Oral phenylephrine no more effective than placebo Seasonal allergic rhinitis (AR) is just one of many conditions that can cause nasal congestion, and the impact on sufferers and society is substantial, including lost work productivity and impairments in sleep and quality of life. Of the four main symptoms of AR (itchiness, sneezing, runny nose, and…
Intranasal flu vaccine well tolerated in children with egg allergy and/or asthma Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV) is an intranasal flu vaccine in widespread use. Since the vaccine contains egg protein, it has been contraindicated for use by children with egg allergy, and North American guidelines also recommend against its use in asthmatic children. In…
Allergy immunotherapy (allergy shots) may help prevent asthma Researchers in Dresden, Germany, have demonstrated that allergy immunotherapy can effectively prevent asthma in patients with allergic rhinitis in a realistic setting. Doctors reviewed routine healthcare data from German National Health Insurance beneficiaries which helped them identify a cohort of about 118,754 patients who chronically suffered from…
Food allergy and eczema have a combined effect on growth in early childhood Food allergy is common, especially in early childhood, and eczema, another allergic condition, often co-exists in children with food allergy. Food allergy has previously been associated with lower height and weight in cross-sectional studies in children. However, no previous studies have investigated…
The Asthma – Migraine Connection People who experience occasional migraine headaches may be at greater risk of developing chronic migraine headaches if they also have asthma, according to a study published online in November in the journal Headache, a publication of the American Headache Society. “Migraine and asthma are disorders that involve inflammation and the…
Asthma bronchodilator use in pregnancy associated with modest increased risk of autism Children whose mothers took certain asthma drugs during pregnancy may have an increased risk of autism, a new study suggests. The study, published online Jan. 6 in Pediatrics, found a connection between autism risk and prenatal exposure to drugs called beta-agonists. They are…
Early introduction of peanut leads to sustained reduction in peanut allergy Infants who are fed peanuts within the first 11 months of life are less likely to develop peanut allergies, even if they take a break from eating the nuts when they’re older, according to a new study. Called the LEAP-on study, it followed a…
Tips to help prepare for another bad pollen season As another potentially bad pollen season approaches, clinicians can help patients with allergies manage their symptoms with recommendations from the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI). “Unfortunately, it’s true that in the past few years, the amount of pollen in the air during spring…
Early epinephrine use tied to fewer overall doses Although anaphylaxis accounts for an increasing percentage of all pediatric emergency department (ED) visits, early use of epinephrine before ED arrival is associated with a lower likelihood of requiring multiple doses of epinephrine in the ED, Canadian researchers report. Epinephrine use before ED arrival was the only…
Fluticasone plus salmeterol associated with fewer severe exacerbations than fluticasone alone The safety of long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs) such as salmeterol and formoterol, in medications such as Advair, Symbicort, Dulera, and Breo, has been widely debated. Large, poorly structured trials in the past have shown increased risk of serious asthma related events in patients on LABAs,…