STUDY LINKS CHILDHOOD ASTHMA WITH SWEET DRINKS Estimates reveal that over 300 million people around the world suffer from asthma. which contributes to around 250,000 deaths every year. In the US alone, one in ten children and one in twelve adults live with the painful condition. On an average, there are about 3,168 asthma-related deaths per year costing up to 29 billion dollars every year. The rate of this breathing disorder has been steeply rising over the last several decades. According to new estimates, the rate of those developing asthma is predicted to grow by more than 100 million by 2025. The good news is that by making certain changes in your lifestyle, you can reduce the likelihood of your children developing the condition.
ASTHMA LINKED TO SUGAR AND FRUCTOSE CONSUMPTION A new study published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society has linked mid-childhood asthma with high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages during pregnancy and early childhood. During the study, a team of scientists examined over 1,068 mother-child pairs through a food-frequency questionnaire. It took into account how frequently both mother and child drank sugar-sweetened and fructose-sweetened beverages. The link between the intake of sugar and fructose drinks by maternal and child was assessed with the rate the children had developed asthma in mid-childhood. In comparing the quarter that drank the least sugar with the quarter that drank the most, the researchers found that the risk of mid-childhood asthma increased with greater high fructose and sugarsweetened beverage intake during pregnancy. Further, the research also suggests that high early childhood fructose consumption increased the risk of developing asthma.
ASTHMA ATTACK AND SYMPTOMS Asthma is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which leads to difficulty breathing due to the narrowing of the airways leading to the lungs. People with the condition can develop swollen or inflamed airways which include the nose, nasal passages, mouth, and larynx. As the airways become narrower, there is less passage of air to and from the lungs leading to breathing problems. Chest tightness, wheezing, and coughing is some of the symptoms associated with narrowing airways. Inflamed airways are highly sensitive to irritants, which increases the dangers of allergic reactions. During an asthma attack, the symptoms occur suddenly in response to stimuli that irritates the air passageways and the immune system. The various signs and symptoms of the condition vary in terms of frequency and severity. While some people might have attacks frequently with severe symptoms, others might have attacks very rarely and hardly experience any symptoms at all. Attacks can be occasional and brief. This is one of the leading reasons why many people remain undiagnosed, assuming the symptoms to be only temporary. In other