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Advances In Asthma Treatments

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - We have made wonderful advances in the battle against asthma. Most of our breakthroughs have been a direct result of a better understanding of what causes asthma.

Back before there were medications to treat asthma the only way we had to deal with it was to make lifestyle changes to get away from asthma triggers. If you read about the life of Theodore Roosevelt you can see a detailed description of how his family's life was altered because of his childhood asthma.

Lifestyle or self-management support as we call it still plays a big role, as do the many medications we have as weapons and long term care plans. But at the center of asthma treatment is consistent follow up by doctors working with patients.

There is no doubt that the person dealing with asthma on a day-to-day basis plays the biggest role in treatment.

Reported By Dr. Brian McDonough, KYW Newsradio Medical Editor

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