Just having school nurses watch children take their daily asthma-control medications significantly reduced symptom flares, a randomized trial showed.
Moreover, the four-month program was also effective for children living in households with smokers when it also included family counseling on the asthma-worsening effects of smoke exposure, according to Jill Halterman, MD, MPH, of the University of…
Archive for March, 2011
Simple School Program Boosts Asthma Control
Thursday, March 10th, 2011
New Online Calculator Helps Predict Kids’ Food Allergies
Thursday, March 10th, 2011
Scientists at University College Cork have developed an online calculator that predicts the presence of the 3 major food allergies in children, giving nearly instantaneous results. The new calculator has been shown to be 96% accurate, compared to current methods that are only 60 to 80 percent accurate.
Food allergies have increased significantly over the past…
What Does Sex Have To Do With Asthma?
Thursday, March 10th, 2011
Most of us probably assume that asthma is one disease that affects everyone the same way. In fact, for generations many doctors have treated their patients based on that assumption.
But there is mounting evidence suggesting that women experience asthma symptoms much differently than men, and now, some doctors are calling for a more sex-specific approach…
Cell component that triggers cat allergy identified
Thursday, March 10th, 2011
Researchers have identified a cell component which plays a key role in triggering allergic responses to cat dander.
This breakthrough by scientists at The University of Nottingham could provide hope for any allergy sufferers who have ever had to choose between their health and their household pet.
The discovery furthers our understanding of how the body’s immune…
Allergies and Asthma linked to antibacterial products
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Antibacterial products containing Triclosan are found to put your health at risk and compromise the immune system’s ability to defend itself. People who are most exposed to Triclosan are more prone to increased allergies, asthma and overall weakened immune defenses, cites a new study from the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan.
Triclosan…
Allergy Season Expected To Start Early
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Our eager countdown to Spring is also a countdown to misery for allergy sufferers, but as Elise Finch reports, there are things you can do right now to help stop allergy symptoms before they get started.
Spring time and seasonal allergies go hand in hand. “Tearing eyes, blowing my nose a lot, sneezing,” said Benjamin Burnat…
Model for Managing Asthma in Preschoolers Leads to Dramatic Drop in ER Visits and Hospitalizations
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Nearly one in eleven (8.6%) preschool children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with asthma and in some inner city neighborhoods, the figure is closer to one in seven. But, few asthma management programs are designed for parents of preschool children.
The Asthma Basics for Children (ABC) program, established by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public…
Tree Pollen Triggers Seasonal Allergies
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
While the warmer weather can be nice, it’s a doubled edged sword. Higher temperaturess cause trees to bloom, releasing pollen. In fact, tomorrow’s pollen count is expected to be pretty high, which means plenty of sneezing and sniffling for anyone with allergies!
The best way to minimize these symptoms is to take medication before pollen season strikes.
“It’s…
Asthma Linked to Celiac Disease
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
People with the digestive disorder known as celiac disease are more likely to develop another disorder involving the immune system: asthma, according to a new study.
Specifically, a group of European researchers found that people with celiac disease were 60 percent more likely to develop asthma, relative to those without celiac.
Indeed, for every 100,000 people with…
Vitamin D Levels May Influence Allergy Development In Kids
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University have reviewed the health data of 3,100 children and adolescents and found that a deficiency in vitamin D correlates with many environmental and food allergies.
Interestingly, in a similar examination of 3,400 adults, no link was found between vitamin deficiency and allergies.
The researchers found that…
