August 17th, 2009 
admin Since the ancient Greeks coined the phrase the “dog days of summer”, the time from late July to late August has been known in the northern hemisphere for its humid, almost oppressive heat without any breeze in the air to bring any sense of relief. While global warming may have turned summer 2009 into something more like spring in some parts of the world or brought July heat waves in others, the month of August is frequently a time when hot weather, lack of rain and stagnant, polluted air keeps many with asthma trapped inside.
For the 10% to 15% of the population of countries like the UK, US, and Canada and Australia that are afflicted by Asthma, summer air quality with high ozone levels and high levels of dust and smoke particles in the air are a recipe for flare-ups. However the poor environmental conditions are not a guarantee of problems, but because the risks of a flare-up can be severe, most conscientious asthma sufferers will take it easy when going outside or will avoid going outside altogether.
From the results of even the latest research, medical science has no way to predict under what circumstance individuals will experience asthma attacks. The results of a comprehensive 10 American city study of more than 500 adolescents with well managed-asthma found that none of the many medical assessment tests was able to predict when individuals might experience an attack. The result of these findings is that caution is still very much a part of limiting the number of attacks that asthma sufferers will face.
While research cannot yet predict the situation to cause the next attack in an asthma sufferer, several factors do put individuals at risk of developing asthma. In research from last fall, researchers at Kaiser Permanente found that those who were obese were 5 times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma and found that 1 in 3 people with asthma could be considered obese. Now while the cause and effect from this research may be hard to determine, it is likely safe to say that trying to manage one’s weight is a good idea that may prevent the development of asthma.
In other recent research reported in the journal Thorax, another risk factor that has again been shown to increase the possibility of developing asthma is the exposure to particles from automobile traffic. The results of the 11 year research study involving Swiss adults who had never smoked found that those exposed to traffic pollution had a 50 to 100% increase in risk of developing asthma. This follows other similar studies that have time and again come to the same conclusion that traffic pollution exposure puts one at risk to develop asthma.
However, staying inside is not the simple answer to prevent asthma either. A study published in February by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine found that children exposed to both fine and coarse particles within the air of their homes were more likely to develop asthma when the air in their homes had higher concentrations of airborne particles. This means that maintaining internal air quality is even more important than limiting exposure outside the home considering that most people spend most of their time within their homes or places of work.
Over the last 4 decades, worldwide asthma rates have increased by 50% each decade and now roughly 300 million people worldwide are affected by the condition. Though the exact cause of asthma episodes is not known, some risk factors for developing the condition are known. As a result, when faced with a condition that cannot yet be cured and is unpredictable, the next best thing is to avoid the risks of developing the condition.
For both those with and without asthma, do what you can to protect the quality of the air you breath inside and outside your home. Keep the air as clean as possible in your home with good air filtration and constant cleaning to limit dust and allergens. Improve the quality of your outdoor air by writing to your political representatives and letting them know how you feel about air pollution. If you have asthma already, make sure you know how to use your inhaler properly. Ask your doctor and don’t assume you do, as it could be a painful or life threatening mistake.
Related Links:
http://www.asthma.ca/corp/newsroom/pdf/asthmastats.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/FASTATS/asthma.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asthma_UK
http://www.chestjournal.org/content/130/1_suppl/4S.full
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810122143.htm
http://www.nationalpost.com/life/health/story.html?id=1863205
http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0091-6749/PIIS0091674908004120.pdf
http://www.nationalpost.com/life/health/story.html?id=1863205
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1240204&blobtype=pdf
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/jhub-iap021909.php
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