People who sneeze and wheeze all spring long may be making some common mistakes that make it difficult for them to keep their allergies under control, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Before the allergy season kicks into high gear, consider these tips to prevent symptoms:
Don’t assume you know exactly what you…
Archive for March, 2010
Some Allergy Sufferers Can Skip the Sneezing Season
Monday, March 29th, 2010
FDA Warns Against Sole Use of Long-Acting Beta Agonists in Asthma
Monday, March 29th, 2010
Long-acting beta agonists should not be used alone in asthma, the FDA warns. The drugs at issue include the single-agent LABAs Serevent and Foradil.
Because LABAs have been associated with severe worsening of symptoms, the agency is requiring that labels carry the following guidance:
LABAs are contraindicated without the use of a controller medication, such as an…
Stress, Anxiety Worsen Response to Allergens
Monday, March 29th, 2010
Even a little stress and anxiety can greatly worsen and extend a person’s reaction to common allergens, a new study says.
The finding, to be presented Thursday at the American Psychological Association annual meeting, in Boston, are important, as allergies are the fifth-most-common chronic disease in the United States. The researchers estimated that Americans pay more…
Prenatal Stress May Boost Baby’s Asthma Risk
Monday, March 29th, 2010
A stressful pregnancy may increase the risk that a baby will develop asthma, a new study finds.
The role of stress in asthma is not understood, but animal studies suggest that prenatal stress can influence the infant’s immune system in the womb, the researchers noted. It is also known that asthma is most prevalent in inner…
Seasonal Allergy Symptoms: 6 Ways to Prevent or Treat Them
Monday, March 29th, 2010
Spring is the time of year when many people complain about seasonal allergy symptoms such as runny noses, congestion, rashes, itchy and watery eyes, sneezing, coughing—and just generally feeling miserable. About 16.9 million Americans had allergies in 2007, and there were 12.2 million doctor’s office visits for allergies in 2006, according to the National Center…
Predicting the Course of Childhood Asthma
Monday, March 29th, 2010
Parents often ask, “Will my child outgrow asthma?” In 2000, the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) Research Group reported that children aged 5 to 12 years with persistent asthma who were treated with inhaled corticosteroids for approximately 5 years had better asthma control than children who were treated with nedocromil or placebo. After active treatment…
Recent Studies Link Obesity To Food Allergies
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” Campaign tells us that about 32 percent of children and teens (or 25 million) are obese or overweight. It revealed those extra pounds put them at greater risk of developing debilitating and costly diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and may also cause them to lead…
Identification Of Immune Cells That Fight Parasites May Promote Allergies And Asthma
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
Millions of people in both the developing and developed world may benefit from new immune-system research findings from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
The Penn Vet researchers, studying how the immune system operates, have discovered a previously unidentified cell population that may be the body’s double-edged sword, fighting off parasitic infections but also…
Physician-Led Initiative to Improve Health Care Quality Marks 10-Year Anniversary
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Celebrating its 10 year anniversary today at its meeting in the nation’s capital, the AMA-convened Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement (PCPI) highlighted its achievements to date and took a proactive look at future efforts to measure and improve the quality of patient care.
“Since its inception, the PCPI has focused on developing patient-focused…
New Insights Into Allergy-Related Disorders in Children
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
Allergies and asthma are a continuing health problem in most developed countries, but just how do these ailments develop over the course of a childhood? In a population-based study designed to help answer this question, researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) found that 40 per cent — or two of five…
