Successful Treatment for Severe Chronic
Asthma
I love the show 60 Minutes. They do a wonderful job of
investigative reporting. I also enjoy Fox News for the
same reason.
Maybe I'm getting old, because I like those programs...(and
I'm a Wheel of Fortune Fan too. Just wait, I'm gonna go
on it and win big someday!)
Anyway...
A new device and report by one of the TV magazines
noted above showcased a near miraculous treatment for
chronic asthma sufferers.
The first device that uses radiofrequency energy to help
control lung inflammation in adults with severe chronic asthma
has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The Alair Bronchial Thermoplasty System is designed for
people 18 and older whose asthma isn't controlled with
medication, including inhaled corticosteroids or long-acting
beta agonists.
The device delivers radiofrequency energy directly to the
airways, heating and reducing the thickness of lung tissue and
improving users' ability to breathe.
To achieve the device's full benefit, users will require
multiple sessions targeting different parts of the
lungs.
The device was evaluated in a clinical study involving 297
people with severe and persistent asthma. As a condition of
approval, California-based manufacturer Asthmatx Inc. must
conduct additional studies to evaluate the product's long-term
safety and effectiveness, the FDA said.
Potential side effects include asthma attacks, wheezing,
chest pain or tightness, partially collapsed lung, coughing up
blood, anxiety, headache or nausea.
Pretty nice, eh? Makes you want to run out and have it
done just for kicks.
However, the device should not be used by people with an
implanted pacemaker or defibrillator, according to the
FDA.
On the news segment I saw, a young couple, both of whom had
asthma and were on two inhalers, both had the treatment
done. In the months following the treatment, both
were in training to participate in triathalons.
They both had attested to being short-of-breath with even mild
exercise and activity previous to the procedure, and to them,
the outcome was miraculous.
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