OK, maybe that’s not really news. As a nurse and a mom, that’s pretty much in sync with my thinking anyway.

Of course, thinking that way may seem biased and not quite fair to men, right? But I have to tell you, I read this week of a study that found women doctors provided better asthma care to kids in Turkey than their male counterparts. Here were the reasons cited:

• Female doctors saw less patients, thereby giving them more time to spend with each patient.
• Female doctors were more patient-centered, listening better and attending more to the emotional & social aspects of health.
• Female docs were also more interested in getting patients’ input and partnership.

It’s important to note that all of the doctors studied, whether male or female, had similar educational/experience backgrounds and were of similar ages. The findings suggested that the female doctors identified chronic cough as an asthma symptom more often than men did, and also prescribed both short-acting bronchodilators and inhaled steroids more.

Researchers concluded that, “Female physicians demonstrated better asthma management than males, the reasons for which are not defined and can only be speculated.” They went on to suggest further study to try to determine some of the underlying factors at work here. It’s interesting to note that, although the women doctors were clearly not bringing in as many dollars because they were seeing significantly less patients, their patients were enjoying better outcomes, which would reduce overall healthcare expenditures. Hmm… I wonder which one had a more positive impact on the bottom line?

But I have to say that these findings came as no real surprise to me and echo my experiences both inside and outside of health care over the years. Just last year, when my mother was gravely ill, I experienced awful, superficial and uncaring “care” from a male physician and wonderfully thorough, caring, healing care from 3 female physicians. It was quite a contrast in approaches. I’m not silly enough to think there are no good male physicians, but I DO think that the female and male bedside manners are often quite different.

You can use the comments link below to tell us what you think about these findings and your experiences.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Children with asthmaface a number of barriers to participation in physical activity,from family beliefs to school disorganization to their ownmisperceptions about their symptoms, the authors of a new researchreview say.

But given the multiple benefits of exercise, Dr. Brian Williamsof the University of Dundee in Scotland and colleagues conclude,physical activity is essential to kids with asthma, and effortsmust be made to remove these barriers.

Research has shown that exercise can boost aerobic fitness inasthmatic children, and may also have psychological benefits aswell, they report in the journal BMC Family Practice. “Theoverwhelming majority of studies show that people with asthma canexercise safely if medicated appropriately and can significantlyimprove their cardiovascular fitness and quality of life by doingso,” they add.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Long-term use ofsteroids, a mainstay of asthma treatment, can cause bone thinningin children with the disease, new research shows, but the effect isless pronounced with inhaled steroids than with oral ones. Thisside effect was noted only in boys, not in girls.

Previous research has documented the adverse effects of bothoral and inhaled steroids on bone thickness in adults, but littleis known about consequences of their use in children, Dr. H.William Kelly and colleagues note in the journal Pediatrics.

Kelly, at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, and hisgroup followed 531 boys and 346 girls enrolled in the ChildhoodAsthma Management Program.

Save $288 per year on Allegra D Allergy Medicine

Like most people in our country, I am saving everywhere I can these days. We continue to work hard and our business thrives, but every night on the news it seems I hear more bad news about the economy. Any back to my blog topic, Allegra D. My insurance does not cover the full amount of my monthly prescription for Allegra D 12 hour allergy medicine. I have to pay $60 per month for it out of pocket. Actually, I used to have to pay $60 per month for it, starting now I am going to be paying $36 per month for it with the coupon below.

I have always been a fan of the three pronged approach towards managing allergies. A combination of environmental control measures (air purifiers and allergy bedding for me), plus allergy medications (Allegra D and generic Flonase for me), plus immunotherapy (tried it and it worked, but too inconvenient for my current lifestyle) if necessary is a great recipe for success.

Allegra D is my miracle drug, it keeps me from getting congested, and from getting sinus infections. However, it is not a wonder drug for my wife. I suggested she take one of my Allegra Ds last week, probably not a good idea, and she was up literally all night. It had a side effect on her that I don’t experience. She was mad at me and has vowed never to take it again.

Anyway, here is the coupon for Allegra D below. I filled my Rx today and am going to pick it up after work, and then I’ll take 5 minutes and fill out the rebate certificate and mail it in tomorrow morning.

I have tried buying Allegra D through Kroger, via the Canadian pharmacies, legally of course, and haven’t found a loophole for savings like this until now. I will be sure to report back when I get reimbursed.

Click on this link allegra-d 12 hour then click on the red rebate certificate on the page.

When you have asthma, getting the right treatment from a doctor who truly understands the ins and outs of managing asthma effectively is one of the most important factors in staying healthy. But it’s also important that you feel comfortable with and trust your doctor. And that’s hard to achieve sometimes in today’s restrictive healthcare environment or when you feel the need to pick a doctor in an emergency, or at least highly urgent, situation.

Luckily, our Cold & Flu Guide, Kristina Duda, has written a great article on just how to do that! It’s called How to Find a Doctor When You Are Sick, and I highly recommend it. If you’re worried about being able to communicate effectively with your new doctor, check out my Tips for Talking with Your Doctor article.

Trisha Torrey, our Patient Empowerment Guide, has also written an article on Finding Dr. Right, about finding a doctor who is a good match for your needs and communication style.

It’s important for you to recognize that you have both the right and the responsibility to become an active participant in your care. And that starts with picking a doctor who feels the same.

More on Working With Doctors:

• When to See an Asthma Specialist
• Types of Asthma Specialists

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), a government agency that performs a role similar to the U.S.’s Food and Drug Administration, recently put into place new labeling rules for prepackaged foods in Canada. The new rules are similar to current FALCPA laws in the United States. Here’s a summary, plus how the Canadian rules differ from those in the U.S.:

• As in the United States, the most common food allergens and their derivatives have to be labeled on packaged foods. The Canadian regulations include sesame and molluscan shellfish among this list, unlike the U.S.
• The Canadian regulations have specific requirements for gluten-containing foods, requiring that all foods containing wheat, rye, barley, spelt, triticale, and oats be labeled.
• As in the United States, all foods with sulfites in concentrations of more than 10 parts per million must be labeled as “containing sulfites.”
• Finally, all hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, lecithins, and starches must have their sources labeled, even if they’re not among the common allergens mentioned above.

More about food labeling and common allergens…

• Health Canada: New Labeling Requirements
• The Most Common Food Allergens
• How to Sign Up for FDA and CFIA Allergy Recall Alerts
• Reading Labels for Food Allergens

Central Vacuums, a modern convenience?

When I was a child, every day after school I’d come home, pour myself a bowl of cereal and watch an episode of the Jetsons. I loved how they had all those hip, modern conveniences of ‘Living life in the Future!’ Even funnier to me now, the future meant having a home packed full of helpful and handy appliances. Comparing my life to Hanna Barbera’s vision of the future was a passion of mine. Scanning my surroundings, I found that the central vacuum system in our home would be something Jane Jetson would find most convenient.

Our central vacuum system was pretty cool. We had receptacles all over our home making it easy to attach the hose (which was quite long and could reach every nook and cranny) and vacuum without much noise or the hassle of dragging a motorized unit around. I thought it was great. My brother thought it was great too, as he often used it as a torture device for several G.I. Joe men. Opening the flap to the wall receptacle, he would allow them to be sucked into the bowels of our home where the central vacuum motor was hung on a wall in the basement.

There are several great advantages to having a central vac. You have one place, usually in a garage or basement, where the motor, filter, and dust bag are housed. Because of this you cannot hear the unit while running the vacuum. Emptying the dust bag is easy, and you don’t have to drag a canister behind you while you vacuum or shove around a large upright unit. Another plus is that it can serve as an action figure morgue, as my brother and his friends quickly discovered.

There are some downsides to the modern age central vacuum system. My parents bought our home with it already installed, making it super convenient. My husband I were looking to install one into our mid-century-modern home (yes, I’m still obsessed with the Jetsons.) and found it to be ultra expensive in addition to the extreme amount of work required for the installation. With these two things in mind, it would be best if a central vacuum system was installed during the construction of the home.

Another issue we have is our daughter’s allergies to dust and dust mites. I have a Miele canister vacuum with a HEPA filter, and find that vacuuming with my HEPA filtered canister improves the air quality in my home, room to room; it’s like toting an air purifier and a vacuum around in tandem. A central vacuum air filtration system is located with the motor, and the unit is stored in a home’s basement or garage, allowing no extra indoor air filtration while running.

Although I aspire to live in the ultra modern lifestyle like the Jetsons, I suppose I’ll settle for my wifi, convection oven with Speed Bake and cruise control. I’ll continue to use my HEPA filtered Miele canister vacuum and enjoy the money I’m saving while improving my indoor air quality. Besides, I’d be super annoyed if my daughter figured out that she could suck her Polly Pocket dolls down the central vac receptacle.

Understanding your asthma medicine is key to keeping asthma under control. But that’s not as easy as it sounds, with several different classifications of asthma medicines available, along with medicines for related conditions such as nasal allergies and GERD. And that doesn’t even take into account general medicine terminology, applicable to medicines for all diseases and conditions. Let’s try to demystify the medical speak, shall we?

General Medicine Terminology

I’ve heard debate over the difference between the terms medicine, medication and drug. One thing is for sure: the 3 terms mean many different things to different people. The bottom line here is that they all basically mean the same thing, a man-made chemical you put into your body to treat a symptom or a disease (or to prevent it). None of them specifically mean prescription and / or illegal. They’re just catchall terms.

Some Other General Terms

Here are some more terms used to describe medicine:

• Prescription, which means a drug that only a healthcare professional can authorize for you to take
• Over the counter, a medicine that you can buy off the shelf in a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription
• Generic, meaning a new version of an established brand name drug, that is identical in terms of the active ingredient, dosage, safety, strength & other factors

Asthma Medication Terminology

Then, as mentioned, there are terms that are specific to asthma medicines, such as:

• Quick-relief, or rescue, vs. preventive, or controller
• Long-acting bronchodilator (or beta agonist) vs. short-acting bronchodilator
• Metered dose inhaler vs. nebulizer vs. dry powder inhaler
• Inhaled steroid vs. oral steroid
• Leukotriene modifiers (or agonists) vs. Combination medicines vs. Immunomodulators
• Allergy shots vs. Allergy drops
• CFC vs. HFA inhalers
• Antihistamines

Black box warning is another term you might have heard. Black box warnings for asthma medications have gotten a lot of press over the past year or two, so it’s important to understand what they mean. I know all these terms may seem a bit mind-boggling if you or your child have just been diagnosed with asthma, but if you take time to read the different articles linked to above, asthma treatment should begin to make more sense.

Learn More About Medicine:

• Asthma Med Profiles
• Reducing the Risk of Drug Interactions

Experts have known since the 1970s that there is a link between asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease, known as GERD for short. In fact, past studies have shown that 50 to 90% of people with asthma have at least a touch of GERD from time to time. I know I do; how about you?

But now a new scientific study at Duke University with mice has revealed more evidence for whether asthma causes GERD or the other way around. Here are the highlights:

• Doctors injected tiny amounts of gastric fluid into the lungs of mice, mimicking humans’ aspiration of tiny droplets of gastric fluid
• The immune systems of those mice were compared to those of mice exposed to allergens, but not gastric fluid
• The mice exposed to gastric fluid had changes in their immune systems typical of asthma

From these results, scientists concluded that chronic micro-aspiration of gastric fluid can drive the immune system toward an asthmatic response. If it holds up under further study with humans, it’s an important study because GERD is considered largely a lifestyle disease, meaning it can be treated and controlled fairly easily with changes such as better diet, regular exercise and reducing obesity. It is thought that today’s lifestyles, with GERD becoming more common, may also help to explain the increases in numbers of adults with asthma.

This also means that in people who know they have GERD, by reducing gastric reflux, they can also reduce their risk for developing asthma down the line. Here are some ways to do so:

• Eat smaller meals
• Eat several hours before going to bed
• Raise the head of the bed a few inches
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Limit fatty goods, coffee, tea, caffeine and alcohol

Poor air quality is a known asthma trigger, and concerns have been raised for months about the thick clouds of smog that hang over Beijing much of the time. With the Summer Olympics kicking off on August 8th, elite athletes who have asthma (and there are many) have to be worried that the poor air quality in that section of China will affect not only their health, but also their athletic performance.

Because of such concerns, Chinese authorities recently decided to institute odd-even driving restrictions from July to September. Not only will that inconvenience Beijing drivers, it will also cost the government an estimated $186 million. They have also spent more than $17 billion cleaning up their environment. So, it seems this is a country that really wants to host the international games and provide a positive athletic experience for participants.

They’ll also be providing estimates of air quality for up to 3 days in advance of events.

So, what does all this mean to those of us who are not elite Olympic athletes, other than a passing interest? Well, to my eyes, it raises awareness of the fact that air quality can have a powerful impact on people with asthma, making control difficult. It’s also important to note that asthma is common in athletes, but it does not have to be a barrier to participation in sports, not even at the elite level required in the Olympics.

Related Articles:

• Exercise-induced Asthma
• Air Pollution as Asthma Trigger
• Asthma Control & Management
• Sports & Asthma