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 | Many people with asthma never know when their next attack is coming. They see their doctors, take their asthma medications, and maybe even perform spirometry, but are never sure if their asthma is truly controlled. Untreated inflammation in the lungs, which may go undetected even with routine doctor visits, can result in a severe asthma exacerbation triggered by something as simple as the common cold. A breathing test that measures allergic inflammation in the lungs has become more commonly used in the past few years, which could make asthma control much easier to attain. This test, which measures exhaled nitric oxide, has been around for quite a few years, but only recently have insurance companies begun to pay for the test -- making it more widely available. See your asthma specialist to see if obtained an exhaled nitric oxide value is right for you. | |
Exhaled Nitric Oxide to Determine Asthma Control
Nitric oxide (NO) is a gas that is made in the lungs by enzymes called NO synthase (NOS). One form of this enzyme, called inducible NOS, produces large amounts of nitric oxide in the presence of allergic inflammation caused by eosinophils, such as that occurring in most people with asthma. Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) can be measured with the use of a special machine, which is commercially available and used by many asthma specialists, including allergists and pulmonologists.
| What Determines Asthma Control?
Many people overestimate the amount of control they have over their asthma. This is often because people get used to feeling a certain way as a result of asthma; they think that having asthma symptoms is normal. Since uncontrolled asthma can lead to loss of lung function, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and even death, it is important for people to realize when their asthma is not controlled.
| Everything You Should Be Doing for your Asthma
If you've got asthma, find out everything that you should be doing -- whether you've just been diagnosed, or even if you've had asthma for many years.
| Information on the Most Common Allergy Medications
Find out important patient information for the most common medications used to treat allergies and asthma. Learn about what a medication is used for, who shouldn't take it, common side effects, and interactions with other medications. Pictures of the medication (pills, capsules, bottles, etc) are also shown.
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