Asthma News and Research

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Asthma is a common inflammatory disease affecting the airways that leads to shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. Symptoms range from mild to severe but are generally manageable with appropriate treatment.

FeNO test may be helpful tool that aids in asthma diagnosis

Although about 24 million Americans are diagnosed with asthma every year, there is no single test that can diagnose the disease. Common symptoms, such as shortness of breath, wheezing, and cough, are relatively nonspecific, and physicians may use multiple tests and observations to reach an accurate diagnosis.

21 Dec 2017

Special precautions not required when people with egg allergy take flu shots

For years, people with an egg allergy have been told to avoid or take special precautions when getting a flu shot because most influenza vaccines are grown in eggs and contain a tiny amount of egg protein. An updated practice parameter from the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters stresses that people with egg allergy should receive their yearly flu shot, and that no special precautions are required.

19 Dec 2017

Untreated and overweight children may have worse asthma symptoms

Asthma affects almost 1 in 10 children in the U.S. and is a leading cause of emergency room visits and hospitalizations in preschoolers. According to new research from Duke Health and collaborators, symptoms may be worse for children ages 2 to 5 who are overweight.

19 Dec 2017

Mountain cedar allergy season set to strike this year

Allergy specialists like Dr. Shelly Harvey are again readying themselves for mountain cedar, the annual irritant that makes noses run and eyes itch – potentially transforming the merriest of holiday well-wishers into miserable Ebenezer Scrooges.

19 Dec 2017

Special issue highlights factors affecting healthcare for LGBT older adults

A special issue of LGBT Health includes the latest research, clinical practice innovations, and policy aimed at addressing disparities and enhancing healthcare for older LGBT populations.

18 Dec 2017

Coarse particulate matter exposure linked to increased asthma risk in children

Children exposed to coarse particulate matter may be more likely to develop asthma and to be treated in an ER or be hospitalized for the condition, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

15 Dec 2017

Study: Allergens found to be widespread, but highly variable in U.S. homes

Allergens are widespread, but highly variable in U.S. homes, according to the nation's largest indoor allergen study to date. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health report that over 90 percent of homes had three or more detectable allergens, and 73 percent of homes had at least one allergen at elevated levels.

14 Dec 2017

$Hydraulic fracturing is harmful to infants health, study states$

Hydraulic fracturing is harmful to infants health, study states

A new study published in Science Advances reveals that infants born to mothers who live within 2 miles of a hydraulic fracturing site or fracking site have increased health risks.

14 Dec 2017

Human ‘common cold’ virus kills healthy chimpanzees in Uganda

In the wild, chimpanzees face any number of dire threats, ranging from poachers to predators to deforestation.

13 Dec 2017

Steroid study provides new insights into medicines' side effects

Fresh insights into key hormones found in commonly prescribed medicines have been discovered, providing further understanding of the medicines' side effects.

13 Dec 2017

Nearly 3 in 10 elite footballers at top clubs have undetected lung and airway problems, study finds

New research from the University of Kent has discovered that nearly three in 10 elite footballers at top clubs in England have undetected lung and airway problems that could impair their on-field performance.

8 Dec 2017

Childhood asthma linked to high maternal sugar intake during pregnancy

New research published today in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society reports that children born to mothers who drank a lot of sugary drinks during pregnancy may be at an increased risk of developing asthma during childhood.

8 Dec 2017

Prenatal and early-life consumption of sugary drinks may increase risk of mid-childhood asthma

Children between the ages of 7 and 9 may be at greater risk for developing asthma if they consumed high amounts of fructose in early childhood or their mothers drank a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages while pregnant, according to new research published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

8 Dec 2017

Severely preterm children with HRV have lower airway obstruction linked to retractions, wheezing

Human rhinovirus (HRV), the culprit behind most colds, is the leading cause of hospitalization for premature babies. However, in very preterm children, exactly how HRV causes severe respiratory disease -- and which patients may need more intensive observation and treatment -- is less well understood.

7 Dec 2017

Churning, confusion and disruption — The dark side of marketplace coverage

Cyndee Weston can barely remember the last time she didn't have to switch health plans during an Affordable Care Act sign-up season. By her count, she has been on five plans in five years.

7 Dec 2017

Prior smoking exposure linked to potential risks of wheeze and asthma in children

In a Pediatric Pulmonology study of children aged 15 months, increasing hair nicotine levels were related to prior parent-reported smoking exposure and were associated with potential increased risks of wheeze and asthma.

6 Dec 2017

Hospitals find asthma hot spots more profitable to neglect than fix

Keyonta Parnell has had asthma most of his young life, but it wasn't until his family moved to the 140-year-old house here on Lemmon Street two years ago that he became one of the health care system's frequent customers.

6 Dec 2017

Attack on asthma: Scrubbing homes of allergens may tame disease and its costs

After years of studying the causes of asthma, a pediatrician-turned-public health sleuth thinks there's a way to substantially reduce its impact.

6 Dec 2017

UT Southwestern researchers identify potential approach to suppress lethal parasitic infections

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a chemical that suppresses the lethal form of a parasitic infection caused by roundworms that affects up to 100 million people and usually causes only mild symptoms.

5 Dec 2017

Children with high blood levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids less likely to develop asthma or rhinitis

New research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden reveals that high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in children's blood are associated with a reduced risk of asthma or rhinitis at the age of 16 years. The study is published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

5 Dec 2017