Asthma Expert Fred Little shares Asthma management news and commentary at MyAsthmaCentral.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55 http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55 http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/35807/chambers-treament-part Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:00:00 -0400 Fred Little Read Part I of this series here   Inhaler devices for asthma treatmentIn this second entry of this two part-series, I would like to review devices that help optimize delivery of inhaled medications to the lungs from metered dose inhalers (MDIs), including spacers/holding chambers, and some other newer features of inhalers to help patients take care of their asthma. Proper technique is important to get the maximum amount of medication into... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/35807/chambers-treament-part http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/32769/keeping-asthma-green Mon, 28 Jul 2008 07:31:00 -0400 Fred Little Asthma action plans In this entry, I would like to discuss the role of ‘action plans' in the care of patients with asthma. Since asthma affects so many people, and is cared for by a range of providers, action plans are a way for patients and providers to be able to take the right steps in care when their asthma control changes.   What are asthma action plans? An action plan is a written document, individualized for each... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/32769/keeping-asthma-green http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/32768/detecting-asthma-start Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:28:00 -0400 Fred Little Newer measures of asthma control In this entry, I would like to discuss some exciting research on newer, non-invasive ways to assess asthma control in patients. While none of these techniques are being used in routine practice, their use is gaining momentum in the asthma research community and they may be integrated into routine care in the future.   Traditional versus newer approaches to assessing asthma control? I want to be... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/32768/detecting-asthma-start http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/30572/inhaler-treament-part Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:27:00 -0400 Fred Little   Inhaler devices for asthma treatment In this entry (part 1 of 2), I would like to review basic devices for delivering asthma medications. Proper administration of asthma medications for the best results can be helped not only by using proper technique, but also understanding a little background on how they work. I review the basics of the three main drug delivery devices:   Metered dose inhalers (MDIs) Dry powder inhalers... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/30572/inhaler-treament-part http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/27868/children-developing Wed, 21 May 2008 10:00:00 -0400 Fred Little In this entry, I would like to address the issue of pet ownership and asthma. Pets, especially cats and dogs, are important members of many households. While it is well known that many people are allergic to cats and dogs, whether being exposed to them at a young age can cause asthma is less clear.   Allergies and asthma are closely related, especially in children. Many individuals with allergic asthma are allergic to cats and/or... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/27868/children-developing http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/23940/adult-onset-asthma Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:40:00 -0400 Fred Little Asthma that comes when you're an adult In response to reader inquiries, I would like to address the somewhat puzzling fact that some individuals develop asthma in adulthood. For many, this seems unusual as we all have acquaintances (family or other) that had asthma or allergies as a child and "grew out of it." Others have had asthma since they were children. But the truth is, "adult-onset asthma" is not that uncommon... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/23940/adult-onset-asthma http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/23941/future-approaches Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:30:00 -0400 Fred Little New approaches to asthma treatment Earlier last month, I attended an international conference on clinical and research advances in asthma and allergic diseases. There are some exciting new prospects on the horizon for asthma treatment. In this entry, I would like to provide a summary of a few of these candidates and how they compare to currently existing therapies for asthma.   Asthma treatment - past and present In a recent entry on... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/23941/future-approaches http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/21153/asthma-allergy Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:23:00 -0500 Fred Little There are occasions in my Allergy/Asthma practice when patients ask about a medication by name. I bristle a bit when I suspect that this inquiry was driven by an advertisement on television or in print. In an unconscious way, I feel that my control over the "menu of care" that I have crafted for my patient is being intruded on by an outsider. In general, and perhaps in a selfish way, I prefer that patients trust that I have made... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/21153/asthma-allergy http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/20942/asthma-food-allergies Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:34:00 -0500 Fred Little Asthma and food allergy In this entry, I would like to review the increase in food allergies and discuss the connection between asthma and food allergies.   Food allergies For those of us 35 years old or older, we seem to be faced with an epidemic of food allergies. Does anyone remember "nut-free classrooms" when we were kids? Nowadays it seems that all classrooms of young kids are nut free. While to some this may seem to be... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/20942/asthma-food-allergies http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/20944/asthma-treatment Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:30:00 -0500 Fred Little In this entry, I would like to discuss the use of theophylline for asthma both in the past and present. While this medication has fallen out of favor as a first line medication in the treatment of asthma, it should not be overlooked as an option for many patients with asthma.   Theophylline in the past and present Theophylline is a drug that has been in use for asthma since the 1950's. Structurally related to caffeine, it was... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/20944/asthma-treatment