PULSE.

L.A. WORSE FOR ASTHMA: Living conditions for asthma sufferers in Los Angeles have worsened dramatically over the past year, mainly because of poor air quality and increasing medical factors, according to a national survey of 100 cities by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

The City of Angels jumped this year to No. 42 from No. 85 on the annual list of U.S. asthma capitals, with Knoxville, Tenn., grabbing the top spot as the least desirable place for asthmatics. The cities were ranked based on 12 factors, including air quality, annual pollen levels and smoking laws. Los Angeles fell in the rankings because of its smoggy air and rising number of prescriptions for rescue and long-acting asthma medications. For a complete list of cities and their scores, go to dailynews.com.

Allergic asthma, the most common form of the chronic disease, can be triggered by cockroaches, dust mites, mold, pet dander and certain foods and drugs. Symptoms include chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing and productive coughs. Here are five tips to keep asthma in check:

--Find an asthma specialist to help control the disease.

--Identify the allergens and irritants at home and work that trigger your asthma symptoms and eliminate or avoid them.

--Be familiar and comfortable with all of your asthma medications and take them exactly as prescribed.

--Monitor your asthma daily and learn how to recognize early warning signs that your symptoms are worsening.

--Learn what to do if your asthma symptoms begin to worsen.

Source: The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

- Nicole Sunkes

DIRTY SECRETS: Your office space is a hotbed for germs, according to a new study by Clorox that found bacteria levels were dramatically reduced among users who cleaned their work areas with the company's Disinfecting Wipes. (The travel-size nine-wipe pack, shown, is available for 99 cents at mass-market retailers). Here are the top five dirtiest places in the office, in order of most contaminated:

--telephone

--desktop

--water fountain handle

--microwave door handle

--keyboard

- N.S.

THREE DAYS WITH DEEPAK: Spiritual guru Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon will host Renewal Weekend March 11-13 at the Hyatt West Hollywood. The weekend will include discussions on how to create peace in all areas of daily life and will teach participants health-promoting techniques, including stretching, massage, meditation and relaxation. Admission to the seminar is $350 to $450. To register, call the Chopra Center, [phone], Ext. 1639, or e-mail rw(at)chopra.com.

- N.S.

DESIGNATED DRIVER: With St. Patrick's Day approaching next week, celebrate the luck of the Irish safely with the Alcohawk ABI Digital Breath Alcohol Screener from Q3 Innovations, LLC.

The nation's only FDA-approved breath alcohol screener, the Alcohawk has a semiconductor oxide sensor that estimates a person's blood alcohol content within just three seconds of blowing and has a detection range of .00 to .40 percent blood alcohol concentration. To ensure accurate results, be sure to wait at least 20 minutes after consuming alcohol or eating any food before taking the test.

It's incredibly easy to use - just turn it on, give it 20 seconds to warm up, wait for the beep and green light, then blow into the mouthpiece for about five seconds. Your test result will be displayed by three digits, which is your blood alcohol concentration.

The hand-held device, which plugs into a car dashboard power socket, comes in a hard-shell carrying case and also runs on a nine-volt battery, which is good for more than 300 tests. Also included in the case is a 12-volt AC adapter, five mouthpieces, a car dashboard power plug and a wrist strap. It is available for purchase at www.sharperimage.com for $99.95.

- Jaime Spangrude

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1) Dust mite

(2) no caption (Alcohawk ABI Digital Alcohol Screener)

(3) no caption (Clorox Disinfecting Wipes)

(4) CHOPRA