Fresh air at night 'reduces daytime asthma symptoms'
Portable oxygen may be useful for asthmatics after a study showed breathing air free from allergens during the night can reduce daytime symptoms.
A study published online in Thorax discussed the results of testing a temperature-controlled laminar airflow device (TLA) on 189 of the 281 participants between the ages of seven and 70 from across six European countries.
Each of the participants suffered from poorly controlled atopic asthma and did not smoke actively or passively.
Those using the TLA - which works by replacing warm air that carries irritants like dust mites and pet hairs with a cooler, clean flow - recorded quality of life scores up to 15 per cent better than candidates given a dummy device.
Exposure to allergens at night seems to be a major factor in symptom severity, previous studies have suggested, which may encourage people to consider using portable oxygen at night.
Darwen's director of public health Dominic Harrison recently told the Lancashire Telegraph he thought dust mites, damp, mould and low temperatures may be behind the high rate of hospitalisations among asthmatics in the north-west.
Posted by Jenny Richards
24/11/2011 14:59:42
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