Exposure to high levels of fungus may increase the risk of severe asthma attacks among people with certain chitinase gene variants, according to a study from Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
The research was published online on the American Thoracic Society’s journal Web site ahead of the print…
Archive for June, 2010
Moldy Homes a Serious Risk for Severe Asthma Attacks in Some
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Rate of Childhood Peanut Allergies More Than Triples
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
A new survey suggests that the percentage of children with peanut allergies has more than tripled in just over a decade, although the actual number of kids thought to have the allergy is still small.
“These results show that there is an alarming increase in peanut allergies, consistent with a general, although less dramatic, rise in…
What Is Occupational Asthma? What Causes Occupational Asthma?
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Occupational asthma is asthma that is caused by a workplace irritant or activity, or worsened by it. The irritant may be a chemical fume, dust, or a gas. The sufferer has the same symptoms as in non-occupational asthma, which includes chest tightness, wheezing, shortness of breath, and often difficulty breathing out.
Occupational asthma is reversible if…
Gluten Allergy, Gluten Hypersensitivity and Celiac Disease: Are They All the Same?
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Gluten hypersensitivity is an auto-immune disease that results from eating foods that contain wheat, rye barley and in some cases, oat. People who have this disease make antibodies called IgA which attack the inner surface of the small intestines disrupting its normal function.
Gluten hypersensitivity is also referred to as Celiac Sprue or Celiac disease (CD)….
What Kids Eat Is Tied to Asthma Risk
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Eating a Mediterranean diet — one high in fruits, fish, and vegetables and low in saturated fat — is associated with a reduced likelihood of asthma in children, a large observational study reaffirmed.
Overall, choosing foods increasingly similar to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower prevalence of both wheeze and asthma (P=0.03 for both…
Professionals report seeing increase in food allergies, intolerance
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
People often confuse food intolerance with food allergy, says Lisa Frazier, clinical dietitian with Skaggs Regional Medical Center.
“I have patients who say they are allergic to milk and they are intolerant to the lactose in milk. A true allergy to milk, which is usually in children, can produce anaphylactic shock,” Frazier.
While medical professionals report seeing…
Low-Sodium Advice For Asthmatics Should Be Taken With A Grain Of Salt
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Following a low-sodium diet does not appear to have any appreciable impact on asthma control, according to new research.
Contrary to past studies — which have suggested a link between low-sodium diets and improved asthma control — a new study by researchers at The University of Nottingham found no evidence that cutting back on salt helps…
Improving Diagnosis And Detection Of Food Allergies
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
About 30 percent of Americans believe they have food allergies. However, the actual number is far smaller, closer to 5 percent, according to a recent study commissioned by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). That’s due in large part to the unreliability of the skin test that doctors commonly use to test…
Asthma Control? We’ve Got an App for That
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
An online self-management tool for people with asthma has been shown to significantly improve their ability to reduce their symptoms. Researchers writing in the journal Respiratory Research tested the system in 200 adults with asthma, finding significant effects in those whose asthma was either partly controlled or uncontrolled at the beginning of the trial.
Victor van…
Allergies Might Trigger Depression
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Allergy season may not mean just the inevitable coughing, sneezing and itching, it could also significantly darken your mood.
Researchers reported that finding at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting in New Orleans this week.
“Depression is a very common disorder and allergies are even more common,” said study author Dr. Partam Manalai, in the department of…
