Increasingly patients report the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies in the management of asthma. What do you know about the different CAM therapies and how helpful they are?

• Is Alternative Asthma Treatment Effective And Safe
• What Is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?
• Why did you consider an alternative asthma treatment?
• Does Acupuncture Help Ease Asthma?
• Asthma Herbal Medicine: Treating Asthma With Herbs

What do you think about CAM? Have you ever tried CAM for your asthma? Leave a comment and let us know.

I am commonly asked about the relationship between diet and asthma. Patients are very interested to know if there are foods that are worsening their asthma or if certain foods might improve their asthma.

One of the common foods thought to potentially improve or prevent asthma is fish because of the high content of omega-3 fatty acids in some types of fish. Certain populations (e.g. Eskimo) with high omega-3 intakes have been noted to have comparably low rates of asthma. The theory is that high levels of omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties that improve or prevent asthma.

However, studies giving omega-3 fatty acid supplementation to patients have not generally shown improvements in asthma function or deceases in symptoms or medication use. While there was no significant asthma benefit, there were also no side effects.

So why do populations eating a lot of fish have less asthma, but giving fish oil showed no benefit? Possibly it is not the omega-3 fatty acids, but some other yet undetermined substance, that is improving asthma. Possibly it has more to do with a general good diet as opposed to a particular vitamin or mineral. While increasing your fish consumption may not improve your asthma, fish can be a good part of a healthful diet.

Have you ever used the Buteyko Breathing Method to try and improve your asthma. A number of studies have demonstrated improvement of asthma symptoms and reduction in amount of medicine needed, but not improvements in actual lung function. What do you think? Take the poll or leave a comment in the forum.

Learn More

Breathing Exercises Improve Quality of Life, But Not Control of Asthma

If you have not gotten your seasonal or H1N1 flu vaccine yet, it's not too late. Just because you are hearing less about the flu in the news does not mean you do not need a flu vaccine!!

There are now more options for your yearly flu vaccine. While you can get a 'flu shot' that has been the traditional method for flu vaccination, a newer vaccine that allows you to receive the flu vaccine via a nasal spray is also available for those of us with needle phobias.

Remember, the flu vaccine is not for everyone. Flu vaccines are not approved for children under 6 months of age. While most other people can receive a flu vaccine, you need to discuss vaccination with your health care provide if you:

• Have a severe egg allergy.
• Have previously had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination.
• Developed Guillane-Barre within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously.
• People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated.

Additionally, the nasal spray vaccine, or FluMist, can only be taken by in children, adolescents, and adults 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant. Persons with a weakened immune system and certain other chronic diseases may not be able to recieve the FluMist vaccine. Asthmatics and children under 5 with recurrent wheezing may also want to avoid the nasal spray as it may worsen asthma in some individuals.

Additionally, you want want to consider some recent research before you choose which vaccine to take this year. In a study released earlier this year in the New England Journal of Medicine, the flu shot was twice as effective as the nasal spray in preventing flu in healthy adults. While the nasal spray was less effective in this study, the nasal spray is still more protective than doing nothing if you have a needle phobia.

Remeber, a flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the flu this year.