bout 20 million Americans are living with asthma and about 5000 die from it every year.
Now a new treatment for people with severe forms of the disease could save lives.
Most asthmatics take a variety of medications and now researchers are hoping a new procedure, called bronchial thermoplasty, will help patients get rid of some of their meds and live healthier lives.
"This is the first ever, non pharmacological approach. By non-pharmacological, I mean no medicines are involved,” explains Dr. Ali I. Musani, University of Pennsylvania
In bronchial thermoplasty, doctors insert a tube in the lungs through the nose or mouth.
It releases a wire basket, which delivers a burst of heat, destroying the smooth muscle responsible for the attacks.
