A recent discovery by scientists could revolutionize the way we treat acute asthma attacks. Scientists have found that treatable bacterial infections can cause asthma attacks. This significant relationship means that doctors can now look to antibiotics to stop the shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing associated with the swelling and constriction of airways. With these findings, people suffering from asthma attacks can breathe easy.
“We found a significant relationship between bacterial infections and acute asthma attacks – above and beyond the expected relationship between viral infections and attacks,” which Hans Bisgaard, a professor of pediatrics at the Danish Paediatric Asthma Centre (DPAC) at the University of Copenhagen and Gentofte Hospital, was quoted as saying.
The study examined 361 children between the ages of four weeks and three years to determine the presence of both viral and bacterial infections during severe asthma attacks. The results from the study conclude that the number of attacks were equal in children with bacterial respiratory infections as in those with viral infections.
“This indicates that bacteria can exacerbate asthma symptoms even if they aren’t infected with a virus,” Professor Bisgaard added. “The findings open up an entirely new method for treating severe asthma attacks. We can’t treat viral infections, but scientists will now look into whether treatment with antibiotics can help children when they have an asthma attack if they are also suffering from a bacterial infection.” “Being able to use antibiotics to treat asthma attacks in children would be revolutionary,” Professor Bisgaard concluded.
The effects of antibiotics in treating asthma attacks will now be examined in large-scale, clinical study by the DPAC. This is one small breath for man . . . one giant breathe for mankind’s acute asthma attacks.
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