Asthma

Memphis, New Haven, and Knoxville Top List of 'Asthma Capitals' By Jennifer Warner Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD May 1, 2012 -- Memphis residents may have a new reason to sing the blues, if ...

Farm Life Linked to Fewer Allergies, Less Asthma

Study: Amish Farm Children Have Lower Rates of Hay Fever By Charlene Laino Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD March 7, 2012 (Orlando, Fla.) -- Could the older, more rustic Amish lifestyle hold ...

Study Links Common Household Products to Asthma

Many in Industry Question Study’s Findings, Say Fears Unfounded By Kathleen Doheny Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD March 8, 2012 -- Many cleaning and personal care products contain chemica...

Can Herbs Fight Asthma?

Preliminary Research Suggests They Can, but Further Study Needed By Charlene Laino Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD March 5, 2012 (Orlando, Fla.) -- A traditional Chinese herbal remedy know...

Relieve Ragweed Allergies Without Shots

Tablets Help Relieve Symptoms Such as Runny Nose, Congestion, Watery Eyes By Charlene Laino Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD March 5, 2012 (Orlando, Fla.) -- For many allergy sufferers, getting...

Timing of Preemie Birth May Be Key to Kids' Health Later

FRIDAY, March 2 -- Preemies face a relatively unhealthy childhood when compared with full-term babies, and new British research suggests that the degree to which a child's health is compromised seems to depend on exactly how prematur...

Parents Often Right to Bring Kids With Fever to the ER: Study

TUESDAY, Feb. 28 -- Many parents who bring their children to the emergency room with fevers are making the right decision, Dutch investigators report."Self-referred febrile [feverish] children should not be generalized, and therefore...

All U.S. Adults Should Get Whooping Cough Shot: Panel

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22 -- U.S. health experts recommended Wednesday that all adults get vaccinated against whooping cough, an infectious bacterial disease that triggers uncontrollable coughing and is especially dangerous to infants.The U...

Soft Drinks May Raise Odds for Respiratory Ills: Study

TUESDAY, Feb. 7 -- Drinking a lot of soft drinks may increase the risk for asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study suggests.Nearly 17,000 people aged 16 and older in South Australia were asked about th...

Heartburn Meds Won't Help, May Harm Kids With Asthma

TUESDAY, Jan. 24 -- Children with asthma who don't have heartburn and other signs of gastroesophageal reflux don't get additional asthma control from acid-reducing medications, according to new research. And, taking these medications...

Why Don't Some People With Asthma Respond to Medication?

Researchers Learning Not Everyone Has Asthma for the Same Reason By Brenda Goodman, MA Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD Jan. 6, 2012 -- All asthma is not the same. As a result, a new study ...

As Gastric Banding Increases, So May Complications

THURSDAY, Dec. 22 -- Use of gastric bands as a weight-loss aid is increasing, and doctors need to be alert for potential complications years later, say the authors of a new case report.The report details problems that developed two y...

Tips for Avoiding Asthma, Allergy Triggers This Season

MONDAY, Dec. 19 -- Holiday decorations, both old and new, can cause asthma attacks and allergic reactions, an expert says.Dr. Joseph Leija, an allergist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Maywood, Ill., warns that fresh Christmas trees...

Asthma Drugs in Pregnancy Might Pose Risk for Kids

FRIDAY, Dec. 16 -- Infants born to mothers who use inhaled glucocorticoids -- a class of steroids -- to treat asthma during pregnancy may be at risk for endocrine and metabolic disorders, a new study indicates.Researchers looked at m...

WTC First Responders More Likely to Have Asthma: Study

FRIDAY, Dec. 16 -- First responders at the World Trade Center attack suffer asthma at more than double the rate of the general U.S. population, new research shows.According to a study published online Dec. 8 in the American Journal o...

Health Officials Urge Americans: Get Your Flu Shot Now

MONDAY, Dec. 5 -- U.S. health officials used Monday, the start of National Influenza Vaccination Week, to urge Americans to get their flu shot before the season begins in earnest.Since the H1N1 flu pandemic of 2009, vaccination rates...

More Children Using Preventive Asthma Drugs: Study

MONDAY, Dec. 5 -- About one in three children with asthma is currently using a preventive medication, according to new research. That number is up from about 18 percent of kids during the late 1980s. Preventive asthma medications h...

Allergy Sufferers Should Prepare for Holiday Triggers

THURSDAY, Nov. 24 -- The holiday season can be a challenge for people with allergies and asthma, but there are a number of things they can do to protect themselves, allergists say.Food allergies are an issue because many traditional ...

Doctors in a Bind When Parents Want to Delay, Skip Vaccines

MONDAY, Nov. 28 -- Mistrust of childhood vaccines is causing some parents to request "alternative" schedules from doctors, either delaying or skipping some shots. And a new study suggests that most pediatricians are willing to go alo...

Daily Steroids May Not Be Needed for Wheezing

Study Suggests Occasional Treatment Is Effective and May Reduce Risk of Decrease in Growth By Salynn Boyles Reviewed by Hansa D. Bhargava, MD, FAAP Nov. 23, 2011 -- Daily inhaled steroids ...

Study: Cholesterol Drugs May Worsen Asthma

Experts Say the Findings Contradict Some Earlier Studies on the Effects of Statin Drugs By Brenda Goodman, MA Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Nov. 5, 2011 -- People with asthma may find that...

Frequently Asked Questions About Asthma

1. How Can I Prevent an Asthma Attacks? There are many things that you can do to prevent worsening of your asthma and an asthma attack. Some of the most important are: Minimize asthma triggers. People with asthma can take ...

Allergy Shots for Asthma

Allergy shots are one type of treatment for asthma that may benefit those with allergies and asthma, called allergic asthma. Also called immunotherapy, allergy shots are not an asthma cure like an injection of antibiotics might cure an infection. Ins...

Flu Vaccine and Asthma

If you have asthma, you need to take steps to prevent the flu. With asthma, any respiratory infection -- like flu -- can affect your lungs, causing inflammation and airway narrowing. It is important to take preventive measures to stay healthy and be ...

Asthma Prevention When You Have Allergies

It's important to take steps at home for asthma prevention if you have allergies. Asthma attacks (worsening of asthma symptoms) can be triggered by allergies, which can temporarily increase the inflammation of the airways in a susceptible person. If ...

Asthma Prevention

If you have asthma, you need to know some key strategies for prevention of asthma symptoms. While there’s no asthma cure, there are steps you can take to reduce the chances of having the frightening asthma symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and d...

Asthma Risk Factors

There are usually reasons or risk factors that predispose you to asthma and respiratory problems. Asthma does not just happen randomly to anyone without asthma risk factors. Let's look at some asthma risk factors and see how they increase the ch...

Aspirin and Other Medications That May Trigger Asthma

Many people with asthma have sensitivities to certain drugs that can precipitate an asthma attack. If you have asthma, you need to be aware of which medications may be triggers. You do not need to avoid these medications unless you know they are asth...

Smoking and Asthma

Smoke from cigars, cigarettes, and pipes harms your body in many ways, but it is especially harmful to the lungs of a person with asthma. Tobacco smoke is a powerful trigger of asthma symptoms. How Does Tobacco Smoke Trigger Asthma? When a ...

Infections and Asthma

When you have asthma, any upper respiratory infection -- like a cold or the flu -- can affect your lungs causing inflammation and airway narrowing. It is important to take measures to stay healthy and be aware of any asthma symptoms, even mild, so th...