“The History of the Asthma Inhaler | Innovation - Smithsonian Magazine” plus 1 more
“The History of the Asthma Inhaler | Innovation - Smithsonian Magazine” plus 1 more |
The History of the Asthma Inhaler | Innovation - Smithsonian Magazine Posted: 20 Aug 2020 05:04 AM PDT ![]() In April 1955, 13-year-old Susie Maison asked her father, the pharmacologist George L. Maison, whether there wasn't an easier way to treat her asthma. Like so many other people with the affliction, she'd been using an awkward squeeze-bulb nebulizer, and she wondered why her medicine wasn't available in a spray can, "like they do hairspray," she said. Though nebulizers of that era were more effective than the medicated "asthma cigarettes" previously in vogue, Susie's father, too, had been frustrated by the cumbersome process of refrigerating the vials of medicine and loading them into the delicate contraption. Maison was no stranger to innovation. As an Air Force lieutenant during World War II, he planned the first system for aerial rescue behind enemy lines and earned a Legion of Merit award for perfecting the anti-gravity suit. At the Boston University School of Medicine after the war, he developed Veriloid, the first widely distributed prescription drug to treat hypertension successfully. Now, as president of Riker Laboratories in Los Angeles, Maison was in the rare position to investigate his daughter's question. He assigned Riker's lead chemist, Irving Porush, to experiment with the possibility of a pressurized device. At the time, Riker was owned by Rexall Drugs, which did indeed manufacture hairspray. Borrowing expertise on propellants and aerosols from the cosmetics technicians down the hall, and using a recently patented metering valve capable of delivering precise amounts of atomized liquid, Porush created the first metered-dose inhaler (MDI) in just two months. By March 1956, the Food and Drug Administration had approved two new aerosol drugs for asthma, as well as Porush's device for delivering them. "It was a game changer," says Stephen Stein, a scientist at Kindeva Drug Delivery (a descendant of Riker Labs) and co-author of a recent history of therapeutic aerosols. Today, sales of pharmaceutical inhalers exceed $36 billion globally each year, and the device has puffed its way into medical history, improving the lives of millions: More than 2,000 people around the world use one every second. Like this article? |
Sneaky Reasons Your Asthma Is Acting up During Quarantine - HealthCentral.com Posted: 11 Aug 2020 12:00 AM PDT ![]() For most of us, this quarantine summer has involved a lot more indoor time than usual. Asthma sufferers might see this as a blessing in disguise, since many of the common triggers for asthma attacks are found outdoors: air pollution, pollen, and tobacco smoke, to name a few. But if all this time at home is making your asthma symptoms worse, it could be due to irritants inside your home, explains Cedric Rutland, M.D., medical director at West Coast Lung in Newport Beach, CA and a national spokesperson for the American Lung Association. Then you're stuck in a lose-lose situation where there's no escape—your symptoms are bad outside and inside your home. The good news? It's a lot easier to identify what's exacerbating your asthma if it's indoors rather than out. "If someone's asthma is worse when they're in their house, it's really easy to go through the things that live in the house," Dr. Rutland says, to identify the culprit and start feeling better. Indoor Asthma Triggers"Whenever you take a deep breath in, you're basically taking the environment around you and allowing it to enter into your lungs," Dr. Rutland says. Check to see if your house might contain any of these indoor pathogens.
While some of these triggers are seasonal, others (like pet hair and scented products) can be a year-round challenge for people. "If you haven't had a chance to address the triggers in your home, this could lead to an increase in asthma symptoms," Carver explains. "Better indoor air quality can reduce asthma and allergy triggers." Take Care of Your AirWith all this extra time in your house during quarantine, you've got the perfect excuse to start your next DIY project: asthma-proofing your home. Here are some ideas on how to do that.
It takes diligence, but you'd be surprised how much you can minimize asthma symptoms just by paying attention to your indoor environment. "The more time spent inside of environments where indoor allergens are poorly controlled can indeed exacerbate asthma symptoms triggered by allergy," Carver explains. If your living room is now serving as an office, social environment, and relaxation space all at once, you've got even more reason to keep it spick-and-span. Your lungs (and your sanity) will thank you. |
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