Top 10 Innovations in Technology Awards (from Allergy and Asthma Today Magazine)

(Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics-AANMA)

I was reading an article in the latest Allergy and Asthma Today Magazine about new inventions that have changed the lives of people with asthma. Their group narrowed down their choices to the Top 10 Technologies or Innovations over the last 25 years. (Kind of sounds like a Top 10 list from David Letterman....only this list isn't funny, it's serious when you have asthma!

The winners were recognized in Washington DC at Capitol Hill during AANMA's 15th annual Allergy & Asthma Day.  

To find out who they chose, click here.
 
Our family uses 4 of the top 10 innovations. But by far, my favorite is Xolair. It's for patients whose asthma is hard to control-even though they are on a daily maintenance medication. Son #2 was on daily maintenance medications, allergy medication, was having allergy shots, and would still end up in the hospital when he got sick. In fact, he was hospitalized 8 times and almost "coded" (stopped breathing) twice. Nothing we did seemed to help.

When he would get sick, we would start doing breathing treatments, then add Prednisone (steroids.) When that didn't work, he would have an injection of Decadron (another strong steroid.) When that didn't work, he would end up in the hospital.

Xolair has completely changed our lives. Instead of panicking when he gets sick, I know that he will respond to breathing treatments and the occasional steroids. I used to start packing for the hospital when he got sick, because I knew he would end up getting admitted that day or the next.

Xolair stops the allergic reaction before it starts. It is an IgE "inhibitor". IgE is what is released during an allergic response in the body. Xolair blocks that from happening.

Your insurance company will have to approve Xolair since it's over $1000 per injection. Some insurance companies don't want to cover it because of how expensive it is. Son #2 gets an injection once a month, in each arm. But the $1000 injections are still less expensive than paying for a hospitalization or an emergency room visit, so our insurance company approved Xolair for our son.

There are many other amazing things on their Top 10 list that we take for granted. Treating asthma has come a long ways, things we use every day weren't always available to help us with asthma. Check out the other technologies on the list, chances are your family probably uses many of them too!