Could Botox be used to treat severe asthma?

Conclusion This small study involved 11 people who had severe asthma symptoms despite optimised treatment and who had abnormal vocal cord movement which was not improved by speech therapy. The results suggest that Botox injections into one of the vocal cords improved asthma control and the airway size at the level of the vocal cords was increased. However, there were no changes in measures of lung function. As the researchers point out, this study was not controlled or blinded and a placebo effect cannot be excluded. It is also not known how long any effect would last, as participants were only assessed for one to three months after treatment. It is also currently unclear how common the problem of abnormal vocal cord movements is in people with poorly controlled asthma. In conclusion, although Botox could be a promising treatment for people with asthma who also have abnormal vocal cord movement, further randomised controlled trials are needed. If you do feel that your asthma symptoms are poorly controlled then speak to your GP or the doctor in charge of your care. There are a range of treatments that may be of benefit. Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow Behind the Headlines on Twitter. Join the Healthy Evidence forum. Links To The Headlines Could BOTOX be used to treat asthma? Injections into the vocal cords proven to help patients breathe. Mail Online, March 24 2014 Links To Science Baxter M, Uddin N, Raghav S, et al. Abnormal vocal cord movement tre...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Medication Heart/lungs Source Type: news