In June 2009, Louisiana passed a law allowing children to carry their own asthma medication at school and administer it to themselves in the event of an asthma attack. A year later, the Louisiana Association of Student Councils wants to keep spreading this information across the state to make sure parents and children are aware of the law. The law gives an asthmatic child the ability to carry his/her own inhaler and use it when needed instead of leaving it with a nurse, saving precious minutes between the onset of attack and treatment. However, parents must provide written authorization for their child to carry an inhaler and certification is also needed from a pediatrician. Read more.

You may have already learned that high fat foods can worsen the symptoms of asthma, but new research suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet can have the opposite effects. In a study of children from 20 countries conducted by researchers at Ulm University in Germany, children who frequently ate hamburgers were more likely to have asthma than those who ate a Mediterranean-style diet consisting of high volumes of fruits, vegetables, and fish.  This type of diet is high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, which help prevent inflammation. Read more.

A new study suggests that foods high in fat may exacerbate asthma by contributing to inflammation in the lungs.  Study participants with asthma who experienced lung inflammation after consuming a high fat meal also did not respond well to treatment.  Read more.