Do you use a HEPA filter? Do you think it has improved your asthma?

HEPA filters have been promoted in the past to combat indoor air pollution. An article in Pediatrics demonstrated there may be some use for HEPA filters in asthma. Not only was the air in the home of the asthmatics healthier in the group of patients who received the HEPA filter, there were less unscheduled physician visits for asthma. However, levels of nitric oxide and nicotine were that same in both groups.

While these results are promising, it is too early to recommend a HEPA filter for every home.

What do you think? Do you use a HEPA filter? Has it helped your asthma control? Leave a comment or go to the forum and join the discussion.

Learn More

• Avoiding or Controlling Home Allergy Exposures
• 10 Things You Can Do to Make Your Home More Asthma Friendly
• Is Ragweed Allergy Making Your Asthma Worse?

What triggers your asthma at Christmas time? What do you do to avoid these triggers? Or is something else making your asthma worse this christmas season?

Your asthma may be well controlled with your current medications, but could your asthma meds be increasing your risk of diabetes?

According to an article in the most recent issue of The American Journal of Medicine, inhaled steroids may be associated with developing or worsening diabetes. Overall, inhaled steroids increased risk of diabetes by 34%, while high dose inhaled steroids increased risk up of developing diabetes up to 64%. Inhaled steroid use also increased the risk of worsening diabetes and the higher the dose the greater the risk. Overall, 14.2 per 1000 patients per year developed diabetes while on inhaled steroids .

In a press release Samy Suissa, PhD, lead investigator from McGill University, commented that "high doses of inhaled corticosteroids commonly used in patients with COPD are associated with an increase in the risk of requiring treatment for diabetes and of having to intensify therapy to include insulin. Therefore, patients instituting therapy with high doses of inhaled corticosteroids should be assessed for possible hyperglycemia and treatment with high doses of inhaled corticosteroids limited to situations where the benefit is clear."

Learn More

• What Are Inhaled Corticosteroids?
• What Are Common Inhaled Corticosteroids Side Effects?
• Do Inhaled Steroids Improve Childhood Asthma?

Videos and pictures can help you learn a tremendous amount about your asthma. About.com has a wonderful collection of videos to help you understand more about your asthma and your lungs. Check them out and let me know what you think.

• What Causes Asthma?
  Learn what happens in your lungs when asthma strikes.




• What Are Bronchodilators?
  Your rescue inhaler is an important part of your asthma action plan. See how these medicines work in your lungs.




• How Do the Lungs Work?
  Your lungs are a complicated organ. Learn more about how your lungs work.




• How Do Inhalers Work?
  Your inhaler is a very important piece of equipment. Learn more about how it works.

More Asthma Related Videos From About.com.

• Treating and Preventing Eczema
• What Are Bronchodilators?
• What Are Mucolytic Drugs?
• What Is Atelectasis?