A person with asthma often suffer from allergic rhinitis, which is an aggravating factor of asthma.But conversely, the patient with allergic rhinitis develop asthma more often. Thus, in case of allergic rhinitis, it is recommended to treat this condition and to seek asthma.

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways, whose expression depends on intrinsic factors (atopy, family predisposition, bronchial hyperresponsiveness …) and environmental (pollen, dust mites, animal dander, pollution, smoking, respiratory infections. ..). More than 300 million people worldwide are affected, including 30 million in Europe, and this condition continues strong growth.

Rhinitis, characterized by inflammation of the airways, is an extremely common disease that affects 25% of the world population and 10-15% of Europeans.

The symptoms are well known: nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing and sometimes tearing.

But we know that these diseases are often linked. Thus, over 80% of asthmatics also suffer from allergic rhinitis. Moreover, in people with asthma, rhinitis untreated promotes exacerbations of asthma.

Conversely, patients with rhinitis are three times more likely to develop asthma compared to subjects without these conditions.

In conclusion, to prevent the onset of asthma in people with allergic rhinitis, it is necessary to seriously address this latter condition and for the presence of asthma.

Conversely, it is wise to seek an allergic rhinitis in asthma patients and if necessary deal at the same time these two diseases.

Desensitization is an effective treatment for some allergies. But because of its limitations and dangers, a new route has been developed: the sublingual route. Still little known, it has many advantages and very precise.

Desensitization or immunotherapy aims, through the administration of increasing doses of allergen to induce a state of tolerance vis-à-vis the allergen. Specifically, the treatment consists of subcutaneous injection of the allergen to which the patient is sensitized.

This technique has some disadvantages, such as the need to inject the allergen, which is not without risk, or requiring the patient to go to every once in a medical office or hospital, just inBecause reactions may occur during the injection.

Admittedly, this method is very effective, but sometimes dangerous. Thus the occurrence of severe anaphylactic symptoms led to a search of other techniques, including other routes of administration.

In recent years, the sublingual appeared. It consists of placing under the tongue of rapidly increasing quantities of allergen in the form of drops or spray, the tablet is currently under study.Allergen concentrations are much higher than those used in desensitization by injection and the optimal dose is reached quickly (15-20 days).

This new method has proved almost as effective as traditional desensitization. In addition, secondary reactions are very rare, if not low, this treatment can be performed at home.

1. The conditions are strict limitation

• Rhinitis and / or allergic asthma.
• Be sure of the relationship between exposure to the allergen to which you plan to desensitize and symptoms.
• the fact that to effectively reduce the allergen in the environment (crowding).
• Processing single drug ineffective because of the severity of the disease.
• Commitment to the patient a very good adherence to the long-term desensitization. Indeed, the treatment must be continued over several years, three years on average.

Given the increase in allergies over the last thirty years, changing our way of life was clearly in question. What could be the role of diet, specifically that of fast food?

The New Zealand researchers wanted to test the hypothesis that diet could be partly responsible for the rise of asthma and allergies.

It must be said that in addition to hygiene, eating habits have greatly transformed over the last thirty years. The most striking development is broadly represented by the fast food, takeaway and fast foods. So today, we are trying to rehabilitate the fruits, vegetables and cereals, and meals quietly, with family and away from the TV. Conversely, we try to reduce the share of fats and sugars, eaten at all hours of the day.

This study was conducted among 1,300 children aged 10 to 12 years. Questionnaires were used to gather data on history of asthma, current asthma and symptoms. Meanwhile, the mode for children that has been informed. The collection of this information has been supplemented by skin prick tests for environmental allergens, a measure of bronchial hyperactivity and body mass index (BMI) to assess a possible overweight or obese, have supplemented the information collected.

After analysis and adjustment data, this work shows that the consumption of fast food increases the risk of developing asthmatic symptoms. This increase was dose dependent: it is only 17% for consumption less than once a week, but rises to 81% when children eat a hamburger more than once a week.

In conclusion, our children should not eat at fast food more than twice a month!

Note that obesity threatens the frequent fast-food is a known risk factor for asthma. According to the authors, the high salt content of these menus could also be involved in this phenomenon.

Asthma severely disrupts the quality of life of patients and is unfortunately the cause of about 63,000 hospitalizations and 2,000 deaths per year in France. The management of the person with asthma may still be largely optimized.

1. Chronic inflammation of the bronchi

This chronic inflammatory disease of the bronchi and reversible affects 5% of the population: 10-15% of young adults and adolescents, and 8-10% of children under school age.

When asthma is triggered, there is an airway obstruction, contraction of muscles and inflammation of the bronchi. The air then passing difficulty, chest tightness, wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath occur. The crisis ends often spontaneously within a few minutes to several hours, but can also be extended a few days is what is called an exacerbation.

Poorly controlled, the disease is a source of frequent and troublesome symptoms (three out of ten asthma are required to restrict their activities). It may also jeopardize the patient’s life: every year 63,000 patients are hospitalized with asthma, while 2000 deaths are directly attributable to this condition. But a care suited avoids the most severe events.

2. Manage and prevent asthma

The treatments are effective but require monitoring and regular adjustment. Overall, it distinguishes the crisis treatment and therapy. The first is a bronchodilator and short-acting system that can alleviate the immediate crisis. The second is based on inhaled corticosteroids to reduce crises and episodes of worsening.

However, 68% of patients are inadequately controlled or not (respectively 21% and 47%). That finding comes from the results of the European study Inspire (International Asthma Patient Insight Research) among 2,000 asthmatics. Moreover, nearly half of patients (47%) experienced a worsening requiring hospitalization or an urgent consultation in the past year.

3. Excessive use of bronchodilators

Lack of control is manifested mainly by a very important decision bronchodilators: 71% of patients surveyed use them daily or several times a day. Now we consider that using bronchodilator more than four times per week reveals a bad check …

Thus the number of periods of worsening is important, with 14 episodes on average uncontrolled asthmatics.

Yet the vast majority of patients recognize the signs of early deterioration of his asthma and its treatment spontaneously adapts by increasing doses of bronchodilators when they arise.

4. Negligence of DMARD

Finally, the problem comes from the therapy. The inhaled corticosteroids are used only later (at the peak of aggravation and not before) and at doses too low to achieve the desired anti-inflammatory effect and are necessary to prevent exacerbations.

In conclusion, patients should be better trained on how to adapt their treatment. Together, they should use a little less often to bronchodilators (no more than 4 times per week) and a little more to steroids. They should be used during the period of stress symptoms, which is six days between the beginning and peak of aggravation.

The community has input into the effect of exposing children to early infections. This exhibition is her protector, for example by inducing a sort of immunity against the officers met before? Or conversely, is it harmful in increasing the risk of allergy and asthma?

1. Allergic manifestations in community

The answer to this question is difficult, so the results of published studies on this subject are contradictory. A new study provides convincing evidence.
This analysis focused on Swedish more than 10,000 children aged 1 to 6 years. Questionnaires were used to gather data on respiratory and allergic symptoms, family environment and the type of care for these children.

2. Increase gross symptoms of asthma and allergy

The conclusion is unequivocal, children cared for in institutions have many more symptoms of asthma and allergies than others. This dramatic increase is especially important in young children 1 to 4 years.
This result is in contradiction with many other epidemiological studies, which are also at the origin of the theory hygienist.

Thus, in the small community kept, allergic symptoms are potentiated in proportions ranging from 12% to 160%:

+ 33% of wheezing
+ 56% of nighttime cough
+ 23% of asthma
+ 15% of rhinitis
+ 75% of hay fever
+49% of eczema
+27% of allergic reactions to food
+160% hay

The type of care is associated with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms, eczema and allergic food reactions. In this study, the community does not give any sign of protection vis-à-vis the allergies in children 1 to 6 years.

In practice, to the extent possible, the development community should not be too early, and this, even if there is family history of asthma and allergy.
And of course, we must ensure that the immunization schedule is up to date …

And if the fruits and vegetables were the major drugs of this century? After remarkable results in preventing cancers, they are poised to demonstrate their effectiveness in preventing asthma.

1. Asthma: asthmatic lack of vitamin C

Good news for asthma prevention: eat more fruits and vegetables may have a substantial preventive effect.

At least that can be deduced from a study recently showing that people with asthma eat less fruit and vegetables than those not prone to asthma and their levels of vitamin C significantly lower …

The difference is important witnesses, subjects with asthma consuming only 132 g per day of fruits and vegetables against 149 grams for people without asthma.

17 grams difference a day makes it much faster!

Equally interesting: 51% of people with asthma never eat citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemon), fruit particularly rich in vitamin C.

2. Asthma or not: it has everything to gain by eating fruits and vegetables!

Can one say that if people with asthma were eating more fruit and vegetables, they would be better off? It is very likely that YES for several reasons:

• Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that consumes a lot of antioxidants like vitamin C: any deficiency is even worse,

• in general, consume more fruits and vegetables is good for health,

• fruits and vegetables regularly to replace fat that conversely maintain inflammation.

Although asthma is well cared for by a basic treatment, asthma attacks may occur. A preliminary study suggests that some antibiotics, even in the absence of infection may improve the symptoms of asthma.

1. What treatment against asthma attacks?

Today, asthma is a disease that you can handle. Overall, there are two types of treatment that may be associated: the treatment of crisis, a bronchodilator that helps to calm the crisis of asthma and background therapy (inhaled corticosteroids) to prevent the occurrence of crises.Even if it is followed correctly, seizures can occur, however, is what doctors call the “exacerbation of asthma. Several factors are likely to encourage their occurrence, allergens from the pollution, through stress. But one of the most common causes is the existence of an infection. In young children, infection with certain viruses has been linked to symptoms such as wheezing. Is for example the case of bronchiolitis. This phenomenon can also occur in adults.

When signs of infection are easily visible, the prescription of antibiotics does not pose a problem. In contrast, in the absence of signs of infection, recommendations for good practice does not offer the use of antibiotics.

But if the hypothesis that infection may cause an exacerbation of asthma, it is questionable whether this prescription of antibiotics in the absence of visible infection would not improve more effectively symptoms of the crisis.

2. Some antibiotics improve the symptoms of the crisis

The effects of antibiotic treatment were tested in 278 adults with an exacerbation of their asthma within the past 24 hours. In addition to standard treatment, half of them received antibiotics (telithromycin, oral daily), the other a placebo. The self-assessment of symptoms for four days on a scale of 0-7 is clearly in favor of antibiotics. In fact, asthma symptoms were more improved in the treated group.

This result is particularly interesting, but the authors argue, it needs to be confirmed by other studies serious and it’s far too early to conclude that they could routinely prescribing antibiotics for exacerbations of asthma.

A new study confirms that the chlorine in pool water promotes the risk of developing asthma. The more pools in a region, most children with asthma are numerous.

1. Chlorine in swimming pools

The chlorine added to pool water has a role of disinfectant. But chlorine is also a particularly volatile product which is thus easily into the air. Thus, in a swimming pool, air breathed contains large quantities of chlorine.

The relationship between chlorine and the onset of asthma is suspected for some time.According to some studies, 25% of competitive swimmers suffer from asthma, a percentage well above national averages. Others indicate that the proportion of children with asthma is higher among those attending the many pools. A new study has confirmed this association.

2. Pools promote asthma

The team of Professor Alfred Bernard (Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium), which has already published studies on the association between asthma and chlorine, at that time compared the number of pools per capita number of cases asthma in children aged 13-14 years in 21 European countries. Finally, each additional pool per 100,000 inhabitants, asthma in children increased by 2.7%.

3. It should further break the pools!

The goal is not to discourage children swimming in the pool because of the increased risk of asthma, but to encourage industry to develop other alternative processes with chlorine to disinfect water. And most importantly, to encourage more to ventilate the indoor pools!

Note that in summer, many pools are discovered or airy, windows and windows are wide open …

A higher risk of asthma in adolescence can be identified in infancy. An association between bronchiolitis and sensitization to allergens in early childhood is predictive of subsequent risk of developing asthma.

1. Asthma and bronchiolitis

The relationship between bronchiolitis and asthma has been described. It suggests that the risk of subsequent asthma is frequently increased in patients suffering from bronchiolitis during infancy. Results from a German study adds a condition to evaluate the risk of asthma in adolescence.

2. The role of early sensitization to allergens

More than 1,000 children were followed from birth until the age of 13 years. The clinical assessments were performed at the age of 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months, then annually until age 13. Lung function and bronchial sensitization have been carefully evaluated. Parents also completed a questionnaire specifying regularly possible exposure to allergens during childhood.

Pediatricians find that 90% of children who have suffered from bronchiolitis before the age of 3 years but did not develop allergies, showed no respiratory symptoms at puberty. The mere fact of being victims of bronchiolitis is not predictive of risk of asthma in adolescence.

However, this was true of children who developed sensitization to allergens (dog hair, cat, house dust …) during the first three years of their lives. And the greater the amount of allergens in the environment, the higher the lung function was reached.

This relationship was not observed when children have developed sensitization to allergens later in life.

In conclusion, the risk of developing asthma in adolescence is increased in cases of bronchiolitis and sensitization to allergens during the first three years of life. Beyond three years, these conditions have more influence.

In the end, it would be interesting to develop an optimal treatment strategy in patients at risk …

This year, free vaccine against influenza is extended to people with asthma, regardless of their age or severity of the disease. Enjoy, this is the last call for this winter. The influenza epidemic arrives and effective immunization is a good ten days after the injection of the vaccine.

1. Vaccination against influenza: last call

To date, the epidemiological situation of influenza is still calm. If there is still time to get vaccinated, it should really now. The flu will be here before the end of the year and there should be an interval of ten to fifteen days to be immunized. It is therefore the last call.

2. Free vaccine extended to all asthmatics

Until now, the assumption of 100% vaccination concerned persons aged 65 and over, and subjects with one of nine serious chronic illnesses, including asthma severity:

• Diabetes type 1 and type 2 diabetes
• Disabling stroke
• Chronic kidney disease and severe nephrotic syndrome primitive
• Severe neurological and muscular disorders (including myopathy), severe epilepsy.
• Cystic
• Hemoglobinopathies, chronic hemolysis constitutional and acquired severe
• Severe chronic respiratory failure, including severe asthma and COPD
• Severe heart failure, serious arrhythmias, severe valvular heart disease, severe congenital heart disease
• Severe primary immunodeficiency requiring prolonged treatment, infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) *

3. Asthma and COPD

Starting this year, expanding free vaccine to all people with asthma, regardless of their age and the severity of their disease. This is also the case for people suffering from chronic bronchial pulmonary disease (COPD), but also for:

• children and adolescents taking long-term treatment with aspirin;
• children with Kawasaki disease;
• people staying in a health facility medium or long stay.

4. Why asthmatics should they be vaccinated against the flu?

Each year, influenza causes many complications in asthmatics. She is responsible for a worsening of the disease, deterioration of ventilatory function, which results in the form of repeated crises and difficult to control persisting for several days, sometimes weeks. Asthmatic children, influenza is a common cause of hospitalization.

An estimated 3.1 million the number of people under 65 years of age with asthma.

Similarly, the influenza virus worsens COPD, a disease resulting in chronic bronchitis and respiratory difficulties may lead to long-term respiratory failure.