Allergies & Asthma

You know the saying “it’s just the tip of the iceberg” – have you ever thought of it in terms of allergy? About one in five people have allergies, but only a portion of them have the typical allergy symptoms – itching, sneezing, and runny nose – that are associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis. Many

Very early introduction of high-dose gluten was associated with a lower prevalence of celiac disease at 3 years of age in a prespecified secondary analysis from the Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) infant food allergy prevention trial. None of the infants in the analysis randomized to the gluten early introduction arm of the study had developed

The FDA issued a warning Thursday against taking diphenhydramine (Benadryl) at more than recommended doses, following accounts of at least one teen dying from overuse. The agency is investigating reports of teens who have been hospitalized and died after taking part in the latest social media craze encouraging youth to consume a dangerous amount of

earn free cme credit Earn CME credit by reading this article and completing the posttest. Sign Up Study Authors: Cornelia A. Verberkt, Marieke H.J. van den Beuken-van Everdingen, et al.; Eric W. Widera Target Audience and Goal Statement: Pulmonologists, pain management specialists, primary care physicians, public health and policy experts The goal of this study

Note that some links may require registration or subscription. The Pentagon took some of the money meant for spending on masks and swabs for the COVID-19 pandemic and spent it on jet engine parts and body armor instead. (Washington Post) British prime minister Boris Johnson has ordered a 10 p.m. curfew for bars and restaurants,

Allergy symptoms in the eyes – they’re not something to scratch at. Called allergic conjunctivitis, some allergy sufferers experience a variety of symptoms in their eyes during allergy season. For those with indoor allergies, allergic conjunctivitis can stick around all year. Learn more about eye allergy symptoms and ways to prevent the itch and irritation

In patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, add-on mepolizumab (Nucala) reduced both polyp size and the need for surgery in the SYNAPSE study, a researcher reported. In the 52-week, phase III, multicenter trial, treatment with the IL-5 inhibitor biologic was associated with a 57% reduction in the need for surgery versus placebo in patients

Fixed-dose triple therapy with fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (Trelegy Ellipta) improved lung function in adults whose asthma was uncontrolled with an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting beta-agonist (LABA), the CAPTAIN study showed. On Wednesday, based on findings from the trial, the FDA approved the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment at two different doses for adults 18 and

Specific genetic alterations in children and teens with asthma may identify those who will not benefit from treatment with the long-acting β2-adrenergic receptor agonist (LABA) salmeterol, a researcher reported. For the study, 241 children and teens (age 12-18) with asthma taking inhaled corticosteroids were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive personalized care (prescribing by rs1042713 genotype)

For many, pets are an essential part of life; there’s no ifs, ands, or buts about having a dog, cat, hamster, or other favorite pet at home or on the farm. Realizing you, or a member of your family, have a pet allergy can put a big damper on these dreams and your lifestyle.  Myth

Vitamin D3 supplementation added to low-dose inhaled corticosteroids was not associated with longer time to asthma exacerbations among high-risk children with low baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, researchers reported. The mean time to exacerbation was 240 days in children randomized to the vitamin D3 supplementation group and 253 days in the placebo group (mean group difference

Rural healthcare access in the U.S. continues to suffer due to problems with affordability, former agriculture secretary Mike Espy, now the Democratic candidate for a Senate seat in Mississippi, said Tuesday at a virtual meeting of the Rural Council at the Democratic National Convention. “So many low-income persons are afraid to get sick, because when

Most insects do more good than harm, but those who have an insect allergy may beg to differ. A simple exposure could be dangerous or even deadly to those with an allergy to mosquito, fire ant, or cockroach. Is there a way to treat the cause, or is avoidance the only option? This blog dives

Short-term treatment with a low-dose opioid was associated with significantly improved health status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with advanced disease and chronic breathlessness despite optimal pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical treatment. In a randomized trial of over 100 patients, twice daily treatment for 4 weeks with an oral sustained-release morphine (10 mg) was associated

Choosing a college or university to attend for ‘the best years of your life’ can seem overwhelming and intimidating. Moving far from family and living with strangers in a completely new environment can be especially daunting when paired with a severe food allergy. In this blog, find tips to help navigate visiting and deciding on

As another so-called triple therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hits the market, pulmonologists and primary care physicians are beginning to consider which patients are most appropriate for these treatments, and how much added benefit these products offer relative to more conventional — and better understood — two-drug combinations. The FDA approved AstraZeneca’s fixed-dose,

Among older former cigarette smokers, a strong correlation was shown between smoking duration and health, with longer smoking history associated with greater risk for poor overall health, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic disease, according to CDC research. In national data, for people ages 65 and older who had once smoked but quit, a

Throughout the spring, summer, and fall, your favorite weather source may share pollen counts for your area. These counts are used as a warning for those with environmental allergies – explaining what’s in the air and the level of symptoms you can expect. Without a little research, these pollen counts can seem confusing, but it

After spending time gardening, you’re likely to be tired, sore, and maybe even symptomatic. There may be more to your allergy misery than just the pollen in the air (though that can be enough to keep allergy sufferers inside). See what environmental allergies could be causing your suffering while gardening this summer and ways to

Corticosteroid bursts as short as 2 weeks or less were still linked to severe adverse events among relatively healthy users, according to a large study from Taiwan. For people taking oral steroids over a median 3 days, the risk of such events was elevated in the 5-30 days after steroid therapy initiation compared with the

Inhaled triple therapy with budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol showed a signal of reducing all-cause mortality in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at higher (320 μg) budesonide doses in newly reported findings from the large, multicenter, 52-week ETHOS trial. Two doses of the glucocorticoid — 160 μg and 320 μg —

When you say “fire ants,” people likely think about the bad news — painful stings, itching, and damage to crops. But some University of Virginia researchers now say the presence of this invasive insect species might also have an upside: reducing prevalence of red meat allergy caused by tick bites. Jeffrey Wilson, MD, PhD, and

Daily life is different right now — with COVID-19 still rampant in many cities across the U.S. As some areas start to get “back to a new normal,” others are experiencing an uptick in cases for the first time since the pandemic started. The CDC has said from the start — and continues to say — that

The development of a subtype of inflammatory myopathy characterized by interstitial lung disease and positivity for a specific autoantibody was influenced by seasonality and place of residence, Japanese researchers found. Among patients with polymyositis or dermatomyositis (PM/DM) and the associated interstitial lung disease, symptom onset occurred most often from October to March for those with

While ear infections are most common in children, they can also occur in repeatedly in adulthood. At that point, the option of ear tubes or “growing out of it” isn’t as feasible. Where can those with chronic ear infections turn? Start by getting to the cause of the infection.  Ear infections typically don’t just appear

earn free cme credit Earn CME credit by reading this article and completing the posttest. Sign Up Study Authors: Peter K. Lindenauer, Mihaela S. Stefan, et al.; Carolyn L. Rochester, Anne E. Holland Target Audience and Goal Statement: Pulmonologists, hospitalists The goal of this study was to determine the association between initiation of pulmonary rehabilitation

Cancer, diabetes, heart disease and musculoskeletal issues are often the conditions employers are most eager to tackle, and we don’t blame them – these are conditions that cost employers billions of dollars year after year. But many times, employers crunch the numbers, come up with preventive measures, and they’re still not seeing the decrease in

If you, like the Skeptical Cardiologist, suffer from asthma you may be wondering if you are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 or developing more severe respiratory complications from the disease once infected. There are 25 million asthma sufferers in the United States, about 8% of the population, and many of us are using