Inhalers play a leading role in helping to manage asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Indeed, they can even be lifesaving! But to do their job of delivering medication, they do need to be used correctly. So it is concerning to read a study from the University of Chicago that shows how the majority of patients do not use their inhaler as intended.

The researchers asked 100 adults who had been hospitalised for either asthma or COPD (so we can assume they had severe disease) to demonstrate how they actually used their inhalers. Most of them made some kind of error. The good news is that it didn’t take very long for them to learn how to use their inhalers in the right way.

There are two types of inhaler - preventers and relievers. A preventer protects the airways and reduces the risk of an asthma attack. A reliever is the one you use when you are having an attack - it gets rid of the symptoms. There are several different designs

Asthma has been very much on the medical research agenda in recent weeks, so we thought it was time to bring you an update on the latest news.

• New findings from the West Sweden Asthma Study suggest that severe asthma may disguise itself as nasal congestion. Dr Jan Lötvall and his team, from the University of Gothenburg, asked 30,000 people about symptoms like nasal congestion, runny nose, wheezing and breathlessness. He found that around 2% of the population of West Sweden actually had asthma, which was more than expected. The researchers noted that 60% of those with asthma also reported some kind of nasal disease and nasal symptoms were more common among those with severe asthma. 'These findings suggest that some parts of the immune system that are activated in connection with chronic nasal problems might be linked to severe asthma,' said Lötvall. 'This insight could lead to new forms of treatment in the long run.' He

The common environmental mould known as Aspergillus fumigatus is a well-known trigger for asthma and other allergic diseases. Around half of people with severe asthma have evidence of allergy to Aspergillus fumigatus. New research suggests that there may be no getting away from this particular trigger - for it can actually grow in the lungs of people with asthma. Researchers at the Institute for Lung Health, at the University of Leicester and Glenfield hospital, were funded by the Midlands Asthma and Allergy Research Association and the European Regional Development Fund to investigate the presence of the mould in asthmatics' lungs.

In this study, 79 patients with asthma, of whom 89% were classed as having severe asthma, were classified into groups according to whether they were sensitised to Aspergillus fumigatus (either very, or moderately sensitised) or not. They were compared to 14 healthy controls. The researchers looked at sputum samples to see if they contained

It's well worthwhile making sure your children eat a healthy diet, if you want to protect them from asthma. A new study shows that the Mediterranean diet , ri ch in fruit, vegetables and fish, reduced the chance of developing asthma and wheezing, while eating three or more burgers a week increased the risk.

The study appears in the leading asthma and respiratory disease journal Thorax . It is part of the International Study on Allergies and Asthma in Childhood (ISAAC) a unique, worldwide project set up in 1991 to investigate asthma, rhinitis and eczema in children because of concern that these conditions were increasing in western and developing countries. ISAAC is now the largest worldwide collaborative research project ever undertaken, involving more than 100 countries and nearly 2 million children and its aim

Last year there was talk of swine flu being a scam put out by the pharma companies to get governments to buy up millions of shots of HINI vaccine. Why did 'only' 457 people die of the disease, when 65,000 fatalities had been predicted? Why do we have 20 million unused shots of HINI vaccine? Actually, I am not a big fan of conspiracy theories and I know, from talking to infectious diseases experts, how unpredictable viral illnesses, including a flu such as the swine flue, can be. Wouldn't you rather the vaccine was there - even if it's not needed, in the end - than have to worry about shortages?

I'm not at all surprised that swine flu has, sadly, already claimed the lives of 14 people in the last three months, according to the Health Protection Agency. Particularly concerning is the death of Kay Burdett, from Liverpool, who was being treated for asthma. Currently there are around 300 people across the country who are in intensive care with flu complications (it's

Do you ever look up medical definitions on the internet? Have you noticed how they vary, sometimes ever so slightly, depending on the source? Because I have always been fascinated by medical dictionaries, and we thought it would be helpful to our site visitors, we have set ourselves the task of compiling an allergy glossary. In this glossary I am trying to define and describe all the terms you might come across if you have asthma, or another allergic disease. The first instalment consists of ten important asthma terms. Do you agree with my definitions? Are there other words you would like to add? Let us know!

Asthma. Three features affecting the bronchial tubes (airways) that distinguish asthma from other chronic lung conditions: narrowing (bronchospasm), inflammation with mucus production, and twitchiness (hyperresponsivity). Exposure to a trigger (allergen or irritant) causes the symptoms of an asthma attack which include wheezing, coughing and chest

The clocks have gone back, the nights are drawing in, so now is the time to prepare for winter if you or your kids have asthma or eczema. You will be spending more time indoors, so there is a danger of added exposure to particle pollution such as house dust mite allergens, pet dander, and mould and mildew spores. Other triggers for asthma and allergy symptoms are carbon monoxide gas from heating devices, cigarette smoke, and fumes from paints and furniture. Outdoor air pollution might also be coming into your home and can cause asthma and allergy symptoms as well as other negative health effects.

The following tips may help you enjoy a winter free of allergy and asthma symptoms:

• Check windows are free of condensation - damp conditions encourage mould and mildew
• Check your home is leakproof - and that pipes are well-lagged against freezing (you don't want a damp house because of a burst pipe)
• Have your boiler serviced
• If you haven't already, why not

What is more important in medical treatment - a firm scientific foundation or the patient experience and choice? Many patients, including some with asthma, swear by homeopathy, and other complementary and alternative treatments. Yet there is little evidence (of the sort we would expect for a more conventional drug) that homeopathy has any therapeutic effect in itself. Some people believe that if homeopathy does help, then maybe it is more to do with the attention given by the homeopath to the patient, or to the placebo effect of the homeopathic dilution (sometimes so dilute as to be virtually indistinguishable from water). There is nothing to stop people buying their own homeopathic remedies if they feel they work. You can buy homeopathic remedies in many high street chemists - a fact that anti-homeopathic campaigners drew attention to earlier this year. Several of them stood outside the chemists shops and took massive 'overdoses' of homeopathic remedies as a protest at the shops for selling