Dust mites are one of the most common allergic asthma triggers. They’re also some of the most challenging to get rid of, because these teeny tiny spider-like organisms live almost everywhere in your home environment.

Our latest article outlines some very specific actions you can take, though, to at least reduce their numbers. And any progress you make is going to help with controlling your allergy symptoms and asthma symptoms. Things like:

• Reducing indoor humidity
• Getting rid of wall-to-wall carpeting
• Using allergen-proof covers on mattresses and bedding
• Washing bedding in hot water
• Using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
• Getting rid of your “dust collectors”

So get started today by reading our new tips.

The symptoms of asthma in infants can be so subtle that you don’t even realize infant asthma might be involved. It can be challenging to diagnose too, because your infant can’t tell you in words how he or she is feeling. So doctors rely more on the parent’s description of a pattern of symptoms and behavior, as well as family medical history, in deciding what type of breathing problem your baby may have.

1 out of every 10 kids has asthma today. So, if you find out your baby has asthma too, you’ll have lots of company. If you do suspect infant asthma is causing your child’s breathing problems, it’s important to find out for sure as soon as you can.

In baby asthma, coughing is often the only symptom the infant will have…read more

Many people who have asthma are interested in alternative treatments for asthma. They think a more natural approach is more appealing than using an inhaler every day. One such treatment is sublingual immunotherapy, known as SLIT for short, or the lay term, allergy drops. This treatment option has been in use in Europe for many years, and people in the United States are starting to hear more and more about it too.

But does this approach really work as well as allergy shots for people with allergic asthma? My new article provides all the answers about SLIT… what it is, how it works, how effective it is, its pros and cons. Click the links below to learn more.

More: SLIT Facts | Allergy Shots Facts | Allergic Asthma Facts

Breathe a big sigh of relief – another flu season has come and gone. For people with asthma, the flu represents a seriously threatening illness. Our airways are already compromised from asthma. The flu can send us spiraling out of control quite quickly.

That’s why so many health experts recommend that people with asthma get an annual flu shot. We’re considered to be part of the “high risk” group. Getting a flu shot is a no-brainer, no pain way to stay healthy during flu season. I don’t know why anyone who has asthma wouldn’t get a flu shot.

But lots of us are NOT getting them, according to a recent article in the Centers for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (June 20th issue). The Healthy People 2010 project has set a goal that 60% of high risk people will get their annual flu shot. In 2005-2006, only 36.2% of adults in the high risk group of asthma got the shots. That’s not too good, is it?

You may recall that we have frequently had shortages of flu vaccine in the last few flu seasons. So I suppose that could account for some of the poor showing. But I doubt that’s all of it. Other reasons might be the cost (I spent nearly $30 this past year!), or not having access to flu clinics or a doctor, especially in rural or remote areas.

I wonder, though, how many people with asthma fail to get vaccinated against the flu simply because they don’t know it’s important. I urge all of my fellow healthcare professionals to be be diligent in recommending the flu shot, beginning early in the autumn and on into January or February, which is still not too late. For my fellow asthma sufferers, please consider getting your flu shot this coming fall!

Yes, it hurts a little, especially if you’re a “baby” about needles like me. But, it’s over in a flash, and NO, it cannot give you the flu, since the vaccine is made from dead virus only. As for the cost, it’s a lot less than the value of your lost time, lost work hours or lost school time, believe me. Plus, who doesn’t want to stay healthy and asthma-symptom free year-round?

In previous posts on this blog, I’ve covered the forced switch from the traditional CFC inhalers to the newer, supposedly more environmentally-friendly HFA inhalers. It’s all about the propellants in your inhalers and what they might be doing to the ozone layer. I’ve polled you more than once to get increased clarity on asthma sufferers’ issues with the switch and I’ve tried to educate you on how to get the most out of the new inhalers, since we’re not going to have any choice about using them by the end of 2008.

But recently, I discovered a blog by a practicing physician named Dr. Matthew Mintz. Dr. Mintz blogs about a wide variety of healthcare issues, but unsurprisingly, he’s devoted a few posts lately to issues relevant to people with asthma. One of them deals with the CFC to HFA issue in quite a bit of detail. I highly recommend you take a look:

Read Dr. Mintz’ post here

Most people don’t like taking asthma medicine, even if they know it is helping them. I know I don’t. After all, asthma medicine is expensive and it seems “unnatural” to put man-made chemicals into our bodies. Especially since so many medicines have side effects.

For those reasons, many of us look for “natural” alternatives to treating asthma. Unfortunately, so-called natural approaches don’t really work, despite wild claims you may hear. But how are you to know what works and what doesn’t?

Probably the best way is to visit our Alternative Medicine site here on About.com, where Cathy Wong cuts through the chaff to tell you what alternative treatments work best in relieving asthma symptoms. Cathy discusses special breathing techniques, use of supplements and more. She’ll even teach you 5 Tips on Being a Smart Consumer, so that you don’t get burned by some quack approach.

But I’ve also found a promising new website called RVita.com. I say “promising” because I don’t think there’s a whole lot there yet. But I do like how the site is set up and hopefully, over time, they’re going to develop their content more. Their promotional materials say that they’ll help in “separating the science from the snake oil.” Key features on the site include:

• A basic overview of conditions and remedies (the asthma one was adequate)
• Tables comparing therapies’ effectiveness, compiled using scientific data derived from Natural Standard (a leading resource in integrative medicine)
• Recommended treatments based on the experience of the site’s medical advisers and consumers, expert reviews, blog posts, articles, links to trusted practitioners, practitioner Q&A, and the latest news

By using these tools, you can compare treatments , gather information, and make more informed decisions about alternative treatments. I’ll monitor this site over time and give you more feedback. But, for now, it looks as though you may be able to use it as one tool to gather information.

Asthma has been growing by leaps and bounds the last couple of decades. So, scientists have been looking for answers as to why. Many theories have been proposed, including the modern Western diet, which tends to be lower in the intake of dietary antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene, than in previous times.

One way we can test theories is to conduct research, but that can require a lot of time and resources. So, another way that scientists gather information is by studying the results of previous studies from a different perspective. Often, many different studies are analyzed. This is called a retrospective analysis.

This was the method used recently in a new study to try to gather information about diet and asthma risk. Here are the highlights:

• 10 studies involving 13,000 people were used
• Dietary vitamin intake was compared with asthma rates and lung function
• Analysis did not show a significant link between intake of vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene and risk of developing asthma
• Higher intake of vitamin C DID seem to be linked to better lung function

Researchers concluded that modern diet did not appear to be a factor in the risk for developing the asthma. They went on to suggest that the importance of vitamins C & E to ameliorating or avoiding disease might have been inflated, and that other factors that are as yet unrecognized might actually be having a greater impact.

Learn More:

• Risk Factors for Asthma
• How Asthma Is Diagnosed
• Asthma Effects on Lungs

There are many reasons why people with asthma don’t like the new environmentally-friendly HFA inhalers. We covered those in past posts and polls. But one big problem is just that they cost so darn much more than the old generic inhalers. I know I’m spending over $120/month for my 2 inhalers (controller and rescue). And that’s at WalMart, where prescriptions are supposed to be pretty cheap, relatively speaking.

If, like me, you don’t have health insurance, that’s a pretty steep price to have to weather every single month. I speak from experience when I say the price alone provides hefty motivation for taking my inhaler less than I know I should, just to stretch out the time between pharmacy visits.

But there IS help. Many pharmaceutical companies these days have patient assistance programs. Here are links to some of the ones that make inhaled steroids:

• Help with Flovent
• Help with Pulmicort

Another option is to sign up for some kind of pharmacy discount card. One of the most well-known programs is Together Rx Access® program. This is a free-to-get and free-to-use Card that offers significant prescription savings. According to their recent press release:

” Sponsored by leading pharmaceutical companies, Together Rx Access has enrolled more than 1.5 million people nationwide. Those who have used their free Card have saved over $67 million on prescription medicines.”

That sounds pretty impressive, doesn’t it? The card is for people who don’t have any type of prescription drug coverage from an insurance program. Medicines in the Program include those used to treat high cholesterol, diabetes, depression,asthma, and many other common conditions. Savings are also available on a range of generic products. Cardholders simply bring the Card to their pharmacist along with their prescription, and the savings are calculated right at the pharmacy counter. There are no enrollment costs, monthly dues or hidden charges.

Listen to what the mother of a child with asthma said about Together Rx Access: “The Together Rx Access Card has been a lifesaver for me and my family. I have been using the Card for a couple years now, and I’m always amazed bythe significant amount of savings on our prescriptions,” said Tinamarie Smart, a cardholder who lives in California. “My daughter takes asthma medication regularly and before the Card, it was a struggle to keep up with refilling herprescription. Now, with the Together Rx Access Card, her medication is more affordable and I can use the money saved towards other important purchases.”

For more information, visit TogetherRxAccess.com or call 1-800-966-0407.

Just because your child has asthma, it doesn’t mean he or she can’t still be a normal, active kid who participates in play activities and sports alike. In fact, there are many benefits to being active for your child. As long as you are following your child’s asthma treatment plan and keeping his / her asthma under control, then life can be lived without any significant limits.

Dr. Iannelli, our Pediatrics Guide, gives a great overview of Exercise and Fitness for Kids. In his article, he states that, “Regular exercise is good for kids. It has been shown to help them build strong self-esteem, sleep better, have more energy, decrease anxiety, and decrease depression.”

However, there are some sports activities that are often easier for someone with asthma (child or adult) to tolerate than others. My new article on “Sports & Kids With Asthma” provides tips and advice along those lines.

The main thing as your child begins to grow up and start to make more independent decisions about managing asthma is to keep the lines of communication open. When you know how to talk with your child about his or her asthma, then you shouldn’t have any problems with communication!

Summer is upon us (in most areas of the northern hemisphere), so if you’re allergic to allergens that are active during the hotter months of the year, then you might be noticing allergy symptoms and asthma symptoms are getting worse right now. During the early and mid-summer months, the most common allergens are different kinds of grass pollens.

Common grass allergens include:

• Bermuda grass
• Bluegrass
• Orchard grass
• Red top grass
• Sweet vernal grass
• Timothy grass

Getting a handle on your allergic triggers is essential if you want to keep allergic asthma under control this time of year. Sometimes it takes a bit of creativity, as our Allergies Guide, Dr. Dan More, describes in his post on Little Used Allergy Medicines.

Avoiding your triggers is also important, and that’s easier when you monitor the pollen counts in your area.

Learn More:

• Avoiding Pollen
• Do You Know Your IgE?
• Nasal Allergies & Asthma