More than half the US population is sensitive to one or more allergens

Increased Prevalence to Allergic Reactions
More than fifty percent of the U.S. population tested positive to one or more allergens, according to a large national study. The new findings, based on data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), shows that 54.3% of individuals aged 6-59 years old had a positive skin test response to at least one of the 10 allergens tested. The highest prevalence rates were for dust mite, rye, ragweed, and cockroach, with about 25% of the population testing positive to each allergen. Peanut allergy was the least common, with 9% of the population reacting positively to that food allergen.

Body's defense mechanism worsens asthma symptoms, study

T lymphocytes-our body's defense cells are responsible for the airway thickening
MUHC scientists have discovered that our body's own defense mechanism causes some of the most serious asthma symptoms. The study by MUHC researchers Dr. David Ramos-Barbón, Dr. Elizabeth Fixman and Dr. James Martin, published in a recent issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), reveals that T lymphocytes--our body's defense cells--are responsible for the airway thickening, which increases the chances of a dangerous asthma attack. The discovery provides hope that new treatments might be developed to combat the disease, which currently has no cure.

Occupational Asthma on the Rise

Now one of the most common forms of occupational lung disease, study says
(HealthDay News) -- Occupational asthma has become one of the most common forms of occupational lung disease in industrialized countries and accounts for 9 percent to 15 percent of all adult asthma cases, according to a report in the August issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

New Factor Implicated in Allergy and Asthma Attacks

New Asthma Trigger Factor Identified
Newswise — For a person with allergies or asthma, breathing in pollen can be a very bad thing. Within minutes of inhalation by someone sensitive to their effects, these tiny particles can trigger severe inflammation of the respiratory passages, producing uncontrollable sneezing, coughing, or extreme shortness of breath — symptoms agonizingly familiar to those who suffer from allergy and asthma attacks.

Scientists have long assumed that they know how pollen produces such debilitating responses. They blame an overreaction by the body’s immune system, set off by proteins known as antigens, which are found on the surface of pollen particles—an inappropriate activation of the normal “antigen-mediated” immune response the body uses to defend itself against viruses and bacteria.

Now, though, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have discovered strong evidence that an additional factor is necessary to cause the severe respiratory inflammation involved in an allergy or asthma attack. This factor is the damage caused by chemically hyperactive molecules known as “reactive oxygen species,” which are spawned by interactions between a single pollen-carried enzyme and the cells that line airways. And, the researchers say, if an effective way can be found to reduce that damage—called “oxidative stress”—new and powerful allergy and asthma therapies may result.

Vitamin C deficiency common in people with severe asthma

Vitamin C may improve Asthma in Severe Asthmatics
Previous population studies have suggested that the increasing frequency of asthma in Western societies may be associated with changes in diet that have led to decreased intakes of antioxidants such as vitamin C. This study investigated the possibility that decreased levels of antioxidants may also contribute to severe asthma, which imposes a considerable social and economic burden on the community.

Asthma inhaler you can't overdose on

New Inhaler
A Revolutionary inhaler has been launched which tells asthmatics whether they have taken the correct dose of drug.

Until now it has not been possible for an asthmatic to tell if their treatment has been properly deposited in the lungs.

The new device - called the Novolizer - has a red-light indicator to confirm that the patient has inhaled the drug right into the lungs, by measuring how deep a breath they have taken.

Ragweed pollen main cause of hay fever (seasonal allergy symptoms)

Ragweed a Major Cause of Seasonal Allergies
Ragweed is a prolific pollen producer and the number one cause of seasonal allergy symptoms according to the American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (ACAAI).

“A single ragweed plant can produce up to 1 billion pollen grains, and each grain can travel more than 100 miles from its source,” said Richard W. Weber, M.D., National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, and chair of the ACAAI Aerobiology Committee that specializes in pollen and mold allergens.

New School Policy Guide to Help Manage Children's Asthma Issued

NASBE Issue New School Asthma Policy Guide
ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- A new policy guide recommending the development of school asthma programs to help students manage their condition and respond to their educational needs has been published by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). Other suggested polices to support children with asthma include promoting awareness among educators and addressing the school environment to minimize the triggers that can cause an asthma attack.

Asthma and Allergy Sufferers Need to be on High Alert While Traveling

Taking Appropriate Precautions while Travelling
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 21, 2005--Before you pack your bags this summer, make sure to equip yourself against potential risks that may cause allergies and asthma. During a vacation it is common to spend more time outside. Asthma and allergy sufferers need to be aware of the potential risks that lurk outside, such as tree and plant pollen, insects and smoke.

Asthmatics Naturally Deficient in Antiviral Immunity

Treatments for Asthma
Asthmatics produce lower levels of a type of immune cell protein needed to fight off infection from colds and other viruses, scientists have discovered.

The finding reported in the latest issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, helps to explain why asthmatics are more susceptible to respiratory virus infections: the cause of the vast majority of acute asthma attacks in both adults and children.

'Safe' ozone and asthma

Breathing Problems and Levels of Ozone Thought to be Safe
A new study finds that air pollution at levels regarded as safe can cause breathing problems for children with asthma - and, researchers say, maybe for a lot of other people.

Researchers Discover Gene That Determines Asthma Susceptibility By Regulating Inflammation

Asthma Target
Disruption of a single gene, Nrf2, plays a critical role in determining the susceptibility to asthma. A research team led by Shyam Biswal, PhD, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found the absence of Nrf2 exacerbated allergen-mediated asthma in mice models. The study’s findings, published in the July 4, 2005, edition of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, may hold therapeutic potential for the treatment of human asthma.

Surgeon general targets asthma ‘epidemic’

Top U.S. doctor says thousands don’t manage the disease appropriately
The numbers, from the U.S. surgeon general, the Centers for Disease Control and the American Lung Association, are striking:

• 20 million Americans suffer from asthma — that's three times as many as 25 years ago;


• 1 in every 8 children has asthma;


• 12 people die from asthma daily.

Improved asthma communication needed

Surveys Confirms Asthma Sufferers Have Poor Symptom Control
As many as 70 percent of patients with asthma are consistently dissatisfied and feel the disease impairs their quality of life, according to the results of a new study of over 65,000 people(1) presented today at the World Allergy Congress (WAC). This study, the largest of its kind to date, reviewed 24 asthma surveys, incorporating responses from 58,000 patients and 8,500 healthcare professionals, confirms that thousands of asthma patients worldwide continue to suffer from poor quality of life and symptom control.

Health matters: Knowledge, management are tools to keep asthma attacks at bay

Asthma Management Key
Imagine choking and not being able to breathe. The panic and fear of not being able to catch your breath can be all-consuming to an adult. Imagine that feeling as if you are a child. Imagine you have asthma.

An estimated 9 million children in the United States will have had asthma diagnosed at some time in their lives, and each day, children die from this disease. Asthma is a chronic disease causing wheezing, coughing, tightness of the chest and breathlessness. There is no cure.

Kids and their families can control asthma. Diagnosis, knowledge and a personalized asthma management plan are powerful tools in keeping attacks at bay. When children are taught to recognize asthma triggers and avoid them, as well as proper inhalant/medication self-administering techniques, everyone breathes easier.

A new asthma relief and treatment ebook details how to control asthma.

Asthma Sufferers Suffer More in Heat

Heat as Asthma Factor
Ninety degrees and humid doesn't make it too comfortable for any of us to breathe. Now just imagine how people who live with asthma can feel.

Several factors can bring on an asthma attack, and the heat is definitely one of them. If you have a chronic cough or you notice that you are one step behind everyone else when doing physical activities, doctors say you could be a sufferer.

Asthma and Panic- a vicious cycle

Relationship found between Asthma and Panic Attacks
A 20-year prospective study published in Amercian Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine has explored the relation between asthma and panic attack in young adults. The findings over the whole study period showed that asthma was more strongly associated with panic disorder than with any panic.

Exposure to Mother's Smoke Increases Risk of Asthma in Adults According to New Study

Increased Asthma Risk
Childhood exposure to mother's second hand smoke substantially increases the risk for developing adult asthma and other respiratory symptoms according to a new paper published in the current issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2005; 172: 61-66).

Allergies set to rise

Hygiene blamed for NHS's soaring allergy bill
The number of people in Britain who have allergies is set to rise because houses are too "clean" for children's immune systems to develop properly, according to a health care expert.

Prof Aziz Sheikh claimed that one in two people would need treatment for some kind of allergic disorder by 2007.

Asthma Cases Rise

Central Fla. Doctors See Sharp Spike In Asthma Cases
ORLANDO, Fla. -- With pollen, mold and other allergens increasing during the rainy season, doctors at several health facilities in Central Florida have seen a sharp increase in people suffering from asthma, according to Local 6 News.

Doctors at Florida Hospital Centra Care locations in Fomosa and Altamonte report a 200 and 300 percent jump in cases of asthma in recent days.

Child Respiratory Health

Air pollutants can harm child lung growth
Washington, DC, Jun. 10 (UPI) -- Long-term exposure to air pollution is a key factor in respiratory-illness development in children, U.S. researchers said at a briefing on Capitol Hill Friday.

"We found that children living in polluted communities are four to five times more likely to have abnormal lung function" than children not living in high ozone communities, said W. James Gauderman, a researcher who conducted a 10-year study examining the effects of air toxics on children's respiratory health.

Exercise-Induced Asthma

Exercise-Induced Asthma More Clearly Linked to High-Salt Diet
Newswise — An Indiana University professor may have uncovered the mechanisms by which high-salt diets can trigger exercise-induced asthma, offering the most complete picture to date of how dietary factors can both aggravate and alleviate the symptoms of this common condition.

The study by exercise physiologist Timothy Mickleborough and his research team in IU Bloomington's Department of Kinesiology demonstrated for the first time that modifying salt intake for two weeks alters airway inflammation and the flow of oxygen into the bloodstream, termed the diffusion capacity of the lungs.

Antifungal drug could improve asthma treatment

ANTIFUNGAL drugs could be the key to improving the lives of thousands of asthmatics, scientists claimed yesterday
Previously, severe asthma attacks have been blamed on air pollutants such as dust mites, pollen or animal hair.

But researchers at the University of Manchester have discovered that the condition can be triggered by an allergic reaction to types of fungi - such as mould, damp and dead leaves.

They are now testing a drug which could cut sufferers' reliance on steroids and prevent the sort of serious attacks that lead to hospital treatment or even death.

Child Asthma

Children with persistent asthma, specific asthma characteristics could help determine the type of treatment
Researchers have identified specific asthma characteristics in children that could help determine the type of asthma treatment they will best respond to.

“There is increasing evidence that children respond differently to the various treatment options for asthma,” noted James Kiley, director of the NHLBI Division of Lung Diseases. “If we can pinpoint in advance which children will do better with a certain type of therapy, we can improve their lives more quickly and save them the risk of trying medications that are less effective for them. This study adds important information for identifying which children are more likely to respond well to inhaled corticosteroids.”

Possible novel approach to therapy

Natural Relaxant Protects Against Asthma, May Yield New Therapy
Durham, N.C. – A substance that naturally opens airways also offers protection against asthma, a condition that affects about 15 million people in the United States, including five million children, according to Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers at Duke University Medical Center. The findings suggest that impaired airway relaxation -- as opposed to active constriction -- may be a more important cause of asthma than previously recognized. The results may also yield a novel approach to therapy, the researchers said.

Asthma still a risk during Summer

Asthma Is Still in Session, Even During Summer Break
With school out for the summer, children across the country will be taking to the community pools, baseball fields and other outdoor venues for some fun in the sun. But for the 20 million children in the United States suffering from asthma, it's important that parents not let their child's asthma management take a vacation as well.

Spring Allergens

Creating a Healthier Home for Asthma and Allergy Sufferers
Newswise — Spring allergens are in the air. This time of year is particularly difficult for people who suffer from asthma and allergies; that is why May is set aside as “Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.” Now, University of Missouri-Columbia respiratory care professionals are making sure people know how to create a healthier home free of allergens, a leading cause for missed days from school and work.

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