Experts discuss myths surrounding asthma as new treatment unveiled

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A new treatment to prevent some of the damage asthma causes could be available to patients soon, UK scientists have suggested.According to researchers at King’s College London, during an asthma attack, the cells lining the airways are squeezed and destroyed.A new drug could prevent this, instead of managing the consequences, which is what existing drugs and inhalers already do.

According to the NHS website, asthma is a lung condition that interferes with breathing and affects people of all ages.Though it usually starts during childhood, asthma can also develop during adulthood – so what do people who have been diagnosed with asthma need to know?

Health experts share their tips. For Dr Katy Kasraie, private GP at The London General Practice, asthma is a lung condition that causes chronic inflammation and hyper-responsive airways that can present with symptoms such as a chronic cough, especially first thing in the morning or at night, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. “For this reason, having a diagnosis of asthma is an excellent reason to quit smoking, as smoking is an irritant that can aggravate and exacerbate asthma by triggering inflammation in your lungs,” said Kasraie.“Also try and reduce any other allergen exposure by keeping your home as dust-free as possible, and if you have pets, reduce pet dander by dusting and vacuuming your floors and furniture regularly.“Keeping an air purifier in your bedroom and living room which has HEPA and carbon air filters will improve the air quality in your home and reduce asthma flare-ups.“Also, if you suffer from a pollen or grass allergy, or suffer from seasonal hay fever, it’s important to manage your hay fever to reduce any asthma flare-ups.”The vast majority of