As we head into winter and colder weather, asthmatics will often find their symptoms are more severe due to a combination of cold temperatures and rhinoviruses (RVs) also known as the cause of the common cold. For many of us, 7 to 10 days of coughing is just something we have to live with in the colder months. But for people with asthma, colds can often cause an infection like pneumonia or worse – prompt a life threatening asthma attack, sometimes requiring hospitalization.
The results of a British study published in Science Translational Medicine will come as good news for the estimated 235 million asthma sufferers worldwide. And it all starts with one tiny molecule.
The team, including researchers from Imperial College of London, found that the cells in the airways of asthmatics are more likely to produce a molecule known as IL-25 when they contract certain viruses. The presence of this tiny molecule is a trigger which starts a domino effect that ends with an attack. By pinpointing the exact molecule that starts the process, scientists are hoping to develop a treatment to stop an attack before it even begins.
Do you find your respiratory problems are more severe in the colder months? Installing an air purifier in your home may help to reduce symptoms such as coughing and wheezing, that are often worse at this time of year. Even if a cold hasn’t got you down, you may feel the effects of dust and other irritants more as windows are closed and the heat is on. To learn more about what an air purifier can do for you, take a look at our products page.
REFERENCES
Beale J, Jayaraman A, Jackson DJ et al. (2014 October 1). Rhinovirus-induced IL-25 in asthma exacerbation drives type 2 immunity and allergic pulmonary inflammation. Sci. Transl. Med. 6,256ra134-256ra134. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3009124.
