May is Asthma Awareness Month

A LETTER FROM CDC -  ATSDR

Greetings Partners,

May is Asthma Awareness Month. I invite you and your organization to be involved in the release of CDC’s Asthma Vital Signs on Tuesday, May 3, 2011, which coincides with World Asthma Day.

The CDC Vital Signs is a call to action each month concerning a single, important public health topic. CDC believes that by focusing on a single topic using multiple media devices, the states might better identify these health problems in their area and work towards their improvement. More information can be accessed on the CDC Vital Signs website.

To celebrate asthma awareness on May 3rd, CDC will complete the following activities:

1. Hold a media teleconference led by Dr. Thomas Frieden at noon on May 3rd;
2. Release an asthma MMWR Early Release;
3. Publish a professionally designed fact sheet for consumer audiences and a dedicated website that mirrors the fact sheet on this topic;
4. Issue a media release;
5. Send out a series of announcements via social media tools (Twitter, Facebook, etc.); and
6. Send out a Capitol Hill alert through CDC-Washington Office.

Please join us in sharing the Asthma Vital Signs on May 3rd by:

Spotlighting the Asthma Vital Signs on your organization’s website, including a link to the CDC Vital Signs web page;

Announcing it to your membership through newsletters, listservs, e-bulletins, etc.;

Using your organization’s social media tools to highlight it; and/or

Sharing the MMWR, fact sheet and press release with your organization’s media/public affairs team.

In the morning of May 3rd, we will e-mail you the Asthma Vital Signs package that includes a copy of the MMWR, fact sheet and press release. This information is embargoed until noon that day. We can also send you printed copies of the Vital Signs fact sheets.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Anne Venner in NCEH’s Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects at (770) 488-3839 or Avenner@cdc.gov  or Margo Younger in NCEH/ASTDR’s Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation at (770) 488-0612 or MYounger@cdc.gov

Thank you all for your help! Please feel free to share this announcement with your colleagues and friends.

Sincerely,

Chris Portier, Ph.D.
Director
National Center for Environmental Health /
Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Nursing Diagnosis Nursing Care Plan for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD)

advertisement:

Nursing Diagnosis Nursing Care Plan for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD)

• Impaired Gas Exchange related to ventilation perfusion inequality.


• Activity Intolerance related to imbalance between supply with oxygen demand.


• Imbalanced Nutrition: Less than Body Requirements related to anorexia.


• Disturbed Sleep Pattern related to discomfort, the setting position.


•  Self-Care Deficit Bathing / Hygiene, Dressing / Grooming, Feeding, toileting related secondary fatigue due to increased respiratory effort and the insufficiency of ventilation and oxygenation.


• Ineffective Airway Clearance related to bronchoconstriction, increased sputum production, ineffective cough, fatigue / decreased energy and bronkopulmonal infection.


•    Ineffective Breathing Pattern related to shortness of breath, mucus, bronchoconstriction and airway irritants.


•   Anxiety related to threat to self-concept, the threat of death, unmet needs.


•   Ineffective Individual Coping related to lack of socialization, anxiety, depression, low activity levels and inability to work.


•     Knowledge Deficit related to lack of information, do not know the source of information.

Nursing Intervention for COPD

•     Instruct patient to avoid irritants such as cigarette smoke, aerosols, temperature extremes, and smoke.


•     Teach about the early signs of infection should be reported to your doctor immediately: increased sputum, change in color of sputum, sputum viscosity, increased shortness of breath, chest tightness, fatigue.


•     Give antibiotics as required.


•     Give the patient 6 to 8 glasses of fluid per day unless there is Cor pulmonale.


•     Teach and give the use of diaphragmatic breathing and coughing techniques.


•     Assist in the provision of a nebulizer action, measured dose inhalers.


•     Perform postural drainage with percussion and vibration in the morning and at night as required.


•     Give encouragement to patients to immunize against influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Sources:http://nursing-careplans.com/nursing-care-plan-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-copd

Advertisement:

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Definition, Types, Incidence and Prevalence of Asthma

Definition

Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes (airways) that causes swelling and narrowing (constriction) of the airways. The result is difficulty breathing. The bronchial narrowing is usually either totally or at least partially reversible with treatments.

Types of Asthma

1. Allergies and Asthma

Allergies and asthma often go hand-in-hand. Allergic rhinitis (also called hay fever) is inflammation of the inside lining of the nose and is the single most common chronic allergic disease. In those with allergic rhinitis, increased sensitivity (allergy) to a substance causes your body’s immune cells to release histamines in response to contact with the allergens. Histamines along with other chemicals lead to allergy symptoms. The most common allergens enter the body through the airway.

With allergic rhinitis, you may feel a constant runny nose, ongoing sneezing, swollen nasal passages, excess mucus, weepy eyes, and a scratchy throat. A cough may result from the constant postnasal drip. Many times asthma symptoms are triggered by allergic rhinitis. Your doctor may prescribe medications to control the allergies and, in doing so, the cough and other asthma symptoms may subside.

2. Exercise-Induced Asthma

Exercise-induced asthma is a type of asthma triggered by exercise or physical exertion. Many people with asthma experience some degree of symptoms with exercise. However, there are many people without asthma, including Olympic athletes, who develop symptoms only during exercise.

With exercise-induced asthma, airway narrowing peaks five to 20 minutes after exercise begins, making it difficult to catch your breath. You may have symptoms of an asthma attack with wheezing and coughing. Your doctor can tell you if you need use an asthma inhaler (bronchodilator) before exercise to prevent these uncomfortable asthma symptoms.

Cough-Variant Asthma

In the type of asthma called cough-variant asthma, severe coughing with asthma is the predominant symptom. There can be other causes of cough such as postnasal drip, chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD or heartburn). Coughing because of sinusitis with asthma is common.

Asthma is a serious cause of cough that is common today. Cough-variant asthma is vastly underdiagnosed and undertreated. Asthma triggers for cough-variant asthma are usually respiratory infections and exercise.

For any persistent cough, contact your doctor. Your doctor may order specific asthma tests, such as lung function tests, to show how well your lungs work. You might need to see a lung specialist for further tests before an asthma diagnosis is made.

Incidence and Prevalence

The prevalence of asthma in Australia is among the highest in the world: between 10% and 15% of children and between 10% and 12% of adults have asthma. Although it is not a major cause of death, asthma is one of the most common problems managed by doctors and is a frequent reason for the hospitalisation of children, especially boys.

In Malaysia, asthma is among the commonest conditions treated in the health
clinics. More than 73 % of outpatient attendances in the health clinics have been
managed for respiratory symptoms and asthma is one of the cases note to be
treated in health clinics.

Chan (1994) reported that 5 % of all outpatients in Ipoh General Hospital were
treated for asthma. Report was also shown that the hospital discharge due to
asthma was on the rise in the past five years (1990 – 1995). The mortality
statistics was also showed the similar trend.

http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Asthma

http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/acm/aia08/aia08.pdf

http://www.medicinenet.com/asthma/page2.htm

http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/types-asthma

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Unusual Asthma Symptoms

Unusual Asthma Symptoms

While most people consider “wheezing” the key sign of asthma, there are also other, more unusual asthma symptoms. For instance, a dry, hacking cough that persists may actually be a symptom of asthma. Chest tightness and difficulty breathing in the early morning hours can also be asthma symptoms. Likewise, constant sighing may be associated with asthma.


Unusual asthma symptoms may include:


• rapid breathing


• sighing


• fatigue; inability to exercise properly


• difficulty sleeping


• anxiety; difficulty concentrating


• chronic cough without wheezing (cough-variant asthma)


To complicate matters, asthma symptoms are not consistent and often vary from time to time in an individual. As an example, you might experience asthma primarily at night — known as nocturnal asthma — rather than during the day. Furthermore, episodes of asthma can be triggered by many different factors such as allergens, dust, smoke, cold air, exercise, infections, medications, and acid reflux. Finally, other health conditions such as heart failure, bronchitis, and dysfunction of the vocal cords can cause symptoms that mimic those of asthma, yet these conditions are not asthma. For these reasons, accurately diagnosing asthma and effective asthma treatment can be a challenge for you and your asthma doctor.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

What Are the Effects of Second Hand Smoke on the Lungs?

The effects of second hand smoke on the lungs may be just as serious as those affecting a person who smokes. People who are exposed to second hand smoke typically have an increased risk of lung cancer and various lung-related illnesses, such as asthma, bronchitis, and even tuberculosis. Many studies also show that while the effects of second hand smoke on the lungs are harmful to everyone, they may be especially dangerous for babies and small children. In most cases, children who live in the same home with smokers are much more likely to have frequent ear infections and illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Pregnant women should also be particularly mindful of the effects of second hand smoke on the lungs. When exposed to second hand smoke, both a pregnant woman and her unborn child are at risk. Babies born to women who live in the same home with smokers may be more likely to have a small birth weight or arrive prematurely. Another possible concern for newborn babies is SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Infants who live in homes with smokers tend to be at greater risk for SIDS than babies who live in non-smoking homes. In addition to the effects of second hand smoke on the lungs, a person who is exposed to second hand smoke might also have cardiovascular problems. Smoke exposure tends to constrict the arteries because the amount of oxygen to the blood becomes limited. When this happens regularly, chances of a heart attack or heart disease are usually much greater. Second hand smoke exposure could also cause the blood pressure to rise and the arteries to become clogged, which may also increase the chances of further heart problems. The best way for a person to combat the effects of second hand smoke on the lungs and other parts of the body may be for him to ban smoking from his home with no exceptions. Smoking should also not be allowed in the car or work space. If a person has visitors to his home who smoke, she should probably ask them to smoke outside. It might also be a good idea for people who want to avoid second hand smoke to only visit stores and restaurants with strict no-smoking rules. A person who works for a company that allows smoking may be able to put a stop to it by talking to the person in charge and requesting that smoking be banned from the workplace.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Asthma/Bronchitis Treatments

The questions usually come to our mind about Asthma are: What is asthma, how does asthma differ from bronchitis, what are the diagnostic tests of asthma, what are causes of asthma, what to do during asthmatic attack,  is asthma curable, can asthma be prevented with change of life style, what are traditional remedies/natural therapies of asthma, yoga and other physical exercises for asthma, what are asthma medicines, does asthma medicines need to be taken life-long, what are the side-effects of asthma medicines, does asthma retard the growth and development of the child etc. etc.
Asthma/Bronchitis:
Asthma and Bronchitis have similar symptoms of chest congestion, coughing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing caused by inflammation of the bronchial tubes. Actually, only a doctor can correctly diagnose and identify if one is suffering from Asthma or Bronchitis and prescribe a proper treatment accordingly.
Bronchitis is inflammation of the main airways followed by infection (Bacterial or viral) in the lungs that causes difficulty in breathing, coughing out yellowish green thick sputum/mucus, chest discomfort, wheezing and sometimes low grade fever. Bronchitis is normally curable. But Bronchitis can become chronic also, especially in smokers. Bronchitis is more common in the children, elderly people and the heavy smokers.
Asthma is an allergic chronic lung disease (may be hereditary, environmental or due to some medication, smoking etc.) which cause wheezing and chest discomfort, may be coughing but often without mucus. In severe asthma one cannot talk even. Asthma is considered as not curable. Asthmatic attack can be triggered by cold air, dust, or strong emotions.
One should follow the scientific treatment and practices to control Asthma to live a quality life and should avoid to follow the myths which make the life a misrable one.
Yoga for asthma, bronchitis and other breathing disorders:Yoga should be done only when one is normal. Yoga should preferably be done early morning or at sun set with empty stomach on a yoga mat (specially fabricated sticky mats). Yoga should preferably be done under medical supervision and guidance of an yoga expert.Regular practice of Yogasanas and Pranayama can certainly havea positive effect on the asthma,bronchitis and other breathing disorders. Yoga focuses on controlled breathing. It improves the blood circulation which gives rich supply of oxygen to all parts of the body, thus helps them getting activated and energized. Slowly it improves the functioning of the bronchial tubes and the lungs and diminishes the mucus therein, thus, treating asthma, bronchitis and other breathing disorders. Yoga by toning up and relaxing the stressed muscles helps in calming the nerves, mind and the body and make them free from stress, anxieties, depressions and emotional instabilities. Yoga exercises reduce allergic sensitivities and improve the immune system to provide necessary resistance to the body.
Tarasana: Stand straight keeping the feet together with the feet making an angle. The knees should be straight and keep the hands tight and firm. Start inhaling and stretching the arms forward keeping the palms facing each other. Then, start exhaling and stretching the arms on the sides, palms facing downwards. Then, start inhaling and stretching the arms upwards, palms facing each other. Stay in this position for few seconds. Start exhaling and bringing down the arms to the original position. This Yogasana steadies breathing, improves blood circulation and calms the body and the mind, thus, gives relief to asthmatic patients.
Sukhasana/Swastikasana: A comfortable sitting pose. Cross the legs, touching sole of the right foot with the base of the left thigh and the sole of the left foot with the base of the right thigh. Join the thumbs of the hands with the index fingers and place the left hand on the left knee and right hand on the right knee. Straighten the spine, drop the shoulders down and back and press the chest towards the front. Close the eyes and relax the body. Let the tongue rest on the roof of the mouth, just behind the front teeth. Breathe deeply through the nose down into the belly. Deep breathing lessens the stress on your heart and lungs, thus, helps in controlling asthma, bronchitis and other breathing disorders.
Shoulder Lifts: To release the tension of the shoulders. Take a comfortable sitting pose keeping the back straight and neck relaxed. Start inhaling and slowly raise the right shoulder and then start exhaling whilst slowly dropping it down. Similarly, raise the left shoulder and drop it down. Lastly, do this with both the shoulders together. Repeat it for some more times. This helps a lot in improving asthma, bronchitis and other breathing disorders.
Matsyasana: Lie down straight on back with legs straight. Bend the knees a bit and try to make an arch by lifting the chest and then the whole trunk with the elbows and sliding the head backward resting the crown of the head at the mat. Breathe and stay in this position for few seconds and then come back to the original lying position. This can be repeated for 2-3 times. This Yogasana tones up the nerves, thus, helps a lot in improving asthmatic conditions.
Bhujangasana: Lie down with the torso touching the mat, the toes kept together, turned outwards and touching the mat. The heels should also touch each other and the soles turned backwards. Keep the palms parallel to, on either sides of the chest and touching to the mat. Start inhaling slowly and raise the trunk and the head curving the spine with forearms touching the sides of the chest. Stay in this pose for some time. Start exhaling and slowly come to the original position. This Yogasana strengthen the chest muscles, thus helps to control the asthmatic conditions.
Anulom-Vilom Pranayam: Sit down in any comfortable pose keeping the back straight preferably in Padmasana (Place the toe of the left leg on the right thigh and heel on the groin of the left leg. Place the toe of the right leg on the right thigh and heel on the groin of the right leg. Keep the wrist of both the hands on the respective knees) or Sukhasana (Place the heel of the left leg on the perineum. Place the heel of the right leg over the left leg heel and place hands on respective knees as in Padmasana). Close the eyes. Now close the right nostril with right thumb and inhale deeply through the left nostrils. Hold the air in the lungs for sometime. Close the left nostril with the ring and middle fingers of the right hand and slowly exhale through the right nostril. Hold for some time and then inhale deeply through the right nostril, hold the air for sometime. Close the right nostril with right thumb and slowly exhale through the left nostril. Now reverse the process. Do it for about 15 minutes and may take a minute’s rest after every five minutes.This Yoga Pranayam clears the nasal passage, prevents sinus clogging and allows free breathing which help in controlling asthma, bronchitis and other breathing disorders.
Kapalabhati: Sit in any comfortable position or in Padmasana or Sukhasana. Inhale deeply through the nose. Exhale forcefully and quickly making a hissing sound through the mouth with tightened lips. The belly and diaphragm should contract and press the navel towards the spine with each exhale. An inhalation and exhalation is one round. Do it for 10 times and can slowly increase to 30 times. Then rest in Shavasana.This Yoga Pranayam saturates the bloodstream of lungs with oxygen, improves free breathing, thus, helps in controlling asthma, bronchitis and other breathing disorders. 
Exercises to control Asthma/Bronchitis: As and when advised by a qualified doctor, otherwise, sometimes it may result in exercise-induced asthmatic attacks. Deep breathing in green environment, walking, jogging, stretching, swimming, biking, etc.
Foods to be avoided to control Asthma/Bronchitis: Thoughthere is no general rule to avoid any food in all asthmatic cases, food allergy can be a cause of it which needs to be diagnosed. The foods generally taken care are – fried/ baked foods like pizza, dairy products like curd, ice cream, cold beverages, frozen foods, high fat and high sugar foods like chocolates, cookies, cakes, sour foods like sauces, potatoes or potato chips, white bread, rice, yellow cheese, red meat etc.Wine may cause serious Asthma attack to people who are sensitive or allergic to sulphites. The highest levels of sulphites are found in dried fruit, wine, beer, cordial, convenience foods such as pizzas and oven chips, jam, some seafood products and processed meat.
Cut down your alcoholic, smoking, caffeine and drugs taking habits
Foods to control Asthma/Bronchitis:

( L to R: Ginger, Black Pepper, Cinnamom, Great Cardamom, Long Pepper, Common Fig, Basil & Licorice Roots)
Fresh fruit and vegetables like pumpkin seeds, carrots, leeks (a kind of green onion), beet root, and cantaloupe melon (Kharbooja), Pineapple, Citrus fruits (lemons, limes and oranges, especially grapefruit), Watermelon, Pears, Asparagus, Spinach, Mustard greens (Sarson ka Saag), Ginger, Garlic, Onions, Cauliflower, Celery (Ajwain), Thyme leaves (Ban ajwain), Flaxseeds (Alsi), sesame seed (Til), Chicory – Cichorium intybus (Kasni), Horseradish, Scallions (Kanda or Gandana), Seaweed, Lobster, almonds etc. build body resistance and are known to help to control Asthma/bronchitisand other breathing disorders.
Microbes (like probiotics) found in curd and milk have beneficial effect in the prevention as well as treatment of allergic diseases like asthma.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Stress free life with adequate rest of sound sleep at night.
Herbs good for Asthma/Bronchitis: Holy Basil (Kali/ Ram Tulsi), Ginger (Adrak), Cinnamom (Dal Chini), Black Pepper (Kali Mirach), Common Fig (Anjir), Licorice Root (Mulethi), Asafoetida (Hing), Fennel (Saunf), Bay leaf (Tej patta), Melon seeds (Magaj), Sultanas (Munakka), Cardamom (Elaichi), Vasaka (Arusha), Somlata, Hyssop (Jufa), Yellow Berried Nightshade (Kantkari), Bharangi, Ginko Biloba etc.
Other herbal treatments to control Asthma/bronchitis:
• Take equal amounts of powder of dried ginger, black pepper, and long pepper (Pippali) with honey.
• A teaspoonful of honey and ginger juice dissolved in hot water.
• Two spoonful juice of Malabar nut (Vasa/Arusa) – Adhatoda vasica.
• Take warm decoction of Ginger, Cinnamom (Dal Chini), Black Pepper, Great Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)   and basil (Tulsi) sweetened with honey.
• Take a bowl of hot water, add 2-3 drops of lavender/ Eucalyptus oil and inhale.
• Take a combination of beet root juice, carrot and spinach juice.
• Inhale steam before going to sleep to clear the respiratory track.
• Keep bedroom air moist with a humidifier/vaporizer.
Doctors prescribe the use of inhalers which they consider as a surer and safer device to manage asthma than the use of antibiotics, cough syrups and antihistamines. 
Food supplements/Vitamins to control Asthma/Bronchitis: Vitamins A, B complex, B6, C, E as well as zinc, Magnesium, Selenium etc. are known to be good to control Asthma/Bronchitis.
References:http://www.livestrong.com/article/220387-differences-between-asthma-bronchitis/#ixzz1X9mtyqLi
http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-asthma-and-vs-bronchitis/#ixzz1X9pntp00
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002078/
http://www.ayushveda.com/homeremedies/bronchitis.htm
http://www.ayurvedic-medicines.org/diseases/bronchitis.htm
http://www.anandakendra.com/2010/05/bronchitis-treatment-with-yoga.html
http://www.womenfitness.net/bronchitis_diet.htm
Dr. S. Lavasa -Asthma & Allergy, The Tribune May 23, 2012

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-06/diet/32077594_1_asthma-attack-reactions-sulphites

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Pet Health Tip #23- Hip Dysplasia

Hip Dysplasia is caused by the abnormal development of the hip joint.  The hip joint is a ball and socket joint.  The head (top) of the femur (long upper leg bone) is the ball and it sits in a socket (acetabulum) of the hip bone (os coxae).  The head of the femur is supposed to sit very snugly in the acetabulum.  It allows a rolling motion, but is not supposed to have a sliding motion.  So, in a dog with Hip Dysplasia the ball is usually too small and the socket is too shallow.  This results in a "loose" joint.  In other words, instead of getting that snug fit, the joint has too much motion.  This can allow the joint to subluxate or "pop in and out".  Over time, this extra motion causes "wear and tear" on the joint and results in arthritis.

The development of Hip Dysplasia is primarily the result of genetics.  That is why it is more common in certain breeds of dogs such as Labs and Rottweilers.  As the puppy ages, the joint doesn't develop correctly and results in Hip Dysplasia.

It is often hard to diagnose Hip Dysplasia in really young puppies.  All puppies have pretty loose joints.  The question is whether they are going to develop normally or abnormally as the puppy grows.  By the time the puppy is about six months old, you will often start to see evidence of hip dysplasia.  The puppy may have a "rolling gate" where you can actually see the hip joint slipping when they walk.  This is often missed due to the fact that puppies are pretty resilient and will ignore the inconvenience of a slipping hip joint.

Typically, Hip Dysplasia is diagnosed once the dog has fully matured and the joint starts to break down.  The dog will have trouble rising or may cry out if their hips are pushed on.  Other symptoms include: trouble maneuvering up stairs, jumping into cars, or onto the bed.

Treatment for Hip Dysplasia is usually therapeutic, meaning we just try to alleviate the pain and slow the progression of damage to the cartilage in the joint.  There are several good medications available to accomplish this.  Passive activities, such as walking and swimming, are also good for the joint.  Additionally, it is very important to keep the dog’s body weight normal.  If the dog is carrying extra weight, it will speed the progression of arthritis.

Hip replacement surgery is also an alternative.  There are several veterinary practices that perform this surgery with very high success.  It is expensive, but it will cure the problem rather than just manage the symptoms.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad