifiers and theophylline. The quick relief medication comprises short acting beta 2 agonists, ipratropium and oral and intravenous corticosteroids. The third group includes antihistamines, nasal decongestants and immunotherapy vaccines.
Inhaled corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory drugs which are very effective in the log term control of asthma. They help decreasing the inflammation of the airways walls, block allergic response of the immune system and prevent leaks of fluid from the blood vessels into the tissue of the air passages. Several examples of such asthma medication are: mometasone, fluticasone, triamcinolone, beclomethasone. Usually, they are administered via a metered dose inhaler, provided with a spacer. The spacer is very useful for preventing the drug entering the digestive system, because it is supposed to go only in the lungs, not in the stomach or throat, where it may cause severe irritation.
LABAs (long acting beta 2 agonists) are bronchodilators. As their name shows, their effect is the dilatation of the constricted airways, thus allowing the patient to breathe much better. Such asthma medication is used in conjunction with other classes of drugs. Using such medical devices is not that simple. There are even asthma training centers where patients learn how to use inhalers in the correct way.
Leukotriene modifiers like Singulair (Montelukast) and Accolate (Zafirlukast) have the role of blocking the leucotrienes, which are those immune system chemicals responsible for asthma symptoms.
The other classes of asthma medication will be described in a future article.
Tags: Allergic Asthma, antihistamines, asthma drugs, Asthma Medication, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, immunotherapy, labas, leukotriene modifiers, sabas, theophylline
Posted in Asthma Medication | 1 Comment »
September 3rd, 2008
Asthma is a chronic disease which may occur at any given moment in life. Childhood asthma is affecting almost 7 million children under the age of 18, in the US only. Out of them, more than 1 million are children under 5 years old. This is scary, if we think that there is a possibility that childhood asthma remains undiagnosed for very long time, until attacks become frequent and parents start to suspect that their child has more than a simple, common cold, usual for childhood.
Social Implications of Childhood Asthma
There was this statistic showing that childhood asthma is the third cause of hospitalization in children up to 15 years old. This makes them miss lots of classes in school, because they either are in the hospital and cannot go to school, or they are at home, but feeling so bad that they cannot leave their bed. Asthma makes children look a bit like rabbits. Because they cannot breathe properly, they tend to keep their mouth open, so their face changes over time. Having that strange appearance, asthma children are target to many mean jokes at school or kindergarden. It is difficult to explain a small child that he is ill and this is how he is going to be for the rest of his life. Childhood asthma prevents kids to develop normally, to socialize with their peers and make friends. These symptoms may go up to depression, and they may require specialized medical assistance.
Signs and Symptoms of Childhood Asthma
Children catch colds a lot, so usually parents don’t worry too much. They just give their kids some over the counter medication and watch them to see if symptoms go worse. The obvious signs of childhood asthma are wheezing, permanent coughing and rapid breathing, but they cannot manifest until the illness gets quit advanced. Sometimes, even doctors are fooled by the symptoms, so they think it’s a cold, when they have to deal with childhood asthma. This is why the stethoscope has to be completed some times by pulmonary function testing. This simple tests reveals early asthma symptoms, so a proper diagnosis can be set even when the childhood asthma is in its incipient stage.
Triggers of Childhood Asthma Attacks
Asthma episodes can be triggered by various factors such as physical effort, emotions, allergy, infections, irritant smells or even weather. Most of these are factors that can be avoided, so the child can remain symptom-free for years, between two attacks. One special chapter is allergic asthma, which starts as a consequence of getting into contact with the allergen the kid is sensitive to. Sometimes, for instance, in case of allergies to pollen, it would be difficult to keep the child indoors for two three months, so he’ll be exposed to the allergens, thus being prone to suffer a new asthma attack. Such children should be given antihistaminic medication during the pollens peak seasons, and they should be kept inside the house in the days with maximum pollen activity. These can be determined by watching the special pollen bulletins and air quality warnings on TV or on internet.
With a bit of care, childhood asthma is perfectly controllable.
Tags: Allergic Asthma, asthma attack, asthma children, asthma statistics, asthma symptoms, asthma triggers, Childhood Asthma, pollen bulletins
Posted in Childhood Asthma | No Comments »