Consider these tips for better sleep even with asthma

Daytime can be easy for people with asthma. However, the night offers a different scenario. Nocturnal asthma can have people coughing, wheezing, and experiencing shortness of breath and tightness in the chest, which can all prevent one from enjoying quality sleep.

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Some people are vulnerable to asthma triggers such as dust mites, allergens, and temperature changes at night. Also, lying flat on the back worsens post-nasal drip, another trigger for an asthma attack. To ensure these external factors for nocturnal asthma are addressed, clean the bedroom before hitting the sack, suggests Dr. Lisa M. Cannon. Though it can be tempting to head straight to bed without minding the sleep environment, minimizing the risk of being exposed to dust mites ensures improved air quality before sleeping.

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Wash the sheets weekly. If possible, wash and beddings and blankets in hot water once per week to kill most allergens and dust mites. Dry the sheets using the hottest drying option possible. Avoid covering the bed with damp sheets, as doing this can encourage molds and mildew to grow. Animal dander, pollen, and dust mites may enter through the window. Close the window if possible but ensure proper ventilation to prevent the air from being stale.

Dry air is any asthmatics enemy. According to Dr. Lisa M. Cannon, it would be helpful to use both a humidifier and an air purifier to prevent sore throat and post-nasal drip in the morning. Elevate the upper body to avoid post-nasal drip that may lead to an asthma attack.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon earned her medical degree from New York College of Medicine and her fellowship in pulmonary disease, critical care, and sleep medicine from Mount Sinai Hospital. For more updates like this, visit this blog.

The undeniable link between exercise and lung health

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Individuals who suffer from chronic lung disease always think of ways to improve their lung function. However, some of them shudder in the idea of working towards the goal as this may include exercising and exerting much effort in order to increase lung capacity.

For many, it can be tempting to skip working out as they could feel overworked or out of breath. Although, it is important to note that not taking care of the body through regular exercise can make daily activities much harder over time. Exercise works the heart and the lungs, which are two of the most integral organs of the body, says Dr. Lisa M. Cannon. The lungs are tasked to bring oxygen into the body, while the heart is in charge of pumping oxygen to the muscles.

Regular exercise results in better oxygen delivery and smoother blood flow, causing the body to function at higher levels. Simple activities such as walking to the doorstep, taking a shower, and playing with kids can become much easier for individuals who exercise regularly. While lung function can’t be improved, an individual can improve their lung capacity by five to fifteen percent by doing aerobic exercises.

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Dr. Lisa M. Cannon reminds COPD patients and those without COPD to consult with their physicians first before starting strenuous workouts. Regardless of one’s medical history, regular exercise that includes aerobic and weight-lifting exercises should always be a part of their lifestyle as it reduces a person’s risk of serious illnesses.

Dr. Lisa M. Cannon is a board-certified specialist in pulmonary disease, critical care, and internal medicine. To give her patients the best service, she completed her Master’s in Public Health from NYU Wagner School of Public Service. For more updates from Dr. Lisa M. Cannon, head over to this page.

REPOST: Researchers seek combat troops with lung symptoms

As the reports of increased acute respiratory illnesses in deployed troops began surfacing, army physicians are starting the third phase of a long-term study into deployment-related pulmonary health. This article has the details.

U.S. soldiers work during a dust storm outside of Camp Buehring, Kuwait, prior to reaching their final destination at Camp Taji, Iraq, in 2008. Army physicians are starting the third phase of a study into deployment-related pulmonary health and are looking for volunteers. | Image Source: militarytimes.com

Army researchers are looking for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with breathing difficulties such as shortness of breath or wheezing to study how deployments may affect lung health.

With some combat veterans returning from war with respiratory ailments such as asthma, hyperactive airways and, in some cases, constrictive bronchiolitis — a rare disease involving scarring and inflammation of the smallest airways — Army physicians are starting the third phase of a long-term study into deployment-related pulmonary health.

The Study of Active Duty Military for Pulmonary Disease Related to Environmental Deployment Exposures, or STAMPEDE, seeks to determine what lung diseases may be associated with overseas military operations, said retired Army Col. Michael Morris, a pulmonologist at San Antonio Military Medical Center, Texas.

“There are complicated diagnoses out there,” Morris said. “We want to be able to explain to a general medical public the difference between the average citizen and the military population who may have different exposures.”

Previous studies done under STAMPEDE include an analysis of the health of 400 soldiers with career-limiting asthma to see whether the incidence of the disease was higher in those who deployed than those who didn’t (it wasn’t), and a study of 50 service members to evaluate respiratory symptoms after they deployed.

In that research, published last July in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 40 percent of patients showed some evidence of reactive airways after deployment, including eight diagnosed with asthma and two with respiratory issues related to acid reflux.

Six service members also were found to have miscellaneous airway disorders and four other troops displayed diminished capacity to transfer inhaled oxygen into their bloodstreams.

The new STAMPEDE study will be similar to the one with the 50 troops. Morris and his team are seeking active-duty or retired personnel who deployed to a combat zone and developed respiratory symptoms during or shortly after deployment and still have symptoms.

Participants will be required to spend a week in San Antonio or at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

They also must be able to exercise on a treadmill and have no history of pre-existing lung conditions before deploying, according to Morris.

As part of the research, participants will undergo blood work and chest imaging, electrocardiograms, breathing tests, exercise tests, a vocal cord exam and bronchoscopy.

Morris emphasized that participants also must be eligible for Tricare. While he is in talks with the Veterans Affairs Department’s War-Related Injury and Illness Study Center and the South Texas VA Medical Center to offer the study to veterans, he said those discussions are preliminary.

Some veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have developed debilitating respiratory illnesses after serving in the region. Many blame the military’s use of open-air burn pits to dispose of trash in theater, saying the smoke produced by the fires sickened them.

Other studies have shown that particulate matter in the air — fine granules of microscopic dust and sand — may have damaged airways while several veterans who were exposed to a sulfur fire in Mosul, Iraq, in 2003, developed chronic disease.

A study by experts at Vanderbilt University diagnosed 38 soldiers from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with constrictive bronchiolitis.

But Morris said more research is needed to determine the extent of that diagnosis in service members and explore other possibilities.

“The study from Vanderbilt was biased in favor of one disease, making other people think they have that disease, but it’s more complicated than that,” Morris said.

Service members or retirees wanting to participate can call the STAMPEDE staff at San Antonio Military Medical Center at 210-916-3976 and at Walter Reed at 301-295-4191.

Dr. Lisa Marie Cannon is a recognized internist, specializing in pulmonary medicine. Follow this Twitter account for more medical news and updates.