Title: Presentation
Location: Beverly Hills
Link out: Click here
Description: Presenting other possibilities to treat asthma symptoms
Start Time: 6:00 pm
Date: 2010-02-01
End Time: 9:00 pm

Three Simple Questions Could Improve Asthma Control

WASHINGTON, DC — April 27, 2005 — If you have allergic asthma, new survey findings confirm expert opinion that answering three simple questions — do you sleep tight? do you work right? do you play with might? — could help improve asthma control for millions of patients and save lives. A new Harris poll shows that 88% of asthma sufferers believe their disease is under control, yet asthma still accounts for nearly 2 million emergency visits each year.

A Special Report in the April issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, “Improving Asthma Control: Talk Is Not Cheap,” finds that poor asthma control is much more prevalent than it should be and a key problem is ineffective communication between patients and their health care providers (HCPs). The report authored by Paul Ehrlich, M.D, a member of Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s (AAFA) Better Control for Better Living (BCBL) panel addresses these issues and introduces a new framework for improving asthma control through communication. The Sleep Work Play™ program (www.sleepworkplay.com) is intended to help patients recognize and better communicate their symptoms and lifestyle changes with the goal of achieving greater asthma control and an improved quality of life.

“One of the key factors contributing to this country’s rising asthma epidemic is that patients are not equipped to recognize and manage their triggers and symptoms. As a result, patients don’t effectively communicate with their doctors and end up comprising basic daily activities,” said Paul Ehrlich, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor and Allergist, New York University School of Medicine, attending at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, and lead author of the Annals Report. “Sleep/Work/Play is a practical and simple communications framework for doctor-patient-parent discussions about the impact of allergic asthma on quality of life, and the importance of control in managing these conditions.”

Creative Solution: SLEEP/WORK/PLAY
The Annals of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Special Report reveals that HCPs and patients have different understandings of asthma control and use different words to talk about that control. The Report recommends asking specific, activity-related questions; for example “Has your asthma caused you to wake up in the middle of the night? How often? How recently?” Questions such as these can help HCPs gain a more complete picture of the patient’s level of asthma control.

Sleep/Work/Play (supplemented with Sleep/Learn/Play™ for adolescents) provides a common language and practical tools for HCPs, patients and parents to use in discussions about asthma and allergic asthma control. The program encourages a more specific, probing discussion between patients and HCPs that relates to these three essential components of everyday life:

· Do you sleep tight? Sleep questions include whether asthma symptoms caused a patient to awaken, cough or be overly tired the next day.
· Do you work right? Learn/work questions include whether asthma resulted in missed days, leaving early, interruption (e.g., for rescue inhaler) or change of job.
· Do you play with might? Play/activity questions include whether asthma interfered with or resulted in avoidance or adjustment of play, exercise or a social activity.

This enhanced dialogue will help HCPs and patients determine their level of asthma severity and make proper treatment decisions. Please visit www.sleepworkplay.com and www.sleeplearnplay.com for more information and program materials.

Survey Findings Support SLEEP/WORK/PLAY Program

Findings from the recent Harris survey conducted on behalf of AAFA further underscore the need for the Sleep/Work/Play program. Key results show that the majority of asthma patients and caregivers incorrectly believe that their asthma symptoms are under control. Furthermore, conversations about severity of symptoms and treatment do not appear to be taking place between many sufferers and their HCPs. For example, less than one in two sufferers’ HCPs (47%) and (66%) of caregivers’ HCPs have initiated conversations about when asthma is severe enough to call a doctor or go to an emergency room.

Most Asthma Patients Over-Estimate Level of Control: a majority of asthma patients believe that their asthma is under control (88%), despite the fact that:

· 61% have had to catch their breath while running upstairs,
· 50% have had to stop exercising midway through their regimen
· 48% have been woken up in the middle of the night as a result of their asthma
Parents Over-Estimate Child’s Level of Control: a majority of asthma caregivers believe that their child’s asthma is under control (89%), despite the fact that:
· 49% of their children have had to miss days of school and/or work
· 49% of their children have had to stop exercising midway through their regimen
· 45% of their children have been woken up in the middle of the night as a result of their asthma

More Than Half of Asthma Patients Say Their HCPs Have Never Talked About Attack Procedures

· Less than one in two sufferers’ HCPs (47%) have initiated conversations about when asthma is severe enough to call a doctor or go to an emergency room. This number is a little higher for the caregivers (66%)

For the full survey results, visit www.sleepworkplay.com.

Harris Interactive® fielded the ten question survey, via its QuickQuerySM online omnibus, on behalf of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). This online study was conducted among a nationwide sample of 4,598 U.S. adults 18 years of age or older. The data were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity and propensity to be online. Interviewing for this omnibus survey was completed between March 2 and March 4, 2005. The sampling error for the total sample is plus or minus 1.5 percentage points.

About Asthma and Allergic Asthma

Of the 20 million Americans living with asthma, the latest research shows that more than 50 percent suffer from allergic asthma, making it the most common form of the disease. Asthma is the country’s most common and costly illness, accounting for nearly half a million hospitalizations and two million emergency room visits, and more than 10 million physician office visits annually.

In addition, nearly four out of five Americans (77 percent) are directly affected by asthma; half (48 percent) have asthma in their household or immediate family, and another 29 percent know someone with the disease.

Allergic asthma is triggered by exposure to allergens like pollen, dust mites and mold. Aside from knowing the triggers, it is important that allergic asthma sufferers understand the role of an antibody called immunoglobulin E, or IgE, which is a key component of the allergic cascade that triggers asthma symptoms. Current asthma therapies generally treat the symptoms of asthma, not the underlying cause of the disease. However, recent advances in understanding the role of IgE have led to novel approaches in asthma management.

SOURCE: Annals of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology

Asthma is a disease characterized by hyper-reactivity of the airways and the trachea and bronchi to various stimuli. In plain English, this means that because of this hyper-reactivity or highly sensitized state, a simple irritant such as smoke or other allergen such as dust can provoke a bona fide asthma attack. I would like to cover several great remedies that may help an asthmatic person to deal with the symptoms, but none of these is as effective as my solution which we get to later.

Though the pathogenesis of asthma is poorly understood, it is widely recognized that treatment of underlying and sometimes occult allergies can lessen both the severity and frequency of attacks. It is known that mast cells are at least partially responsible for the release of several substances that provoke an asthmatic response. These cells release mediators such as histamine, which increased vascular permeability, swelling and increased secretion of mucus.
In addition to the effects of mast cell sensitization, actual narrowing of the airways results from spasm of the smooth muscles and formation of mucus plugs. White blood cells are also partly responsible for these changes.

Patients typically complain of wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness. Commonly symptoms worsen at night due to variations in bronchial muscle tone and increased bronchial reactivity because of circadian rhythm changes.
In addition to exposure to dust or smoke, common asthma triggers include cold air, emotional stress, common colds, and exercise.

There are typical laboratory findings with an exacerbation of acute asthma but they are of less importance than clinical findings. A high index of suspicion and a readiness to treat aggressively are of great importance with asthma flare-ups. This is why prevention is of the utmost importance. Essential fatty acids have a broad anti-inflammatory effect. Fish oil concentrate has been shown to increase FEV1 after 9 months of supplementation. FEV is forced expiratory volume is a pulmonary function test used to diagnose asthma and other pulmonary diseases.
Vitamin B6 has been studied and found to be effective in the prevention of asthma attacks.
Vitamin B12 shots can improve tolerance to flare-ups, possibly by preventing reactions to sulfite exposure.

Rye grass extract can help to dampen bronchial hyper-reactivity.
Nettles can help prevent underlying allergic reactions to various inhalants.
Vitamin C is thought to be the major antioxidant in the linings of the lungs and bronchi. Asthmatic patients have been shown to have low vitamin C blood levels. Some studies show lessening of respiratory symptoms and improvement in respiratory function with vitamin C supplementation. It is also postulated that vitamin C may help lower histamine levels. This effect, however, was only found to occur when supplementation continued over a six- week period. Magnesium both orally and intravenously can help prevent flare-ups.
Antioxidants, such as quercetin, are thought to provide protection because free radicals can stimulate bronchial constriction.

I would like you to pay special attention to the antioxidants parts of your diet, here you will get prevention as well as some sort of a way to healing your asthma.

The organs involved with the immune system are called the lymphoid organs, which affect growth, development, and the release of lymphocytes (a certain type of white blood cell). The blood vessels and lymphatic vessels are important parts of the lymphoid organs, because they carry the lymphocytes to and from different areas in the body. Each lymphoid organ plays a role in the production and activation of lymphocytes. Lymphoid organs include:
• adenoids (two glands located at the back of the nasal passage)
• blood vessels (the arteries, veins, and capillaries through which blood flows)
• bone marrow (the soft, spongy tissue found in bone cavities)
• lymph nodes (small organs shaped like beans, which are located throughout the body and connect via the lymphatic vessels)
• lymphatic vessels (a network of channels throughout the body that carries lymphocytes to the lymphoid organs and bloodstream)
• Peyer’s patches (lymphoid tissue in the small intestine)
• spleen (a fist-sized organ located in the abdominal cavity)
• thymus (two lobes that join in front of the trachea behind the breast bone)
• tonsils (two oval masses in the back of the throat)
What are lymphocytes?
Lymphocytes are a type of infection-fighting white blood cell which are vital to an effective immune system.
How are lymphocytes formed?
The precursors of all blood cells, including immune cells such as lymphocytes, are produced in the bone marrow. Certain cells will become part of the group of lymphocytes, while others will become part of another type of immune cells known as phagocytes. Once the lymphocytes are initially formed, some will continue to mature in the bone marrow and become “B” cells. Other lymphocytes will finish their maturation in the thymus and become “T” cells. B and T cells are the two major groups of lymphocytes

infectious microorganisms.
Once mature, some lymphocytes will be housed in the lymphoid organs, while others will travel continuously around the body through the lymphatic vessels and bloodstream.
How do lymphocytes fight infection?
Although each type of lymphocyte fights infection differently, the goal of protecting the body from infection remains the same. B cells produce specific antibodies to infectious microorganisms, while T cells kill infectious microorganisms by killing the body cells that are affected. In addition, T cells release chemicals, called cytokines.
Other types of white blood cells, such as phagocytes (engulfing cells) and natural killer cells (cytotoxic cells), actually destroy the infectious microorganisms.
What are disorders of the immune system?
When the immune system does not function properly, a number of diseases can occur. Allergies and hypersensitivity to certain substances are considered immune system disorders. In addition, the immune system plays a role in the rejection process of transplanted organs or tissue. Other examples of immune disorders include:
• autoimmune diseases, such as juvenile diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and anemia
• immunodeficiency diseases, such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID).
What is an infectious disease?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an infectious disease is caused by one, or more, of the following:
• viruses
• bacteria
• parasites
• fungi
•
Infectious diseases can range from common illnesses, such as the cold, to deadly illnesses, such as AIDS. Depending on the disease causing organism, an infection can spread in some, or all, of the following ways:
• sexual transmission – transmission of an infection through sexual contact, including intercourse.
• airborne transmission – transmission of an infection through inhaling airborne droplets of the disease, which may exist in the air as a result of a cough or sneeze from an infected person.
• blood-borne transmission – transmission of an infection through contact with infected blood, such as when sharing hypodermic needles.
• direct contact transmission – transmission of an infection through a direct body surface-to-body contact with an infected person.
• insect-borne transmission – transmission of an infection through insects, such as mosquitoes, which draw blood from an infected person and then bite a healthy person.
• food-borne transmission – transmission of an infection through consuming contaminated food.
• water-borne transmission – transmission of an infection through contact with contaminated water.
• other mechanisms that can transmit a disease
In developed countries, most infections are spread through sexual, airborne, blood-borne, and direct contact transmission.
How do antibiotics work against infections?
Antibiotics can be used to treat bacterial infections. However, antibiotics are ineffective in treating illnesses caused by viruses. In addition, antibiotics treat specific bacteria. Overuse or misuse of antibiotics can lead to drug-resistant bacteria. It is important that antibiotics are taken properly and for the duration of the prescription. If antibiotics are stopped early, the bacteria may develop a resistance to the antibiotics and the infection may occur.

There hasn’t been a proven cure for asthma by doctors, but there are people who have said to have their asthma cured completely. I have managed to put together some great ways on how to cure asthma and get rid of the things that’s stopping you from living a normal life.
So I listed the 3 best and most powerful methods on how to cure asthma below:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar breaks down fattening food, this is by far the most celebrated remedy for asthma out of the 3. Take two bottle caps twice a day, either in sweet apple juice or just cut with water and honey.
It’s so effective that some people have claimed to stop using their Flixotide steroid treatment. Also if you take 2 tbsps of Apple Cider Vinegar it will cure the tightness in your chest too.
Vitamin B12
This has also helped a many people relieve their asthma, and allowed them to do things they wouldn’t have normally been able to do. Take Vitamin B12 with Magnesium and a liver cleansing supplement, and stop eating diary.
Quercetin
Quercetin works as an antihistamine and has anti-inflammatory properties. Quercetin are found in onions, apples, green tea, and black tea. Smaller amounts are found in leafy green vegetables and beans.
If you take very high doses of Quercetin (its impossible to take to much, its non toxic and safe) you will start to see improvement in your asthma. After a few weeks, you can start using a lower dose and can be taken with no side effects or worries, and another very popular way on how to cure asthma
It’s true that the above does work well with asthma, and will give you some relief. But in reality, it won’t entirely get rid of your asthma. Honestly I didn’t see any great improvement for my asthma, until a friend recommended I visit a site that help him totally put his asthma in his past.
So I went ahead a went to MyAsthmaCure.info, and seriously it was the best decision I ever made in my life PERIOD. To shorten my story, let’s just say if you were to ever run into me, you’ll never know I used to be a former asthmatic with severe asthma.
Also here’s another great site design for people suffering with asthma called Natural Ways to Cure Asthma, this is a very good site made by someone who once had asthma, and now they are giving away the goods on how they did it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kris_Walker

Respiratory diseases are always troublesome, and asthma is definitely no exception. Asthma affects around 22 million Americans, both children and adults alike. During the 1930s, asthma was believed to be a psychosomatic disease, with its main symptom wheezing interpreted as a suppressed cry for a child’s mother. It was once treated using psychoanalysis and “talking cures,” but people nowadays know better. Asthma is a chronic physiological disease that requires physiological interventions.

What are the causes of asthma?
The reason as to why asthma occurs is not clear, but it is generally believed that it is a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Usually, asthma occurs as an allergic response, and what triggers this illness varies from person to person. Some of the most common allergens include pollen, animal dander, and dust mites. If a person has a food allergy, like peanut or seafood allergy for example, asthma may manifest as a reaction. It can also be caused by irritants like cigarette smoke and other air pollutants. These are the extrinsic causes of asthma.
There are also intrinsic causes, which are not allergen-induced. Examples are medications, such as beta blockers, aspirin, and some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. Stress and strong emotions can also count as intrinsic causes of asthma, as well as some respiratory infections, like common colds.

What are the symptoms of asthma?
Once asthma is triggered, whether by intrinsic or extrinsic factors, the bronchial airways start to constrict and swell, hence leading to bronchoconstriction and bronchial inflammation. There is also the production of excess mucus, and the combination of these three gives the narrowed airways, thus resulting to an obstructed airflow and difficulty of breathing.
Symptoms may vary from mild to severe. These include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing sound during breathing, and chest pains due to difficulty of breathing. Most asthmatics have difficulty breathing at night, which results to sleep deprivation.

How do you prevent or treat it?
Since asthma is usually an allergic condition, the best way to prevent asthma is to avoid the allergen that causes an attack. To be able to do this, the allergen must be identified. Since the usual allergens are dust particles, it is essential to keep your surroundings clean.
It is also essential to know the warning signs of an imminent asthma attack. This can be coughing, shortness of breath, or wheezing. When you start feeling these symptoms, it is time to get your medications and nebulization kit ready. Acting quickly will enable you to avoid a more severe asthma attack.
You also need to take your medications even if your asthma seems to be on remission. Asthma is a chronic disease; therefore medications should be taken regularly to prevent it from exacerbating. Your physician will advise you when you should stop the treatment, so always consult your doctor before you decide on your health.
Some of the medications used to treat asthma include inhaled corticosteroids, long acting beta-2 agonists, and leukotriene modifiers for long-term use and short acting beta-2 agonists and oral and intravenous corticosteroids for short-term use.
Your lifestyle should also be kept healthy, meaning you should engage in regular exercise to strengthen your respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Exercise will also help you avoid being overweight, since obese persons have more severe asthmatic symptoms than those who are not.
As for one’s diet, the asthma sufferer should eat only small amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, since these are acid-forming foods. Instead, stuff your diet with alkaline foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
One home remedy that is considered to be advantageous for asthma is honey. Simply inhaling or eating honey can help thin out secretions caused by excessive mucus, and thus facilitate easier breathing. Garlic can also be used as a home remedy for early stage of asthma, which can be taken in its boiled form.
Acai berry can also be used as a remedy, since this fruit has anti-inflammatory properties. It is therefore considered to be a natural remedy for asthma, and an effective one at that. Its ability to treat asthma can be largely attributed to its high Vitamin C content, which is around 15% to 22%. Vitamin C helps boost the immune system, which is very important especially if the asthma is caused by an allergen. One of the “ingredients” used by the body to manufacture white blood cells is vitamin C, so having a high amount of vitamin C in the body means better protection against diseases and infections.
Vitamin C also has antioxidant properties, so it helps remove free radicals that may damage the lungs and make it vulnerable to asthmatic attacks.

What Kind of Acai Berry Supplement Should I Choose?
Acai berry can be taken in two different forms, namely the powder and the liquid form, simply because these are the only two forms that can tolerate long transportation hours without perishing. Although it is beneficial to take acai berry in its raw form, only Brazilian locals are fortunate enough to do this since the fruit comes from the Amazon.
One of the advantages that the powder form has over the liquid form is that it can be conveniently taken everywhere you go. Moreover, the freeze-dried pulp retains the purest state of the fruit, meaning it contains a high concentration of acai berry. Juices, on the other hand, contain a lot of preservatives and other ingredients that are not necessarily acai berry extracts. Powder forms have a longer shelf life, which is up to three years. This is the form that is made available all around the world.

Causes of Asthma

Medical experts and wellness practitioners have been questioning, for centuries, the causes of asthma. Most of them favor the idea that it stems from cells that have been damaged. As we know, asthma is caused by inflammation in the airways. When an asthma attacks takes place, the muscles surrounding the airways become constricted and tight.
An estimated 25 million to 30 million people in the United States suffer from asthma, and cases of it have been increasing since the early 1980s, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Every day, in this country, 30,000 people suffer an asthma attack, and about 20 people die from the disease.
Asthma occurs when the body’s natural system of defense against bacteria, viruses, and other harmful microbes becomes overprotective. It misidentifies relatively harmless pollens, dust, and dander, setting up a reaction that narrows and inflames small airways in the lungs. From that it is short way to breathlessness, wheezing, tissue damage, and, in the worst cases, death.
In the standard textbook version of what happens, the cells respond to pollens, dust, and other irritants by secreting proteins that attack the irritants as if they are bits of disease-causing bacteria or viruses. Researchers have checked the lung cells of many patients, smokers and nonsmokers with moderate to severe asthma. It was a big surprise, that researchers found that most of the troubles were caused by cells that actually attack the lungs.
The finding means that physicians may not be treating asthma sufferers with the right kinds of drugs. For example, natural killer T cells seem to be resistant to the corticosteroids in widely used inhalers.
These cells actually make up a small population of cells in our blood, but in our asthmatic lungs, they apparently proliferate and over expand. Some new drugs and other treatments would be aimed at reducing their numbers in the lungs, or preventing them from becoming activated.
This preface brings me to the point that we have to better understand our symptoms and the ways we can control them. And the first thing we have to do, is to decide to live healthy and strong and free of diseases.
The first step you need to take to rid yourself of asthma is to decide TO RID YOURSELF OF THIS DISEASE. Yes, it is a decision. Once you are committed to the idea, you start a long search into different methods that fit your lifestyle, your pocketbook and your beliefs.

At this point I can help you with my solution. It worked for me; I hope it will work for you. But before we get to that, I would like you to know that from day one, when I got diagnosed with asthma, I made the decision to get rid of it, NO MATER WHAT.

That started a long road that lasted 25 years and ended only a few months ago. So I can save you the search, the agony, the pain, the disappointments and the cost. Huge cost. I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on medication, Cortisone inhalers, when I got bad attacks, even cortisone injections. I spent thousands on all kinds of healers, from allergy treatments to homeopathic medications, NOTHING REALLY WORKED.

Please don’t get me wrong, many of the treatments, the healers and the alternative medications, helped a bit. There was always a chance that the cure is around the corner, but it wasn’t. I have met wonderful people during the search for cure of this horrible illness, who were very helpful and very supportive, but the symptoms had a life of their own, and they persisted.

So after this brief introduction, I would like you to be open minded, look for solutions that fit your lifestyle and beliefs.