Allergies & Asthma

For the most part, everyone knows the feeling of being tired. Sleep deprivation is a serious issue that can lead to health complications like weight gain, weakened immunity, irritability, and even heart disease. Allergies and their corresponding symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, headaches, and nasal congestion can cause someone to lose hours of valuable sleep.

An FDA advisory panel on Tuesday gave near unanimous backing to a novel two-drug combination inhaler for use in adults with asthma, while rejecting the product for younger children. By a 16-1 margin, the FDA’s Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee voted that the benefits of the combination inhaler outweigh the risks in adults with asthma. If

The FDA’s Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee on Tuesday will consider whether a novel two-drug combination inhaler for asthma should be the first FDA-approved product containing an inhaled corticosteroid (budesonide) and a short-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist (albuterol sulfate). Also novel is the proposed indication of preventing severe exacerbations, and the use of an inhaled corticosteroid-containing product as

Millions of Americans suffer from spring and fall allergies every year. Many haven’t considered the area they live in and how it contributes to their allergy symptoms. The AAFA’s yearly Allergy Capitals™ report identifies which cities are the most challenging to live in with seasonal allergies. The report considers these factors: Spring pollen scores Fall

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Treatment with the biologic dupilumab (Dupixent) was associated with sustained reductions in oral corticosteroid (OCS) use in asthma patients who required both low and high daily OCS doses at baseline, according to post hoc findings from the open-label, extension LIBERTY ASTHMA TRAVERSE trial. Further follow-up of patients in the study also showed

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Racial biases persist in the use of pulse oximetry devices for patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) requiring very high levels of oxygen support, a retrospective analysis suggested. In comparing direct arterial blood gas readings versus pulse oximetry readings among patients at a single intensive care unit (ICU), Black patients had

Subcutaneous immunotherapy treatment (SCIT) for reducing cat allergy symptoms appeared to be more effective and longer lasting with the help of tezepelumab (Tezspire), a monoclonal antibody recently approved for severe asthma, results from a phase I/II trial suggested. While the randomized CATNIP trial failed to meet its primary endpoint — a difference in total nasal

Antihistamines were involved in at least 15% of recent overdose deaths, according to 2019-2020 data from 43 states and the District of Columbia. Of 92,033 overdose deaths during this time period, 14.7% were antihistamine-positive and 3.6% were antihistamine-involved, reported Amanda Dinwiddie, MPH, of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control in Atlanta, and

Everyone has experienced stress at some point, but what is it? Stress is your body’s reaction to a threat or challenge. We generally think of stress as being caused by a negative situation like an overly hectic day at work or death of a loved one, but it can also be caused by positive events

A simple screening tool based on cough, wheeze, and medication use flagged asthma risk in 3-year-olds with greater accuracy than standard strategies, researchers reported. The CHILDhood Asthma Risk Tool (CHART) outperformed specialists’ assessments and the modified Asthma Predictive Index (mAPI) for predicting asthma diagnosis by age 5 in one cohort and was validated for prediction

When the seasons change from summer to fall, those with allergies are on alert for ragweed — it can wreak havoc on those who are allergic. But, rarely are people allergic to just one thing, so many times there are other allergens at play when you have a reaction. In the fall, that other allergen

Do you know someone who reacts to apples and can’t take part in the best fall desserts, dishes, and activities? It’s probably due to Oral Allergy Syndrome. Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) happens when the body misinterprets food as bothersome pollen. This is because compounds in certain foods are similar to compounds on the surface of

BARCELONA — Eligible emphysema patients had similar levels of improvement whether treated with lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) or bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) with valve placement, a less-invasive option, the randomized CELEB trial showed. At 12 months, the average improvement from baseline on the 10-point BODE index — the study’s primary endpoint — was

This summer, record-breaking temperatures have been recorded throughout Europe and continue to rise globally. At this very moment, a blistering heat wave is ripping through California. These extremes have led to heat-related injuries, regional fires, severe weather events, and increased morbidity, especially for those with chronic respiratory illnesses. Unfortunately, the extraordinary is becoming ordinary as

BARCELONA — The need for antibiotics in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) seeking treatment for moderate acute COPD exacerbations could not be ruled out in a randomized trial from Germany, except perhaps for one subgroup. In the ABACOPD study of nearly 300 patients, the overall treatment failure rate among those receiving 5 days

Ragweed is one of the most bothersome environmental allergies — and that’s because such a large amount of pollen circulates through the air at one given time. Some people with a ragweed allergy might experience additional symptoms, but only when eating raw produce. Why is that? Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS). What is Oral Allergy Syndrome?

Workers who responded to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 were more likely to report incident asthma within a few years, a cohort study found. Those oil spill response and cleanup workers were 60% more likely to report developing asthma in the 1-3 years after the spill compared with non-workers who had been trained

With summer upon us, unfortunately, pesky mosquitoes come with the beautiful weather and fun. For many of us, mosquito bites are an inconvenience that doesn’t alter our lives. If we can resist the urge to itch and scratch, the bite goes away on its own. But for some, mosquito bites are much more miserable and

TTHealthWatch is a weekly podcast from Texas Tech. In it, Elizabeth Tracey, director of electronic media for Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, and Rick Lange, MD, president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, look at the top medical stories of the week. This week’s topics include the best medications for

When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company’s announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. The affected product is being recalled from the marketplace because it may contain cashew which is not declared on the label. The recalled product

When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company’s announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. The affected products are being recalled from the marketplace because they may contain milk which is not declared on the label. The recalled products

For many parents, sending their allergic or asthmatic children back to school can be a nightmare. It can trigger worry of your child’s safety as they are exposed to an environment with many different substances that could potentially harm them. That’s why we put together a list of essential school supplies your allergic child should

Smaller airways in women may explain their worse respiratory outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a large cohort study suggested. For never-smokers and ever-smokers alike, CT imaging revealed that men had thicker airway walls than women, who also had smaller airway lumen dimensions after accounting for height and total lung capacity. “It is plausible

When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company’s announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confections of Freeport, Maine is recalling its 8 oz resealable package of milk chocolate covered blueberries because they may contain

Presentation A 52-year-old man presented to the ED appearing ill and with complaints of cough, dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain, and fever. On physical examination, the patient had a temperature of 104°F (40°C). No recent travel history. The patient worked as a commercial plumber and recently completed a plumbing job for a large facility that had

When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company’s announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. Nature’s Sunshine Products Inc. of Spanish Fork, UT is announcing that it initiated a voluntarily recall of two AIVIA Whey Protein & Power Herbs

Sending your child with food allergies anywhere without you can cause worry. Will they eat something that contains their allergen? What if they’re accidentally exposed? When you go into new situations, like back to school, with a plan — it can help relieve some of that anxiety. For your child’s safety, there are a few

At what point do you move from temporarily managing your allergy symptoms with over-the-counter solutions, to treating the cause — often for good — with immunotherapy? And what are the benefits? This blog dives into the four major reasons people consider sublingual immunotherapy (also known as allergy drops), and why it’s beneficial for those with