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.