Put Allergic Asthma to

Scientists from the Imperial College London tested a new device designed to minimize patients' allergy exposure during sleep in order to head off nocturnal asthma attacks and improve quality of life during waking hours.

Laminar Air Flow Asthma Device

This asthma treatment device uses a process called controlled laminar air flow treatment, or TLA. It delivers a constant supply of fresh, slightly cooled air to replace the warmer air in the room that's filled with allergens such as dust mites, pollen, mold, and animal dander.

To see if TLA can have any measurable impact, scientists followed more than 300 European adults and children with hard-to-control allergic asthma over the course of a year. The majority of the participants had the TLA treatment device located near their face while they slept, while members of a control group were given a placebo device that was similarly placed like those who had the TLA treatment.

The Research Findings

Participants who used the TLA method had close to a 15 percent reduction in nighttime asthma attacks. This group also had a reduction in flare-ups during waking hours. The researchers noted that the participants using the TLA method also had a dramatic decline in their nitric oxide and immunoglobulin E levels, both believed to cause inflammation. These findings were presented in Thorax, an online journal, November 2011.

How to Minimize Allergic Asthma

If you have allergic asthma that's difficult to manage, talk to your doctor about whether or not using TLA is a viable option.

Also, remember to allergy-proof your bedroom on a regular basis. Wash your bedding weekly in hot water, allergy-proof covers on your mattress and pillows, remove carpeting, banish pets from your bed, keep windows closed, use air conditioning during periods when seasonal allergy triggers are high, vacuum, and dust regularly. Also, run a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter in your room so that it can direct clean air toward your face while you sleep.

 


 

Sources:

"Allergy-Proof Your House." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MEFR), 9 March 2011. Web. 13 Jan. 2012.

Boyle RJ, et al "Nocturnal Temperature Controlled Laminar Airflow for Treating Atopic Asthma: A Randomised Controlled Trial." Thorax Online, 30 Nov. 2011. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.

"Device Cuts Allergen Exposure, Airway Inflammation." MedPageToday, MedPageToday.com, 23 Nov. 2011. Web. 7 Jan. 2012.