The Effects of Indoor Air Pollutants on the Lung Health of Asthmatic Patients

Environmental studies have consistently shown an association between air pollution and exacerbations of illness in people with respiratory diseases such as Asthma (Zhengmin, 2010). Asthma, a chronic disorder in over 160 million people causing one death every twenty seconds, involves the interaction of airflow obstruction, bronchial hyper-responsiveness, and inflammation (WHO, 2005). Medical practitioners currently attribute any degradation in lung health to pathophysiological factors, and routinely suggest expensive steroids and other inhaler treatments to alleviate respiratory disorders. The goal of my research is to uniquely quantify the effect of airborne pollutants on the degredation in lung health of asthmatic patients enabling targeted remediation that incorporates both pathophysiological and environmental factors.

It was hypothesized that the Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) rate of asthmatic subjects varies inversely with the concentration of each pollutant, including airborne particulate matter (PM10), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs). In Phase 1, over 100 subjects were recruited to participate in this study. Using scientific and HIPPA compliant methods, over 4 million air quality and PEFR readings. Based on the Pearson R Correlation coefficient, a strong inverse correlation was determined between the degradation in the PEFR and the PM10 and TVOC levels, but not between the CO2 and CO concentration levels.

In Phase 2, I developed a novel mathematical model and an interactive online application to quantify the percent what percent of a subject’s PEF degradation is caused by the levels of PM10 and TVOC in each subject’s environment. Medical practitioners and Environmental specialists alike could use my mathematical model as it provides a better estimate for the PEF rate and supports targeted remediation of indoor air quality. I have written a letter to the Chairman of the EPA and the U.S. President asking them to allow me to present my findings to them and discuss possible amendment to the Clean Air Act needs to include TVOCs as a criteria pollutant. Possible ideas for future research include engineering a smart thermostat that monitors air quality real-time and studying the effect of TVOC on the endothilial lining of our lungs.

SIDE EFFECTS OF NEBULIZER USE

A nebulizer is a machine that delivers medication to your lungs. Most of the time, nebulizers are used by people with asthma, bronchitis, or other lung diseases or conditions. The side effects that you may experience when using a nebulizer are caused by the medications used, not the nebulizer itself. Side effects from asthma medications can range from mild to very serious.

Anaphylaxis

Rarely, the medications used in nebulizers can cause a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include swelling or tingling of the lips, tongue, or throat; wheezing; and trouble swallowing. This is a medical emergency. Call 911 or seek emergency care immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.

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Nervousness

Some of the medications used in nebulizers, such as albuterol, can cause nervousness, a rapid heartbeat, dizziness and shakiness. Let your doctor know if these side effects are bothering you, as your medication or dosage may need to be changed.

Mouth Problems

The act of inhaling the medication through a nebulizer can cause dry mouth, sore throat, a bad taste in the mouth or hoarseness. Sometimes, nebulizers can cause thrush, which is a yeast infection in the mouth. Symptoms of thrush include white spots in the mouth, bleeding and pain. Tell your doctor if these effects are occurring.

Worsening of Asthma Symptoms

Sometimes asthma medications can cause a worsening of your asthma symptoms. If you find yourself needing your nebulizer more often, or if you are experiencing increased shortness of breath, wheezing or coughing, contact your doctor right away.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/23178-side-effects-nebulizer-use/#ixzz2H8mpcpRb

** For the rest of us, the short term effects are merely unpleasant and most of the time completely

We all know there’s been a lot of fuss about Beijing’s pollution recently, but what’s the truth? Should you cancel your trip? Bespoke Beijing puts some facts out there to set the record the best cruise lines straight. Now it’s going to get a bit scientific in places, so sit up straight and pay attention.
the best cruise lines Sadly yes! On Saturday 12 th January, the best cruise lines a little contraption in the American Embassy in downtown Beijing recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 755. That index is defined by the American Environmental Protection Agency and lists readings from 0-500, so in that sense, a reading of 755 is considered ‘beyond index’. the best cruise lines To put this in context, on any given day the reading in London or New York would be between around 10 and 40.
A reading of that magnitude was extremely unusual – indeed it’s the first and only time it has been that high since records began. To give you an idea, usually Team Bespoke the best cruise lines starts to grumble if the AQI shows a reading of between 250 and 350, but most days we live with air that hovers just above or below 100.
In our experience, polluted days occur more frequently in summer when dry, still weather conditions increase the chance of non-blue sky days. Anecdotally we enjoy the freshest, the best cruise lines clearest days during winter, but the most low-risk time to visit is during Spring and Fall, when it is cooler and a little spring rain or end-of-summer breeze keep the air moving.
Put simply, it’s a combination the best cruise lines of cars, factories and coal burning. the best cruise lines But all cities have cars and factories! you say. Well yes, but not on this scale. As you’re probably already aware, Beijing is a BIG city in a developing country, and the social, political and industrial consequences of that are huge.
To give you an idea, until the end of 2011 there were 2,200 new cars appearing on Beijing’s road every day. What can we say – Beijing’s people are getting wealthier and everybody’s just trying to keep up with the Joneses.
What s more, during particularly cold winters (this one saw temperatures the best cruise lines plummet to -15 degrees centigrade) a large number of Beijing’s 20 million residents burn more coal than usual. The factories on the outskirts of Beijing also add to the problem, as does the city’s unique the best cruise lines location on a desert plain flanked by mountains. After several days without wind, the pollution doesn’t disperse and starts to build.
You can see it. It looks like fog. Until recently, most locals indeed thought that it  was  fog, as this was how it was explained away by the powers that be. In the last year, however, Beijingers have become all too aware of the problem, and are pushing for more to be done despite often unknowingly contributing to the problem themselves.
Now this is the part where we want to introduce the best cruise lines a bit of a reality check – slap you in the face with a wet kipper so to speak – because it’s the part that few people truly understand and that the media often exaggerates. Though of course we’re not making light of it either.
So here’s what you need to know: the main concern with regards to health and pollution is the level of PM2.5 particles in the air. These particles are considered to be the most dangerous to our health because they are extremely small and can stick more easily to the inside of your lungs, ultimately increasing your risk of developing a respiratory disease, heart failure and, in extreme cases, lung cancer.
Unfortunately it’s this part that is often taken out of context and misinterpreted, causing more alarm than is strictly necessary, especially among those who are only expecting the best cruise lines to spend a week or so in China. So here’s what bad Beijing pollution does to people:
** A high concentration of PM2.5 articles in the air on any given day can have immediate negative consequences on the health of infants, the elderly and those with existing respiratory diseases such as asthma. According to Dr Richard Saint Cyr, a general practitioner from the United Family Hospital Group,   short term pollution spikes could potentially be serious for anyone with serious chronic heart and lung diseases. This includes people the best cruise lines with severe asthma; emphysema; or people with heart conditions, especially those at high risk of heart attacks.
** For the rest of us, the short term effects are merely unpleasant and most of the time completely the best cruise lines non-existent: pollution doesn’t smell very nice and you may find yourself having to clear your throat more than usual. Others report having a mildly sore throat.
**   Lasting damage from pollution is only seen in those who have resided in Beijing for long periods (i.e. 6 years or more). In other words, the damage the best cruise lines to your wellbeing if you are a relatively healthy human being is accumulative – pollution will take many years to cause respiratory problems.
As Saint Cyr sensibly points out, the effects of worrying about the pollution could actually be more harmful to your health than the pollution itself, and breathing in Beijing’s air comes much lower down on the list of things that are bad for your health than, say, eating unhealthily or not getting enough exercise.
** On average, one day of breathing in Beijing’s air is equivalent to smoking 1/6 th of a single cigarette . Whether that sounds like a lot to you, or not much at all depends on many factors (if you re already a smoker for one!). So we’ll leave you to make your own judgment on that
If you do fall into the more sensitive category, you can switch some of your activities to indoor ones (where pollution is 30% reduced) and make sure you only do the outdoorsy activities in the early morning as this is when Beijing’s pollution is lowest, before people the best cruise lines jump in their cars and the factories start up. Luckily with a Bespoke Beijing tour guide your day is completely the best cruise lines flexible so you can decide the best cruise lines on the day how you feel.
The verdict?   If you’re simply visiting Beijing, and do not consider yourself to be in one of the ‘sensitive’ groups, then Beijing’s the best cruise lines pollution, even on it’s worst days, is going to have little or no effect on you. Instead of worrying, perhaps just be grateful that you have not lived a lifetime in China s capital
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The Devastating Effects Of Depression When It Accompanies A Chronic Disease

The damage that co-morbid depression has on a patient’s health is greater than that caused by such chronic illnesses as diabetes, angina, asthma and arthritis, according to an article published in The Lancet. In other words, depression with diabetes is more damaging than diabetes with angina or asthma or arthritis.

Dr Somnath Chatterji, World Health Organisation (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland and team looked at data on 245,404 people from the World Health Survey (WHO). They discovered that the prevalence of a depressive episode during the previous year was 3.2% – for diabetes this figure was 2%, for arthritis 4.1%, for angina 5.4% and for asthma 3.3%.

They found that a large number of people had one or more of these chronic diseases as well as depression – between 9% to 23% of them.

They found that depression has the largest effect on worsening health compared with the other listed chronic illnesses, even after adjustments were made for socioeconomic factors and health conditions. Depression, accompanied by one or more chronic disease(s) gave patients the worst health scores – these scores did not alter much from country to country around the globe.

“The co-morbid state of depression incrementally worsens health compared with depression alone, with any of the chronic diseases alone, and with any combination of chronic diseases without depression. These results indicate the urgency of addressing depression as a public health priority to reduce disease burden and disability, and to improve the overall health of populations,” the authors wrote.

An accompanying Comment pointed out that while 80% of patients with arthritis and 90% of patients with asthma receive an acceptable standard of care, the case is nowhere near the same for depression. “In Australia, less than 30% of patients receive good treatment with anti-depressants, cognitive behavioural therapy, and proactive maintenance care. Perhaps differential access to treatment is one reason why disability is less with the physical disorders. Treatment for depression should at least be on a par with that for other chronic diseases.” The Comment was written by Professor Gavin Andrews and Dr Nickolai Titov, Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression, University of New South Wales at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, Australia.

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