McALLEN – A high pollen count and second-hand smoke were two contributors this year as the McAllen-Mission-Edinburg area jumped to ninth from 25th as the worst place in the country for asthma.

 “I was surprised myself. I knew we were high, but I didn’t expect to be that high compared to other places,” said pulmonologist Ramon Rodriguez, who McAllen doctor specializes in internal medicine and pulmonary disease.

The ranking, which is determined by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation for America, includes evaluation  of factors like  pollen counts, air quality, frequent ozone days, public smoking bans and use of asthma medications.

All contributed to McAllen’s rise on the list, according to Angel Waldron, spokesperson for AAFA.

“This year, the pollen count was really high in McAllen, (which) can cause problems over half of the people with asthma because they also have allergies,” Waldron said, adding that allergies trigger 60 percent of asthma cases.

Exposure to second-hand smoke also triggers asthma attacks.

Although the AAFA recommends smoking bans in workplaces, restaurants, bars and in cars with minors, McAllen only bans the first two, according to Josue “ Josh ” Ramirez, the city’sdirector of Environmental and Health.

Rodriguez said second-hand smoke is an irritant, but added that barbecuing  also sends people to the emergency room with breathing problems. most show up on Mondays, he said.

Additionally, the McAllen area is among the top five highest in the country in poverty and uninsured rates.

According to the National Prescription Tracking Data Base, which is provided by IMS Health, the usages of both over-the-counter and prescription medications used to treat asthma are higher here than they should be.

 “the data is telling us, the people in McAllen are either dealing with a high incidence of triggers that cause their symptoms, or they may be self-medicating (by) trying different things until they find something that works,” Waldron said.

However, patients who are diligent in being tested and who consult with allergists regularly won’t need to self medicate, Waldron said.

Although typically considered a children’s disease, 68-year-old Connie DiCarlo-Mendiola, of McAllen, learned she had the disease 11 years ago. Growing up in Minnesota, DiCarlo-Mendiola never suffered symptoms as a youth. even when she moved 22 years ago to the Valley, things seemed great.

“ When I first came to the Valley, I loved that Gulf breeze in the evening. I thought that was the best thing because I could breath that fresh air. But now that I have asthma, whenever (there) is a windy day, I stay indoors because of allergies and the wind ,” she said.

Since her diagnosis, however, DiCarlo-Mendiola has ended up in the hospital once a year.

She is not alone. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas reports that the impact reflected on the asthma-related claims are on the rise in Texas.

In the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area alone last year, BCBSTX processed 28,000 claims and paid $2,500,000 related to asthma, Ross Blackstone, senior manager of Media and Public Relations for BCBSTX, stated in a written statement.

Asthma now affects one out of every 12 people in Texas.   in addition to health challenges, the Texas Department of State Health Services says asthma also carries significant social and economic burdens:

>> One-third of asthma-affected Texans miss work at least one day a year because of their condition.

>> One third of Texans with asthma have trouble sleeping, and more than 11 percent have had trouble sleeping five nights in a row or more.

>> Children up to age 4 who have asthma are admitted to the hospital two to eight times more than adults with the same condition.

SOLUTIONS

There are several things that can help alleviate or lessen the affects of asthma.

One is to education people and make them aware of the disease and how to control it, Waldron said.

While there is nothing people can do about pollen counts, they can implement and observe smoking bans.

Also, working to improve the rates of poverty and those who are uninsured would help, Waldron said.

“it is good that students are able to access their inhalers while in school, (but) there are some states that don’t allow it because it is a controlled substance,” Waldron said.”When they don’t have access, we have unnecessary deaths.”

Recruiting more allergists and pulmonologists also would benefit the area. currently, patients have long waiting periods before they can be seen by a board certified specialist.

Rodriguez said the Valley now has 14 allergists and pulmonolgists.

In the Medical: you can use some more physicians in McAllen as well, or specialist to handle, right now there are just far enough, so people are probably dealing with a long waiting period before they can be seen by a board certified specialist, if some more physicians were practicing in McAllen that would be a benefit to our patients as well.

Dr. Rodriguez said in the Valley there are 14 Allergist and pulmonologist if we include the Weslaco ones.

As for DiCarlo-Mendiola, who is a respiratory therapist herself, life is normal except during May and June.

She said she follows three simple rules:

>> Complying with instructions for maintenance medications even when symptom free;

>> Exercising regularly;

>> Eating healthy.

Despite the debilitating effects of asthma, Di-Carlo-Mendiola said she’s winning the battle.

“I don’t let asthma control my life,” she said.

Martha L. Hernández covers health, business and general assignments for the Monitor and El Nuevo Heraldo . you can reach her at (956) 683-4846.

ASTHMA IS a common condition affecting almost 10% of the population, characterised as intermittent, reversible difficulty in breathing caused by narrowing of the airways, inflammation and excessive mucus. There are a number of triggers which can initiate an attack such as allergy, cold air, exertion (e.g. exercise), infection and stress. the main symptoms are; shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing (especially at night and early morning) and a feeling of tightness in the chest.

the aim of treatment is to keep the condition under control so as to minimise the effects on the sufferers’ lifestyle as much as possible. this is achieved using an on-going step-wise approach in order to match the treatment to the severity of the condition: the aim is to reduce the number of asthma attacks to 3 or less per week or no more than one night time episode per week.

Mild asthma can often be controlled sufficiently by the use of short acting beta-2 agonist inhalers (e.g. salbutamol = Ventolin™ or terbutaline = Bricanyl™). These act by relaxing the muscle in the airways causing them to open; they act immediately, but can cause side effects such as shaking or tremor. Unfortunately, in most cases, additional drugs are required to achieve adequate control and the next step is to add a steroid inhaler (such as beclometasone = Becotide™ or budesonide = Pulmicort™). These act by reducing the inflammatory response in the airways and can be very effective if used regularly. they must be used for several days initially before reaching their full effect.

low doses have few side effects, but can cause oral thrush so rinsing the mouth with water after each use is advised. Higher doses can result in typical steroid side effects of; weight gain, lowering the immune system (leading to infections), glaucoma and acne. More severe asthma may require other forms of treatment if high-dose inhaled steroids are still insufficient to control symptoms. the next step is to introduce a long acting beta agonist (LABA) inhaler (salmeterol = Serevent™ or formoterol = Oxis™). These act in the same way as the short acting types, but their actions lasts for several hours and are delayed. they do NOT give immediate relief and so mustn’t be used for acute attacks. There was some concern after a large study found that people using LABAs were more likely to suffer from severe asthma that required hospitalisation or caused death. it is very important to use these products correctly and in combination with other treatments, never alone. it is imperative that any worsening of asthma symptoms are reported and treated quickly.

if asthma symptoms are still troublesome the next step is to add oral medication, either; a leukotriene receptor antagonist (montelukast = Singulair™), theophylline = Uniphylline™ or a beta 2 agonist tablet (salbutamol = Ventolin™). the last step in treating unresponsive asthma is to add the oral steroid tablet prednisolone. this is often used for short periods of 5 to 10 days for asthma flair ups, such as may occur with a chest infection. Long term treatment is associated with a number of complications and patients should be monitored for; high blood pressure, osteoporosis, cataracts, adrenal suppression, diabetes and high blood fats.

the regular use of asthma drugs saves lives but it is important to use them correctly. if you have difficulty using the normal pressurised inhaler, then using a spacer device or a different type of inhaler (powder inhaler or breathe activated inhaler) may improve treatment tremendously. if asthma symptoms worsen or reliever inhalers fail to have their normal effect, medical advice must be sought without delay.  Emergency treatment with nebulised drugs, oxygen and steroid injection are not uncommon and is often avoidable if the worsening symptoms are reported early. in the UK alone three people die every day from asthma and it has been estimated that 75% of hospital emissions for asthma could be avoided.

Asthmatics should have their condition and treatment monitored regularly and their medication adjusted accordingly. the step approach outlined above can be used in both directions, so some drugs can be reduced or stopped if symptoms improve sufficiently. Michael Lord BPharm(hons) MRPharmS. UK Pharmacist with 20 years experience. Now at Health & Beauty Abroad, Flamenca Beach Commercial Centre, Orihuela Costa. Tel: 96 532 5116  HealthandBeautyAbroad.com

I think my dog may be having seizures, but I need to know the symptoms. she is 7 months old, weighs 4 pounds and is a chihuaha and rat terrier mix.

and yes, I am taking my dog to a vet tonight, asap.

You're little pup could be getting over excited, when my moms pup gets excited he has asthma attacks until he calms down. But if the asthma proceeds it can lead to a small seizure. either way the vet will tell u what meds to get or how to calm ur puppy down. her pup is a chihuaha too. so they do tend to get wired from time to time.

My beagle/dachshund mix has epilepsy. Before she has a seizure her nose runs (drops hang off the end of it), she pants, and she has a funny far off look in her eyes. When she has a seizure she drools a lot and shakes. She can't walk, so we just pet her until it's over. Now that we know what to look for we give her a pill before the seizure starts and that stops it. She hasn't had one in over a year. If your dog has epilepsy, medicine will probably help. Good luck!

Well there are different types. Mild ones where they get shaky and jerky then go around in circles after words they seem disoriented. then there whats called "Grand Mall" where they lay on their sides feet kinda thrashing like they are running and mouth clenching sometimes losing consciences, losing their functions urinating and pooping then slowly come out of it acting disoriented and spacey until they are back to normal. Its hard to find reasons why some all of a sudden start , blood work looks perfect and have had no head trauma. Some animals may have just one or don't have them very often. It is said one never dies from seizing unless they fall from a high place. usually a Vet will advise you to wait and see how frequent they have them and explain that the medications to prevent them (Phenobarbital or Valium) can make them tired all the time and they seem dopey and not active or no personality and if they only have them every once in a great while you may just decide to ride them out and not put on drugs as long as they don't get more and more frequent..On some occasions they can determine if its related to a certain problem like low glucose or a lactating female can get calcium deficiency and once treated they stop..

They can have different symptoms. Shaking badly, unresponsive, seeming to stare off into space, sometimes just going stiff where you think they are dead. I had a Chihuahua with hydrocephalus and she had seizures. She died a year ago today. She was 4 years old. Your dog may be hypoglycemic(low blood sugar). Give her some nutrical if you have it, if not, give her some karo syrup or honey to help bring her sugar back up. Hope she will be okay.

eyes roll back, convulsions, drop in tracks to sleep, just take to vet to ck because there could be more to it then just what symptoms then which ones that you have not given, to compare for anybody to give an honest answer, but these are just some of the ones I have had happen to mine and that was just some of what the vet explained to me and these are the extreme.

Traffic seems To Increase Kids’ Asthma Attacks. Air vitiation from burgh conveyance appears to increase asthma attacks in kids that ask an emergency compartment visit, a new study reports. the bring about was found to be strongest during the warmer parts of the year. the researchers who conducted the study, done in Atlanta, were dispiriting to pinpoint which components of fouling place the biggest role in making asthma worse Pearl cream singapore. so “Characterizing the associations between ambient circulate pollutants and pediatric asthma exacerbations, distinctively with feature to the chemical composition of particulate matter, can worker us better understand the impact of these different components and can relieve to inform public health protocol decisions,” the study’s lead author, Matthew J Strickland, an subsidiary professor of environmental robustness at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, said in a despatch deliver from the American Thoracic Society.

The researchers examined the medical records of children 5 to 17 years dated who had been treated in Atlanta-area exigency rooms from 1993 to 2004 because of asthma attacks. Data were gathered from more than 90,000 asthma-related visits. They then analyzed connections between the visits and constantly statistics on the levels of 11 another pollutants.

The researchers found signs that ozone worsens asthma, as they had expected. But they also found indications that components of befouling that comes from combustion engines, such as those in cars and trucks, were also linked to sincere asthma problems in kids. Results of the studio were published online April 22 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Asthma is a lingering (long-term) lung cancer that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling rugged when you breathe), caddy tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. the coughing often occurs at tenebrousness or primeval in the morning. Asthma affects kin of all ages, but it most often starts in childhood.

In the United States, more than 22 million proletariat are known to have asthma. nearly 6 million of these nation are children. the airways are tubes that display divulge into and out of your lungs. People who have asthma have swollen airways. This makes the airways puffed up and very sensitive. They exhibit to reciprocate strongly to infallible substances that are breathed in.

When the airways react, the muscles around them tighten. This causes the airways to narrow, and less manner flows to your lungs. the excrescence also can worsen, making the airways even narrower. Cells in the airways may frame more mucus than normal. Mucus is a sticky, stiff profitable that can further narrowing your airways. This string reciprocation can issue in asthma symptoms. Symptoms can happen each hour the airways are irritated.

Sometimes symptoms are demulcent and go away on their own or after minimal treatment with an asthma medicine. at other times, symptoms keep to get worse. When symptoms get more zealous and/or additional symptoms appear, this is an asthma attack. Asthma attacks also are called flareups or exacerbations.

It’s grave to premium symptoms when you before all notice them. This will assistant prevent the symptoms from worsening and causing a onerous asthma attack. Severe asthma attacks may instruct emergency care, and they can cause death Where can i buy vimax pills. asthma can’t be cured. even when you handle fine, you still have the affliction and it can flare up at any time.

I am thinking about taking Ginkgo Biloba to help control my asthma symptoms and I am for people that had success doing this and how much Ginkgo Biloba they took?

I've never heard that ginkgo can treat asthma. What I've heard is that it prevents Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and age-related cognitive decline. It is sometimes called "smart drug". I don't think it has anything to do with asthma, though. but of course, I could be wrong.

According to studies reported at a doctors' conference in Florence, Italy, in 1986, ginkgo reduces the susceptibility of children to various allergic substances and thus greatly decreases the frequency of asthma attacks.*

I have a recipe for a Ginkgo Throat Spray for asthma. It is used like an inhaler. I gave the recipe to one of my customers and she said it worked as well as her prescription.

1 teaspoon tincture of ginkgo leaves
5 drops chamomile essential oil (optional but helpful)
1/4 cup water
Combine ingredients and store in a sprayer bottle. Shake well before each use. Use as needed to keep airways clear.

I have a friend who was know to have asthma attacks when she was a lot younger but for the recent years it seem like she doesn't have but she still has symptoms of her chest feeling really tight, and shortness of breath and anxiety even when she in't doing anything really. I really don't understand cause she wanders if she's having an attack or not, because all she feels ar the symptoms without really struggling for breath

Bronchial asthma is a respiratory illness usually long term that currently has no cure. the goal of asthma treatment methods must manage the disease. Appropriate management of asthma can:

* assist with the preservation of pulmonary strong performance* low frequency of use of rescue medication* Indicators of preventing asthma as constant coughing and not to mention the shortness of breath* allows you to maintain normal bodily functions, and a better sleep at night* Reduce allergic reactions and asthma attacks may require admission to hospital for medical care

If you are serious about controlling asthma symptoms, it is important to meet with your health professional together with his family in order to devise and adhere to a course of therapy of asthma. You will be required to avoid elements that could lead to undesirable asthma problems, along with treatment of other diseases that could invade your asthma remedy program.

To achieve this worthy goal it is necessary to share information with your healthcare professional as a way to better manage its signs and symptoms of asthma. when you have children with asthma should also convince them to participate actively in the methods of control of asthma.

Asthma management plans for guidance on the use of asthma medications properly, avoid things that irritate the bronchial asthma indicators, monitoring the quantity of asthma control in response to warning signs, along with worsening seeking emergency medical help if necessary.

There are a couple of forms of medicine for asthma in those who have the option to use: long-term management and rescue medications. medicine long-term management helps reduce inflammation of the airways to prevent asthma symptoms. rescue inhaler medications relieve asthma symptoms may appear.

The severity of asthma symptoms respective decide the initial treatment options, while any subsequent treatment depends on how well the symptoms and response to initial treatment if they suffer fewer asthma attacks.

Their level of control can change with some changes at home, school or workplace changes the frequency with which they are about the factors that can inflame the bronchial tubes. it may become necessary to increase the volume medication if you are unable to successfully manage their asthma.

If you are able to in recent weeks, with no negative effects of asthma, your doctor may decrease the amount of medication to take. These changes, whether more or less medication will help you find the best possible asthma control, taking the lesser of drugs or steroids.

Very young children, pregnant women, asthmatics and found the exercise brings on asthma symptoms might want to their treatment plans and medications adjusted by a physician to meet their individual specifications.