Alternative Medicine Use For Patients Suffering With Chronic Rhinosinusitis

A new study suggests that a growing segment of patients are turning to complementary and alternative medical therapies to help treat the symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

In a paper presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in San Diego, researchers sought to explore the pattern of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in patients with a prior diagnosis of CRS at a rhinology outpatient clinic in Aberdeen, Scotland.

CRS is defined as a group of disorders characterized by inflammation of the mucosa of the nose and paranasal sinuses of at least 12 weeks duration. The group of CRS disorders annually accounts for as many as 22 million office visits and more than 500,000 emergency department visits in the U.S., according to some estimates.

Questionnaires were provided to 75 patients over a two-month period. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information and whether they had ever used CAM from a list of 49 herbal and non-herbal alternative therapies (such as acupuncture, massage, aloe vera, and cod liver oil). Subjects were also asked why they used CAM, where they learned of CAM, whether they found it efficacious, and whether their general practitioner was aware they were using it.

Sixty-five percent of patients had used CAM. Thirty percent of patients used it for chronic rhinosinusitis. Women were significantly more likely to use CAM than men, according to the statistics. Patients who were employed, married, and had university degrees were also more likely to use CAM. Only 43 percent of CAM users had informed their doctor about the use of the therapy.

Researchers noted that patients were reticent about telling their physician about usage of CAM. Clinicians should enquire as to all the medications being taken by patients, and the dangers of non- compliance with conventional medications should be emphasized to CAM users by their treating physician.

Asthma sufferer fined $300 for ganja 'medicine'

SAN JUAN resident Lester Faustin was fined $300 yesterday for possession of 20 grammes of what he described as his "asthma medicine".

In this case, the "medicine" turned out to be the illegal drug marijuana.

Faustin who was arrested last Saturday after a warrant was executed at his girlfriend's Bourg Mulatrasse home, told Magistrate Andrew Stroude that he bought the "herbs" on the advice from an old lady named "Dolly", who prescribed the medication, minus the dosage.

Faustin added that "Dolly does sell bush", but quickly pointed out that it was not the kind of "bush" that he was arrested for.

"Since I start drinking the tea I breathing normal," said the 33-year-old shopkeeper.

He added that he was diagnosed with asthma since his birth but the problem got worse about four years ago when he "got a cut" on his chest.

Faustin was accompanied by his father who told Stroude that he tried speaking to his son about the illegal habit, without a favourable response.

Faustin said that he had trouble breathing at nights before he took the "medicine".

He told Stroude that the marijuana he was arrested for was "shake off", which was useless for smokers.

Faustin, who confessed to smoking marijuana in the past, added that he would "draw it and drink it in the morning".

Faustin then apologised for his actions and promised never to do it again, after which Stroude told him to "put aside his tea" and to seek medical attention for his bronchial problem before sentencing him.

Finding “Ground Zero” of Asthma Causes

Asthma Researcher leader David van Sickle, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholar and a former disease detective in the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, leads the drive to map asthma sources.

“For the millions of chronic asthma patients, knowing the ‘where’ indicates the ‘what,’ which provides important clues in individual and epidemic out breaks of asthma attacks. Sufferers are treated with a blanket of probable treatments with out indication of what exactly triggered the condition. Research is under way to develop a GPS inhaler that records the position or onslaught of an attack.” Van Sickle’s goal is to map where and when environmental exposures trigger asthma symptoms, prompting them to puff on their “rescue” inhalers, which deliver the medicine that keeps them breathing.

t’s easy to predict problems when an asthmatic visits a “cat lady” or runs through a field of ragweed. But van Sickle plans to use global positioning technology to find previously unknown causes of the lung disease and help doctors better monitor whether treatment is controlling symptoms and improving quality of life. A dramatic example includes an epidemic outbreak of asthma attacks in Barcelona that overwhelmed hospitals and emergency centers. “An epidemic of severe asthma struck Barcelona throughout the 1980s,” van Sickle said. “On more than 20 days, emergency rooms were overwhelmed with people having severe, and sometimes fatal, asthma attacks. Barcelona put together a group of scientists to look at the meteorology, climatology, and levels of standard air pollutants and pollens in the city, but there wasn’t anything exceptional about those days.”

Finally, they asked where the patients had been when they got sick: All reported that their symptoms started near the waterfront. Further investigation showed that the port had been unloading giant heaps of soybeans from container ships. “The victims were exposed to massive clouds of soybean dust because the appropriate filters weren’t installed in harbor silos,’’ he says. “It took the group nearly eight years to prove, but it was the first time soybean dust had been shown to be a potent allergen.”

Eczema

Eczema is term for a group of medical conditions that cause the skin to become inflamed or irritated.
The most common type of eczema is known as atopic dermatitis, or atopic eczema. Atopic refers to a group of diseases with an often inherited tendency to develop other allergic conditions, such as asthma and hay fever.
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the prevalence of atopic eczema is increasing and affects 9 to 30% of the U.S. population. It is particularly common in young children and infants. While many infants who develop the condition outgrow it by their second birthday, some people continue to experience symptoms on and off throughout life. With proper treatment, the disease can be controlled in the majority of sufferers.

What Are the Symptoms of Eczema?
No matter which part of the skin is affected, eczema is almost always itchy. Sometimes the itching will start before the rash appears, but when it does the rash most commonly occurs on the face, knees, hands, or feet. It may also affect other areas as well.
Affected areas usually appear very dry, thickened, or scaly. In fair-skinned people, these areas may initially appear reddish and then turn brown. Among darker-skinned people, eczema can affect pigmentation, making the affected area lighter or darker.
In infants, the itchy rash can produce an oozing, crusting condition that occurs mainly on the face and scalp, but patches may appear anywhere.

What Causes Eczema?
The exact cause of eczema is unknown, but it's thought to be linked to an overactive response by the body's immune system to unknown triggers.
In addition, eczema is commonly found in families with a history of other allergies or asthma.
Some people may suffer "flare-ups" of the itchy rash in response to certain substances or conditions. For some, coming into contact with rough or coarse materials may cause the skin to become itchy. For others, feeling too hot or too cold, exposure to certain household products like soap or detergent, or coming into contact with animal dander may cause an outbreak. Upper respiratory infections or colds may also be triggers. Stress may cause the condition to worsen.
Although there is no cure, most people can effectively manage their disease with medical treatment and by avoiding irritants. The condition is not contagious and can't be spread from person to person.

How Is Eczema Diagnosed?
Eczema can be diagnosed by a pediatrician, allergist, immunologist, dermatologist or your primary care provider. Since many people with eczema also suffer from allergies, your doctor may perform allergy tests to determine possible irritants or triggers. Children with eczema are especially likely to be tested for allergies.

What Is the Treatment for Eczema?
The goal of treatment for eczema is to relieve and prevent itching, which can lead to infection. Since the disease makes skin dry and itchy, lotions and creams are recommended to keep the skin moist. These solutions are usually applied when the skin is damp, such as after bathing, to help the skin retain moisture. Cold compresses may also be used to relieve itching.