To avoid asthma attacks, children with the respiratory disease shouldn’t breathe indoor air that’s contaminated by pollutants and allergens known to aggravate their symptoms, US doctors advise. 

Reducing exposure to things like second-hand cigarette smoke, dust mites and furry pets may be as effective as medications at controlling asthma, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Children exposed to the things to which they are allergic may require a higher dose of daily asthma medication and have exacerbations more frequently. Once these exposures are removed, children typically have a marked improvement in their asthma,” said lead report author Dr Elizabeth Matsui of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

“…The routine assessment of the indoor environment and recommendations for tailored interventions is not conducted for most children with asthma, partly due to lack of awareness and partly due to the amount of time it takes to be thorough,” Dr David Stukus, a researcher at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, who wasn’t involved in the study, told Reuters.

Read more at www.reuters.com