Busy Roadways Increase Teens Asthma Risk

International lung experts now have proof from a new study conducted in shantytowns near Lima, Peru. The study has revealed that teens who reside right next to a busy roadway have a greater risk for allergies and asthma. These risks can climb by 30% for developing allergies to dust mites, pet hair, mold and can double for actual asthma symptoms like wheezing and the need to use medications more frequently to help them breathe.

This study which is published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, is believe to be the first association to increased rates of allergic disease and exposure to traffic linked pollution as a probable reason for uprising rates of asthma along major transit routes. Past studies in North America and Europe had relied on self reports of asthma symptoms or had given conflicting results on the possible association with high levels of airborne pollution. Up until now experts state there has been no study that has examined how busy routes affect the allergic origins of asthma.

Asthma has been diagnosed in almost 34.1 million Americans at some point in their life. 300 million people endure asthma worldwide.

At least 23 million Americans have asthma among those Americans almost 7 million children endure the disease.

John Hopkins experts had taken part in this study and also discovered that the risk for allergic disease and having asthma among 725 teenagers, age range 13 to 15, was worse for those who resided near a a busy route, where a constant stream of traffic across multiple lanes had flowed uninterrupted all day long. Rates had increased by 7% for every city block(300 feet) closer they resided by the road. For those who resided next to the road, the chances for having asthma were double that of those who had resided a quarter mile(around four city blocks) away

Dr. William Checkly, M.D., PhD, assistant professor at John Hopkins University School of Medicine and University's Bloomberg School of Public Health, stated their study clearly had shown why there is a need to protect respiratory health and plan future roadways both here and abroad away from residential areas and schools.

Dr. Checkly remarks that now they can try preventive strategies aimed at decreasing allergic exposure near roadways to observe if it will decrease the rate of asthma.

Dr. Checkly and head researcher Lauren Baumann, M.H.S., had chose a poor school district of Lima for the study due to the fact Peru has the highest rates of asthma symptoms among children in Latin America.

Only the most-at-risk children were included in the study, making note that people who do not outgrow their asthma by early teens have double the chance to remain asthmatic in their adult life. This year long study had started in 2008 and included home visits to measure lung function and environmental air pollutants.

In closing Dr. Checkly states family practitioners and healthcare workers are now aware that they need to closely monitor children more who reside near major routes for allergies and early signs of asthma.

Asthma affects a child's life in numerous ways which unfortunately includes bullying from other children.

Many parents have major concerns about medications so they tend to try alternative treatments that have been noted to aide asthma. Nor is alternative medicine a reason to simply quit your child's current medications to help control their asthma

Chiropractic

Chiropractic care has been received greatly by parents as a regular routine treatment for their childrens asthma. It has been noted to greatly reduce the asthmatic symptoms and in some cases may even eliminate it.

In a self-reported asthma related study, children had been evaluated before and two months after chiropractic care. Improvement in 90.1% of patients were shown in related symptoms after 60 days of chiropractic care. Decreased dosages of 66.5% while under care was seen in 30.9% of the children. Those who had endured attacks 30 days before the study had reported a 44.9% decrease. Six different techniques were used by different chiropractors who had taken part in the study.

Acupuncture

There has been success rates of decreased asthma in children who have had acupuncture treatments. Acupressure and Chinese herbs are also used on children. Decrease in the need for medications after four weeks of treatments have been observed in children.
Sources:

American Academy of Allergy and Immunology

Medical News Today

Michigan Chiropractic Association