Most people who believe they are allergic to penicillin actually aren’t ATLANTA, GA (November 7, 2014) – Many people have been told, incorrectly, that they’re allergic to penicillin, but have not had allergy testing. These people are often given alternative antibiotics prior to surgery to ward off infection. But when antibiotic choices are limited due…
Fructan, not gluten, may be cause of many people’s gastrointestinal symptoms Although only one percent of the population are affected by celiac disease, gluten-free diets have become a major food trend in recent years. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is a controversial topic among many researchers, with up to 13 percent of people claiming to suffer from…
Fish oil and probiotics in pregnancy/breastfeeding may reduce risk of food allergy / eczema Taking fish oil during pregnancy cuts the risk of some child allergies by nearly a third, a UK government study suggests. A daily fish oil capsule taken after the 20th week of pregnancy and for the first three or four months of…
Allergy injections may cut long term asthma medication use in children A review published in Pediatrics summarizes the current safety and efficacy data regarding the use of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in pediatric allergic asthma. For this study, researchers searched several databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials between January 1,…
Use of quick relief asthma inhalers without controller medication may impair fertility in women Women using short-acting asthma inhalers took longer to become pregnant than women using long-acting inhaled asthma medications and those without asthma, researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia, have found. The study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, used data from the Screening for…
Infants given certain medications may have higher odds of developing allergies Babies who are given antacids or antibiotics during their first 6 months of life may have a sharply higher risk for allergies or asthma, a large new study warns. The finding is based on an analysis of health records of more than 792,000 children…
Viral infections and asthma exacerbations Asthma and respiratory viruses don’t go well together. Weakened by the common cold or the flu, a person suffering an asthma attack often responds poorly to emergency treatment; some must be hospitalized. This is especially true for preschoolers. But what if there were a simple solution to help ward off…
Current state of oral immunotherapy to foods There remains a lot of interest in oral immunotherapy to foods – here’s a brief update. These treatments are still considered experimental and are as yet unapproved by the FDA. However, studies have been ongoing, and FDA approval may occur within the next year. Please see this article…
Spring cleaning A helpful article from the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology: Lots of people view the coming of spring as an opportunity to clean out winter’s cobwebs and freshen up their home. It’s also a chance to get rid of allergens that have been settling in over the winter and help ease…
More precise pollen forecasts may be coming Scientists could be a step closer to providing more precise pollen forecasts to the 20-30% of the population who live with either asthma or hay fever. This follows the first results of a major three-year project to analyze airborne grass pollen. The first year’s findings, published in Nature…