Buy ASTHMA ALLERGIES CHILDREN: a parent’s guide by clicking here. It is also now available as an iBook here and on Nook, and finally on Sony eReader. Allergic Living Magazine calls it “a must-have resource.”
Should Hangovers and Allergies Be Treated at the Same Time? Maybe it’s not such a hot idea. Read “Plop Plop Fizz Fizz Achoo here
Does Oral Immunotherapy Work for Food Allergies? Dr. Hugh Sampson says it is “Not Ready for Prime Time” in a new guest editorial after studying the literature.
Certified Asthma Educator Harriet Spitzer-Picker answers a question about possibly combining food allergy asthma plans and asthma action plans for children who have both in Parent Mailbag.
Why Did a Child Get Relief from Eczema for Two Weeks in April? Dr. Ehrlich explains in Eczema Free for Passover.
Can’t Anybody Here Play this Game? With all we know about how to treat asthma, Dr. Larry Chiaramonte finds new data about how emergency departments handle cases dismal. They should be doing a lot better. More here.
Community Asthma Initiative of Boston Children’s Hospital Cuts Hospitalizations, Improves Quality of Life. More here.
Dr. Ehrlich Quoted in April Health Magazine on Finding the Right Antihistamine for You here.
Will Mobile Technology Be the Answer to Low Rates of Asthma Medication Adherence? We chatted recently with CEO of iSonea. Read about it here.
Could Antibiotics Be Destroying Bacteria That Keep Allergies at Bay? Dr. Sarah Taylor-Black looks at the research on gut bacteria here.
European Pollen Levels Breaking Records Researchers found that the concentration of airborne pollens has risen particularly sharply in cities in recent years. In cities, pollen concentration has risen by an average of three percent; in rural areas, one percent. Greater CO2 concentration is the most probable cause.
More
Are Parasites a Cure for Allergies? Australian allergist Dr. John Weiner examines an experiment using hook worms to treat Celiac Disease in this Guest Editorial.
Is Your Food-Allergic Teenager Lobbying to Go Abroad with the Class? Anne Russell gives you all the advice you’ll ever need about a trip to Italy here.
What Can Allergists Do to Help Cut the Nation’s Health Care Cost Spiral? Dr. Ehrlich responds to an editorial in the New York Times here.
No Matter Who They Are, Bosses Hate Strong Clean-Air Rules Dr. Chiaramonte argues that they are short-sighted in Color-Blind Asthma Politics
Higher Co-Payments for Medication Mean Less Compliance and More Emergencies but Dr. Chiaramonte says that’s only part of the problem. More here
Dr. Paul Ehrlich quoted in Redbook Magazine on the allergic effects of those smelly things people use to make their homes smell better.
Philadelphia Pediatrician Says One Patient in Seven Has Asthma
“Asthma can be life-threatening, and its everyday downsides can make kids’ lives difficult 24/7: I see children who cough so much at night that they are always tired from the loss of sleep and others who cannot run without having a coughing fit and so do not play sports,” according to Dr. Gary Emmett. More
Girls at Greater Risk from Secondhand Smoke Than Boys Research from the journal Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, “found children exposed to high levels of secondhand smoke who also had allergic sensitizations during early childhood (age 2) were at greater risk for decreased lung function at age 7, compared to children who had not developed allergic sensitizations by this age. Lung function among girls was six times worse than in boys who were exposed to similar levels of both secondhand smoke and allergen sensitization.”
More
Allergic Living and AsthmaAllergiesChildren Allergic Living Magazine asked Dr. Ehrlich to comment on author John Grisham’s account of his food allergies–see page 14 of the Spring issue. Also, our pal Susan Weissman’s book, Feeding Eden is reviewed warmly by editor Gwen Smith. Dr. Ehrlich’s foreword appears in his blog here.
You Think You Know Anaphylaxis When You See It? You may but a doctor may not. Dr. Paul Ehrlich discusses the difference between an allergist’s definition of the word and an emergency room doctor here.
God Bless Us, Everyone! New York Public Radio celebrates allergy season with famous sneezes–Ringo Starr, Woody Allen and more. See them here.
World Asthma Day coming up on Tuesday May 3 For more information go the World Asthma Foundation or Global Initiative for Asthma
Allergist Dr. Bill Frankland, World’s Oldest Active Physician, celebrates 100th birthday Worked with discoverer of penicillin; told Saddam Hussein he wasn’t allergic but should stop smoking. More
Fact of the Day—Emergency Nurses Quicker on Epi Draw Than General Duty Nurses A study of time taken to draw epinephrine from a vial into a syringe found that general duty nurses were able to draw epinephrine into a syringe in about 40 seconds (range 26 to 71 seconds), and emergency department nurses in about 29 seconds (range 27 to 33 seconds).
More
Having Symptoms You Can’t Explain? Maybe It’s Seasonal Allergies. Dr. Sakina Bajowala, known to millions as the Allergist Mommy, discusses lesser-known symptoms in this new Guest Editorial.
Minnesota Schools Develop Web-Based Asthma Management Toolkit More here
As of February 2nd, there were 5,449 Board Certified allergists in the United States More
Europeans Develop 10 Principles for Cleaner Air in Advance of “Year of the Air” in 2013 Read more on our Journals page.
Dr. Larry Chiaramonte Joins Editorial Board of New Peer-Reviewed International Journal Dr. Chiaramonte is joining the editorial board of The Child, dedicated to “novel findings in pediatric research…Scope of the Journal is broad and extends from basic research to clinical science relevant to developmental biology and disease processes…The editor welcomes original papers, reviews, clinical articles focused on the areas of basic and clinical studies related to every aspect of child health…The goal of the journal is to rapidly translate the latest scientific advances in clinical practice to improve quality of care and the health of children…With the synergy and the enthusiasm of researchers from around the world The Child journal will be cited in Pubmed and ranked by Impact Factor…The Child is a peer-reviewed, bi-monthly, online and open access journal.” For more information, click here.
Asthma Has Been a Problem for Millennia Read what Roman philosopher Seneca said about it here.
Is Sharing Inhalers a Bad Idea? Asthma educator Harriet Spitzer-Picker discusses a recent case in a new Guest Editorial.
Do Asthma Fatality Rates Tell the Whole Story on Asthma Danger? Dr. Larry Chiaramonte reaches into medical history to answer No! Read it here.
Allergy Occupational Hazard “I’m allergic to grass, and when I mow grass, my head fills up. But I love it.” –David Mellor director of grounds for the Boston Red Sox.
NY Times Reporter Dies from Asthma Attack in Syria Another reminder how deadly this disease can be, and how potent an airborne allergen can be in triggering an attack. Dr. Paul Ehrlich comments here.
Important Food-Allergy Research is Being Done Around the Country Do you want to help find a cure? Kathy Franklin discusses participating in these studies in Food Allergy Corner.
How Do You and Your Food-Allergic Teenager Manage the Challenge of High School? Consulting nurse and university teacher Anne Russell talks you through it here.
Ever Wonder Why Food-Allergy Numbers Are All Over the Place? Dr. Sarah Taylor-Black from Mt. Sinai’s Jaffe Food Allergy Institute explains.
Three Intense Weeks of Work on Restaurant Food-Allergy Info Bill Yields Disappointing Result But the Arizona Food Allergy Alliance is energized. Read about it here.
Asthma Mom, Foundation Founder, Secretary Spy Before she helped start the Asthma Foundation of Australia, Mickie Hardie spied against the Nazis. More here.
New Study Shows Traffic-Related Asthma Even More Costly Than Previously Thought Dr. Larry Chiaramonte comments here.
Teenage Death in UK Called Asthma Related Dr. Ehrlich speaks out on how hard it is to tell when a teenager has uncontrolled asthma here.
Let ‘em Eat Junk Editor’s Notes on what happened on trip to supermarket looking for new peanut Cheerios.
Primatene Now Off Market Asthma educator Harriet Spitzer-Picker talks about what the future holds for OTC asthma medicines here.
Allergist in Chief–Who Knew? WebMD interviews allergist to Presidents here.
Forty Top Doctors and Scientists Sound Clarion Call on Worldwide Allergy Epidemic Read about it in Editor’s Notes
The Environment and Asthma: Black Carbon Makes the Difference Read about it in Dr. Paul’s blog
Annual ER visits for asthma? 1.75 million, including 600,000 kids. More numbers on our Journals page.
Food Allergy Bullying–Elizabeth Goldenberg weighs in here.
Was It Asthma, or Was It Food Allergy? The tragic death of a British high school girl prompted some of our readers to wonder. Read about the overlap between anaphylaxis and asthma in Dr. Paul’s blog here.
Why Do Younger Doctors Shy Away from Practicing in High-Asthma Areas? Dr. Chiaramonte discusses his work in Hunts Point, the Bronx.
Big-selling Asthma Drugs Advair and Singulair coming off patent in coming year. Read about it here.
Primatene Now Off Market Read FDA fact sheet here.
How Much Do Studies Really Tell Us About Which Households Are Prone to Food Allergies? Dr. Ehrlich talks about it in The Dewey Effect….
Top Allergists from Mount Sinai and Johns Hopkins Warn Pediatricians About Limitations of Allergy Tests here
Susan Weissman, our friend and contributor, has an excellent piece explaining the new School Access to Epinephrine Act on the Huffington Post.
Do Educated Households Produce More Food-Allergic Children? A Canadian study examines the question, inconclusively. Read about it on our Journals page.
Quote of the Day: “Am I the same allergic person twice?”–Dr. Susan Waserman, allergist and immulologist at McMaster University, in “A Safe Level of Peanut” by Gwen Smith, Winter issue of Allergic Living. Dr. Waserman wonders about variables that might make a person more susceptible to anaphylaxis on different days.
Seven tips for an allergy-free winter. Click here
Our friend and contributor Susan Weissman has a new blog at Psychology Today. Read it here. Her latest piece for us is The Blame Game.
The Food Allergy Initiative has asked us to spread the word about a great opportunity to help advance food allergy research. The organization is funding a national study, conducted by researchers at Children’s Memorial Hospital (Chicago, IL), which will assess the economic burden of food allergies on children. This is the same research team, led by Dr. Ruchi Gupta, which published the results of a high-profile national prevalence study in Pediatrics in last June. That study, which was also funded by FAI, found that 1 in 13 U.S. children suffer from food allergies—two in every classroom.
Starting In mid-December and into January, FAI will be asking families, randomly selected from its database, to fill out an online questionnaire. If you receive a request from FAI to participate, we urge you to do so! Filling out the questionnaire will take only 5-10 minutes, and all responses will be held in strict confidence. Quantifying the economic burden of childhood food allergy could have an impact on government and private funding for food allergy research. What’s more, knowing the cost of food allergies to society may help private and governmental decision-makers formulate health policies and clinical guidelines.
Please note: Only those who have registered on the “My FAI” page of FAI’s website will be contacted. The selection drawn from FAI’s database will be randomized. All responses will be aggregated by the research team at Children’s Memorial and will be held in the strictest confidence. If you wish to be considered but haven’t already registered, please click here—registration only takes a minute and it’s free.
For more information about this study, please see this story on FAI’s website or contact FAI at Webmaster@faiusa.org. Thank you!
Dena Friedel, food allergy support group leader from Columbus, Ohio, shares her ideas about empowering kids to deal with their allergies, starting very young and working their way towards adulthood, in a new guest Food Allergy Corner here.
Inner-City Asthma Blues Dr. Ehrlich makes case for schools as focal point for successfully managing asthma here.
Severe allergic rhinitis hurts European school performance Study of 1834 students (15-17 years) sitting for national examinations in 2004 in the UK found between 38% and 43% of students reported symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis on examination days. Students who dropped a grade in any of three core subjects (mathematics, English, and science) were more likely to have allergic rhinitis symptoms, have taken medication, have taken sedating antihistamines on any examination day. In a French study of 1002 students (18-29 years) who recently passed their exams, 22% had allergic rhinitis and 30% of them reported severe cases, 20% of students reported underperforming, 40% of students with allergic rhinitis were disturbed in their school work, 50% of students reported sleep disturbances and missed classes.
–From the EFA European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients Associations, 20th Anniversary edition. Available here.
Pediatric Allergist Dr. Susan Prescott unravels The Allergy Epidemic. Read our review of this important new book by the eminent Australian doctor here.
TV, carpets and culture
Thomas Platts-Mills, at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and a former president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, believes in the hygiene hypothesis, but not that hygiene alone is responsible; other aspects of lifestyle must play a part too. It’s no coincidence, he says in Nature, that asthma rates in the United States started to rise after the advent of popular children’s TV shows such as the Mickey Mouse Club. “Prior to 1955 children came home from school and went outdoors to play. We now have a population that sits around the house and sits still in ways that children have never sat still before.”
More
Terminate This! Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, noting that 100,000 people die prematurely each year because of smog and other air pollution, which also sends 6.5 million people to the hospital with respiratory issues, said “One in six children in central California walk around with an inhaler. That’s what we do to those kids. The suffering and expense of petroleum deaths needs to be recognized.”
Junk Science on the Floor of the United States Senate. In a rare joint post, Dr. Chiaramonte and Dr. Ehrlich respond to Senator Rand Paul’s statement about asthma and air pollution. Here
Why Are Our Children Choking in Their Sleep? Dr. Larry Chiaramonte talks about the rising incidence of sleep apnea among asthmatic, overweight children here
Senators Introduce Bill for Epi Access in Schools. More
Feel as though you leave the doctor with more questions than you had when you went in? Anne Russell, RN, tells you how to get more out of your face time with the doctor, with special emphasis on eczema. Here
American Patients Are Lousy at Compliance After Food-Induced Anaphylaxis. Read more here.
Economic Fact of the Day: The total direct medical cost of allergic rhinitis is approximately $3.4 billion, with almost half of this cost attributable to prescription medications.
Under the Skin or Under the Tongue? New study sheds light on immunotherapy efficacy here.
We have known for years that Long Acting Beta Agonists shouldn’t be used without inhaled corticosteroids, so why are researchers still testing whether they’re safe or not? Could it be that some doctors haven’t gotten the message? Dr. Larry Chiaramonte comments here.
Possible Peanut Allergy Breakthrough Has Unusual Inspiration. Read about it here
As Politicians Posture on Providing Primatene for the Poor, read Dr. Ehrlich’s latest take on the subject on the very prestigious economics website NewGeography.com by clicking here.
Food allergy site for those whose first language is Spanish. Click here.
Are families economizing by skimping on asthma medication? Dr. Chiaramonte reflects on the effects of hard times on asthma control here.
Information on dust mites, and a nifty little animation on how the little pests create big misery. To to housedustmite.com by clicking here.
What Are the Greatest Risk Factors for Fatal Food Allergy? Read what Dr. Scott Sicherer of Mt. Sinai has to say here.
Our friend and contributor Susan Weissman called for national life-threatening food allergy education standards on HuffPost. Read what she has to say here.
Think you know what the words on food labels mean? Think again. Janeen Zumerling writes in a new Guest Editorial that terms she used to count on to protect her son, like the foods they describe, have a limited shelf life.
World-renown asthma expert Dr. Stephen Holgate of Southampton University, England gave an interview at the World Allergy Organization meeting in August. Listen and find out the latest on the nature of this complex medical problem and prospects for treatment here.
Naughty or Nice? Dr. Larry Chiaramonte discusses use of measuring exhaled nitric oxide to monitor asthmatic inflammation here.
Bad Medicine Banned for Wrong Reasons. Dr. Paul Ehrlich dissects the long-planned removal of Primatene Mist from pharmacy shelves here.
Saving Halloween for Food Allergic Child. A Mom has suggestions in Weekly Tip here.
EpiPen–Ready for Prime Time. We were recently surprised to see commercials for EpiPen on television. We wondered why Dey Pharma had chosen to advertise in this fashion and reached out to them. This is what they told us:
As the market leader for epinephrine auto-injectors, we felt it was time to speak more directly to consumers to help raise awareness of potentially life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). We want parents of children who are at risk for anaphylaxis to see the commercials and print ads and ask themselves: “Is my child prepared for a life-threatening allergic reaction?” We timed it with back-to-school season because it’s a time when parents are thinking about all the things they need to do to get their kids ready for the new school year, including their annual check-up. Things like checking the expiration on their child’s EpiPen® Auto-Injectors, talking to their doctor about the need for a new prescription and developing an allergy emergency action plan with their school should be on the top of the to-do list when getting prepared.
How Has Food Allergy Diagnosis Changed? Not all that much. Read about it here.
A presidential candidate claimed in front of an Iowa food processing plant that we don’t need so much food regulation. Read what our USDA inspectors found when they read the labels of dumplings made in Brooklyn, NY here
Food Allergy Interview with Sports Owner, Hollywood Producer Ted Leonsis excerpted here. Includes commentary by Dr. Paul Ehrlich
Evocative Comparison of the Week: The British Lung Foundation “claims that smoking just one cigarette in a vehicle, even with the window open, creates a greater concentration of second-hand smoke than a whole evening’s smoking in a pub.”
More
But don’t eat the beef! Ever wondered if leaving an EpiPen in longer after injecting will increase absorption of the drug? You can stop. A new study published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology testing auto-injectors on marbleized beef shows epinephrine is as thoroughly absorbed whether you leave the needle in for one second or ten.
More
Sign of Times in Middle East. Hospital in desert nation Qatar recruiting pediatric allergist.
Obesity & Asthma: the Connection Clearer All the Time. Dr. Larry Chiaramonte comments here.
Latex-sensitive hospital workers three times more likely to quit jobs than others. Read about the research here.
State-by-State Guide to Clinical Asthma Trials. Find Research Near You Here.
How Can Primary Care Physicians Treat Asthma Patients More Effectively? That’s a basic preoccupation of this website and our book. University of Chicago allergist Dr. Wes Dimov offers some ideas on his blog here.
Asthma Care for Kids in New Orleans After Katrina. Read what Dr. Floyd Malveaux says in our News section here.
Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s guide–Arizona Food Allergy Alliance Book Club selection Sept.–Nov. To participate, click here.
Farms and Asthma Revisited Dr. Ehrlich takes up a sore subject in light of new research. Study of US farming community confirms the old thesis. More
Your Child and Food Allergy Fears Experts say well-meaning parents often say too much, too soon to their children about the risks of food allergies. The result: more and more kids with allergies – and anxiety. In a special report in Allergic Living magazine Janice Paskey and Gwen Smith explore the line between caution and fear.
More
61-Year Old Swimmer Quits Cuba-Florida Swim Because of Asthma More
Teenagers With Poorly Controlled Asthma More Inclined to Mood Disorder Episodes, French Study Shows More
Kids Hospitalized for Asthma Don’t Get Sufficient Controller Medication Upon Release Minority Patients Get Less Than Others More
Risk Factors for Asthma Related Death More.
New Research From National Jewish Shows Poorly Controlled Pediatric Asthma Doubles Costs. More
*Take these figures with a grain of salt and call your doctor in the morning
Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll has misleading information about food allergies. More.
Company Gets FDA Approval for Component Testing. More Phadia state-of-the-art allergy tests will now be reimbursable. For more on how they work and one doctor’s vision of how component tests can make life better for food-allergic patients, see Dr. Ehrlich’s account of hearing Dr. Magnus Wickman’s talk at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine here.
How Has One School Managed Peanut Allergy Over Many Years? A Principal Tells the Story.
Albuterol by the Dashboard Light. Singer Meatloaf Collapses From Asthma Singing Epic 12-Minute Classic. (Note: Lyric “Prayin’ for the End of Time” Not to be taken literally.) More
Dr. Paul Ehrlich was guest contributor on KevinMD.com. Dr. Kevin Pho is a prominent physician journalist whose widely read blog reaches thousands of readers. Dr. Ehrlich’s piece is on the importance of allergists and primary care physicians working together to provide better allergy and asthma care, which is an ongoing theme of this website.
Ever wonder about the big promises of medical headlines and the reality of the research that inspired them? So does Dr. Paul Ehrlich. The most recent example is the placebo-effect study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Read what he has to say here.
And for a thorough dissection of an earlier example comparing asthma control pills with inhaled corticosteroids, click here.
Sign of the Times in Russia. Carpet manufacturer markets its products as weapon in war against occupational asthma.
More
If It Quacks Like a Lizard. Read about another phony folk cure for asthma here.
We recommend the New York Times Science article “Think Like a Doctor: The Gardener’s Illness Solved” by LISA SANDERS, M.D.
Dr. Sanders challenged readers to figure out the case of a middle-aged gardener with a fading rash, numbness and tingling and intermittent muscle contractions.
The “winning diagnosis” was a black widow spider bite.
“The first reader to figure this out was Sally from Chicago, who wrote:
Is this a case of a black widow spider bite? I’m not sure if that diagnostically fits with the crazy day-glo rash (in fact, I can’t think of anything that does!), but I guess that could be consistent with vascular spread of venom. The rest of the symptoms fit right in with lactrodetism: the absence of obvious bite site, the limited rash, the spreading myalgia and numbness/tingling, the overall flulike symptoms and, most significantly, the spasms. Makes me feel like I’m back in the third grade and calling all the spiders I see black widows, but who knows!”
We are big fans of Dr. Sanders and she is a fan of ours. She called our book Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s guide, “A veritable bible.” Her endorsement appears on the cover of the book and at the bottom of this home page.
Most interesting coincidence of the week:
The leading US city for green job growth is Knoxville, Tennessee, according to a study published by the Brookings Institute. Knoxville made another top ten list earlier this year—#2 on the AAFA list of worst asthma cities.
According to coverage on Huffington Post–
“Sizing the Clean Economy: A National and Regional Green Jobs Assessment,” is an unbiased report published by Brookings. It demonstrates that, despite what some might think, solutions to environmental problems are not a drag on federal and state budgets, and can instead create revenue and new jobs. The Brookings report shows that each of the top 100 American metropolitan areas by population has been able to add jobs as a result of green initiatives. Almost all of these jobs pay better than the median wage for that urban area. The report notes: “The clean economy is manufacturing and export intensive. Roughly 26 percent of all clean economy jobs lie in manufacturing establishments, compared to just 9 percent in the broader economy.” According to the report, “on a per job basis, establishments in the clean economy export roughly twice the value of a typical U.S. job ($20,000 versus $10,000). “
Shocking Air Quality News of the Week (from The Guardian newspaper: “People have been shocked to discover that air pollution is now almost as bad as it was 50 years ago. The official figures are now around 4,000 deaths in London a year, 29,000 in Britain and two years or more off the lives of around 200,000 people a year. The recent report by the government’s own Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants is devastating.”
Can Texting Improve Teenage Asthma Compliance? Read about research here.
Dear Abby–Dr. Ehrlich adds his two cents to the advice columnist’s suggestions to an asthmatic whose mother-in-law’s cats are spoiling family holidays. Read about it here.
Malia Obama is the Nation’s “Asthmatic First Child.” Read about how the First Lady manages here.
Did a gluten allergy really have something to do with this year’s Wimbledon championship? Read what Dr. Larry Chiaramonte has to say here.
Mold is a serious threat to those with allergies and asthma. Read one mother’s complaint in Parents Mailbag and Dr. Ehrlich’s reply.
Going to a Music Festival? Don’t forget your meds! Read our Weekly Tip here.
Heard about the latest food allergy prevalence numbers? Kathy Franklin comments in Food Allergy Corner.
Addressing asthma disparities for poor kids will pay off in a big way for all of us. Read what Dr. Larry Chiaramonte has to say.
Asthma cost the US about $3,300 per person with asthma each year from 2002 to 2007 in medical expenses, missed school and work days, and early deaths.
Medical expenses associated with asthma increased from $48.6 billion in 2002 to $50.1 billion in 2007. About 2 in 5 (40%) uninsured people with asthma could not afford their prescription medicines and about 1 in 9 (11%) insured people with asthma could not afford their prescription medicines.
More than half (59%) of children and one-third (33%) of adults who had an asthma attack missed school or work because of asthma in 2008. On average, in 2008 children missed 4 days of school and adults missed 5 days of work because of asthma.
–Source: CDC. More here.
Measuring the International Asthma Epidemic
There was a sharp increase in the prevalence, morbidity, and mortality associated with asthma beginning in the 1960’s and 1970’s in the so-called “Westernized” countries of the world. A study from Finland indicated a sharp rise in asthma in young adults beginning about 1960, while in Scotland the prevalence of wheezing in school children doubled from 10% to 20% between 1965 and 1989. In the United States, hospitalizations for asthma began to increase in 1972, deaths attributed to asthma began to rise in 1978, while from 1980 to 1994 the prevalence of individuals reporting physician diagnosed asthma increased from 3% to 5.4%, the increase occurring in all age groups, but greater in children.
–World Allergy Organization (WAO) White Book on Allergy–2011
The National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has issued a new tool for managing food allergies at home called “Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in the United States Summary for Patients, Families, and Caregivers.” Please click here and download your copy.
What Caused the Allergy Epidemic in Alice Springs? Allergist Dr. John Weiner solves this Australian mystery. Read about it here.
Dogs and cats as immunotherapy. Does it work? Read what the New York Times says here.
VACATIONING WITH A FOOD-ALLERGIC CHILD? Blogger Janeen Zumerling has it down to a science. Read about it here.
Tips for Treat-Not-Trigger Gardening from Irish Asthma Society. Which flowers are asthma safe? Find out here.
Costs of asthma in the United States: 2002-2007
Over the years 2002-2007, the incremental direct cost of asthma was $3,259 (2009 dollars) per person per year. The value of additional days lost attributable to asthma per year was approximately $301 for each worker and $93 for each student. For the most recent year available, 2007, the total incremental cost of asthma to society was $56 billion, with productivity losses due to morbidity accounting for $3.8 billion and productivity losses due to mortality accounting for $2.1 billion.
Sarah Beth L. Barnett MA and Tursynbek A. Nurmagambetov PhDa
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume 127, Issue 1, January 2011, Pages 145-152
Last week we published the item below about the new Asthma Leadership Awards announced by EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, herself an asthma Mom. Today, Ms. Jackson’s office sent a special message to us to help safeguard our nation’s air quality and make use of the EPA’s resources. You can read about it in our latest Guest Editorial.
Red Sox carve out peanut free section in Fenway Park. More.
The Woody Allen Rule Comes to Asthma Treatment. Read what Dr. Larry Chiaramonte has to say on Beta Agonists here.
EPA Announces Asthma Leadership Awards
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing three organizations for their commitment and leadership to improve the lives of people with asthma. The three 2011 National Environmental Leadership award winners are the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, N.Y., New York State Department of Health – Center for Environmental Health, N.Y., and Centene Corporation- Nurtur and Managed Health Services, Mo. and Ind. The award winners have implemented strategies to deliver positive health outcomes, formed strong collaborations with communities, exhibited committed leadership and conducted effective environmental interventions to help make a difference in the lives of people with asthma.
In announcing the awards, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said, “As the mother of a child with asthma, I am personally reminded each day of the urgent need to address the harmful pollutants that can trigger attacks. I’m proud to work alongside environmental stewards like those we’re recognizing with this year’s National Environmental Leadership Award. These organizations are true examples of communities in action working together to find collaborative and innovative ways to safeguard the health of all Americans.”
Combination of two kinds of immunotherapy seems to capture advantages of both.
More on our Journals page.
Marion Groetch, Mount Sinai Nutritionist and author of a wonderful guest editorial for us on the problem of food allergy and picky eating, appeared in a webcast. You can find it here
Quote of the Day: Making towns and cities safer for pedestrians and cyclists, or promoting the use of seat belts or helmets, might not be as cutting edge as stem-cell research but will save more lives this decade.
–The Lancet, May 7, 2011; p.1543
Quote of the Week
Two million patients pick up infections in American hospitals, most because someone didn’t follow basic antiseptic precautions. Forty per cent of coronary-disease patients and sixty per cent of asthma patients receive incomplete or inappropriate care. And half of major surgical complications are avoidable with existing knowledge. It’s like no one’s in charge—because no one is. The public’s experience is that we have amazing clinicians and technologies but little consistent sense that they come together to provide an actual system of care, from start to finish, for people. We train, hire, and pay doctors to be cowboys. But it’s pit crews people need.
–Dr. Atul Gawande, addressing graduating class at Harvard Medical School
More
For those of you who heard Dr. Ehrlich this morning, you can access the Executive Summary for the Quest Diagnostics study here, and the NAIAD Food Allergy Guidelines here.
Study Shows That Asthmatics Who Delay Emergency Room Visits Are More Likely to Require Hospitalization Once They Get There. Read about in on our Journals page.
Dr. Paul Ehrlich will appear on a special “Doctor Radio Reports” on allergies hosted by Perri Peltz, this morning, May 27, from 10-11am (repeats are Saturday at 6pm, and Sunday at 8pm – all times Eastern). The show will air on SiriusXM Channel 81.
If you want to listen but don’t have a subscription, sign up for a 30-day trial and listen online (to this or any Sirius station) at www.siriusxm.com/trial.
If you have questions, call into the live show tomorrow at 877-NYU-DOCS (877-698-3627) or email questions to Docs@SiriusXM.com
Susan Weissman, guest editorialist, has sparked a massive discussion on her latest Huffington Post piece on food allergies and schools. Read it here.
Quote of the Week
“Teachers aren’t miracle workers. There’s only so much they can do to address problems that troubled students bring to class every day, including neglect, abuse, and unaddressed medical and mental health issues. The obvious and subtle ways that poverty inhibits a child’s ability to learn — from hearing, visual and dental problems to higher asthma rates to diminished verbal interaction in the home — have been well-documented.”
–Paul Farhi, reporter for The Washington Post.
More
Is This Really the Worst Pollen Season Ever? The media often get a bad rap, but sometimes they deserve it. Dr. Paul Ehrlich picks this dubious proposition to pieces here.
Vitamin D Deficiency Associated with High IgE Levels in Food and Environmental Allergies More
New Federal Legislation to Help Children With Asthma; HR 1692 Introduced by Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)
More
Asthma Accounts for 61% of Growth in Respiratory Drug Sales
More
NBC News does five minutes on food allergies here.
Are food allergies making your child a picky eater? Top nutritionist Marion Groetch of Mount Sinai in New York shares her wisdom here.
Dr. Larry Chiaramonte Reflects on the Depressing New CDC Asthma Statistics here.
Review of 18 Studies by Pediatrics Affirms Safety, Efficacy of Inhaled Corticosteroids. More in our Journals page here
Asthma Rate Rises According to CDC More
Quote of the Day
“[W]hile Woody Allen may have us believe that Jews are disproportionately affected by allergies, in fact the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology estimates that almost 55 percent of the entire U.S. population tests positive to one or more allergens. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, between 10 and 30 percent of adults and up to 40 percent of children have seasonal allergies.”
Seasonal allergies
Nothing to sneeze at
by Jessica Pauline Ogilvie
JewishJournal.com
More
Is Asthma a Disability Worthy of Opting Out of Public Schools? The Florida legislature thinks so. Read what Dr. Paul Ehrlich has to say here.
Welcome back bestselling novelist Caroline Leavitt! We last heard from Caroline when her book Pictures of You, which had a severely asthmatic boy as a central character, was about to be published. She wrote this piece on the role her childhood asthma played in her writing career. Now in a new piece, she tells us about the theme of asthma during her book tour.
Everyone Breathe Launches New Asthma Education Grant Program to Raise Awareness of Asthma and Improve Asthma Care in Schools Across America
MARLBOROUGH, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Everyone Breathe™ – an educational program geared toward raising awareness of asthma – launched a new initiative today in partnership with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) aimed at improving the quality of asthma care and asthma education in schools across America.
“We have been dedicated to improving the lives of school-aged children with asthma for 60 years, so we are excited to be part of an initiative to motivate parents and caregivers to work with schools to develop ways to improve asthma care and awareness”
“Having battled the symptoms of asthma for many years, and now as the mother of a child with asthma, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of quality asthma care both at home and in school,” said Mary Joe Fernandez, tennis champion and Everyone Breathe spokesperson.
More
The Economist highlights Asthmapolis, invented by our guest editorialist David Van Sickle. Read his 2010 piece about collecting data about rural asthma here.
Hookah Use Up Among College Students. Not as safe as bright young people like to think. More
Gwen Smith, editor of Allergic Living Magazine, reported on the recent meeting of the AAAAI in San Francisco. Read about it here.
China implements smoking ban for indoor public places. The world’s largest cigarette producer has 300 million smokers and nearly 1.2 million die annually from smoking-related diseases. Cigarette vending machines will be banned but penalties haven’t been announced for violations. (The Lancet, April 2; vol. 377 p.1123.)
Children’s Memorial Research Center in Chicago is looking for families to participate in its Children’s Memorial Food Allergy Study, which aims to identify genetic markers associated with susceptibility to food allergies while also investigating environmental causes. Less than 100 trio families (at least one child with food allergy and two biological parents) are needed to reach the 1,000 family mark. For more information, e-mail allergystudy@childrensmemorial.org or call (888) 573-1833
American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) hosting 15th annual Nationwide Asthma Screening Program in May during National Asthma Awareness Month. Free screenings available at more than 200 locations across the country. More
Hygiene Hypothesis podcast. Kathleen Barnes of Johns Hopkins talks to Scientific American. Find link here.
School Nurses, Other Groups, Warn on Severe Asthma Consequences if New EPA Rules Are Blocked More
Weird fact: According to an article published in the Journal of Asthma, “Students with asthma were more likely to be absent on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays than students without asthma.”
A Food Allergy Mom’s Thoughts on the Chinese Herbal Food Allergy Therapy trials Kathy Franklin reports in Food Allergy Corner.
Australian Researchers on the Trail of Dust Mite Vaccine. More
Coping With Allergies and Asthma magazine, Spring Into Spring Symptom Free edition features a Q&A with Drs. Ehrlich and Chiaramonte, page 16
Pediatricians adopting their own versions of low-tech allergist tools. Read about it here.
Ever wonder why GPs don’t provide effective asthma care? A study in the Journal of Asthma indicates that many resist following guidelines and meeting patient communication needs. More here
As part of our ongoing efforts to improve asthma treatment by primary care physicians and others who care for patients who have asthma., we are pleased to spread the word:
Physician Asthma Care Education (PACE) Webinar
Wednesday April 27, 1-2PM ET
Learn how PACE can help you improve therapeutic techniques, master asthma counseling reimbursement, and interact better with your patients, without adding time to your busy schedule.
To learn more and register, click here.
Eight lessons an MD learned about asthma from her personal experience with it. Read about it here.
JACI concentrates on food allergy. Read more here.
What Do Sherlock Holmes and Allergists Have in Common? Read about it in “The Case of the Body-Wide Rash.”
Severe Eczema Linked to Lasting Milk, Egg Allergy in Kids Study presented at AAAAI meeting shows children with less-severe eczema more likely to outgrow allergies to these foods.
More
AANMA study shows 43 percent of asthmatics have made at least one trip to the emergency department; 19 percent had one or more hospitalizations; 15 percent experienced a near-fatal asthma episode over the past year. More
Study in New England Journal of Medicine Says Xolair Very Effective for Asthma Among Inner-City Kids Read more
Note: Back in October, we had a three-doctor “roundtable” on Xolair in response to the British National Health Service’s refusal to cover it for children. Read about it here.
Medical Mystery! Dr. Lisa Sanders tells about the curious case of the red welts.
More
Overweight asthmatic children less responsive to inhaled steroids. More
How do respiratory allergies and asthma affect the way we speak? A speech pathologist-in-training gives an overview in a new Guest Editorial. Find out why keeping the nose, throat and lungs clear affects the way we learn.
What is medical care like in America’s number one asthma zip code? Read Ft. Asthma–the Bronx by Dr. Samuel Deleon.
The FDA Has Banned 500 OTC Drugs for Treating Colds and Allergy Symptoms. Why should we care? Dr. Paul Ehrlich discusses the regulatory crackdown here.
If there’s one book parents of asthmatic children (or asthma patients themselves) need besides ours, it’s the landmark book by Dr. Thomas Plaut, which now has a new edition. This being the new publishing age, it is only sold in an electronic format, but it is offered on all the major platforms. To order the Kindle edition, click here.
Does European Data Confirm the Hygiene Hypothesis, and What Can We do About it? A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that farm kids have less asthma than city kids. But what does it all mean? Dr. Paul Ehrlich discusses it here.
Research on the Molecule Responsible for Asthmatic Inflammation Has Been Hampered by Transient Nature. Researchers have now created 3-D model to facilitate study. More
Do Nutritional Supplements Enhance Conventional Asthma Treatment? To find out, click here
Asthma by the Grim Numbers
The current issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reports: Compared with those without, adults with asthma were significantly less likely to be employed spent 1.4 more days sick in bed annually, and were significantly more likely to have activity limitations or to be unable to work. Adults with asthma incurred an additional $1,907 in health care costs annually, higher health care use and more comorbidity. The total national medical expenditure attributable to adult asthma was $18 billion. Adults with asthma were more likely to be covered by Medicaid (30%) than the general adult population (10%). The largest contributors to medical expenditures for adults with asthma were prescription drugs, followed by inpatient hospitalizations and home health care.
Taking inhaled Corticosteroids (ICS) to control asthma is safe during pregnancy, and certainly much safer to both child and mother than uncontrolled asthma, yet many mothers are fearful. Dr. Larry Chiaramonte shows how medical “advice” contributes to this fear here.
How Much Do You Know About the Ways Asthma is Treated in Different Cultures? David Van Sickle, founder of Asthmopolis, a Madison, Wisconsin company (and AAC.com guest editorialist), looks at the disease and its treatment through the lens of medical anthropology here. Fascinating.
A Pound of Dirt: The hygiene hypothesis gains new support from a European study about growing up on farms and asthma. More
What’s in a Sneeze? Leonard Lopate of New York’s public radio station interview two allergists on that loud, annoying, messy, and unhygienic bane of allergic existence. Click here to listen.
Salon.com columnist tears apart “The Office” for distorting the hygiene hypothesis
More
Beth Israel Hospital studies integrative approach to asthma treatment. Read about it here
Our Weekly Tip is about athletics. Cold air can trigger asthma. Here we have some ideas about warming up, without medication and with.
Combination Rescue Medications Best for Asthma
Asthmatic children had fewer exacerbations and significantly fewer treatment failures with combination rescue therapy — an inhaled corticosteroid and albuterol — according to results of a randomized trial.
More
Not Following Doctor’s Orders? They Hate That. Dr. Paul Ehrlich reflects on a new study by Consumer Reports.
Does Brain Tumor Risk Diminish With More Allergies? A study published in “Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention” suggest that it does. Read about it on our Journals page
Here
Pictures of You, Caroline Leavitt’s novel centered on the life of a boy with severe asthma, is #25 on the NY Times trade paperback fiction bestseller list. Caroline did a guest editorial called Writing My Way to Asthma Compassion for this website last fall. Congrats, Caroline.
No TV, more conversation at dinner time better for kids with asthma
More here
Susan Heim, parenting author, and editor of “Chicken Soup for the Soul” among other accomplishments, posted a two-part Q&A on allergies and asthma prepared by asthmaallergieschildren.com on her very popular website, Susan Heim on Parenting, this past weekend. Read it here.
What are the links between asthma, allergies, sleep and obesity? Dr. Larry Chiaramonte talks about the relationships between the multiple epidemics here.
Dial 911
Today we have two perspectives on the threat of anaphylaxis. First, blogger food allergy Mom Janeen Zumerling, who has turned preparation for a day she hopes will never come into a fine art, bylines our new Guest Editorial. Then, Dr. Paul draws on something that happened just the other night in the support group at his office to give a doctor’s perspective. You can’t be too careful.
Quote of the Day:
“Allergies are something that, although the generalist physicians should know about it, often times patients go straight to a specialist,” Dr. Ruchi Gupta, a pediatrician at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, in a Reuters article. She explained further that a pediatrician or family doctor may not end up recording the allergy if it’s mentioned in passing at a later appointment. More
{Note: Readers of Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s guide will know that the overworked family doctor can’t be an expert on allergies and asthma, and that specialty care is often strongly warranted. That’s why we’re here.}
Janeen Zumerling, who blogs on allergies and asthma at WEGO Health, has interviewed us. Read her thoughtful questions, and our answers, here
Allegra goes OTC For full story read here. For Dr. Ehrlich’s perspective on OTC and prescription antihistamines, read here.
Asthma Mom weighs in on health-care reform repeal:
“This vote would take us back to the days when people could be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions or dropped from their insurance just because they get sick. With reports that asthma is on the rise – especially among children – and causing millions of emergency room and hospital visits each year, as well as tens of millions of missed school and work days, it is critical for our health and our economy that people have access to quality, affordable medical coverage. As the mother of a son with asthma and the head of an agency charged with protecting the health of the American people, it’s disheartening to see this support for a measure that would leave millions of adults and children without access to health coverage and force them to fend for themselves when they get sick.”–Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator
Second-Hand Smoke: How many people does it kill? Find out here
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act Signed By President
More
Schools Without Nurses The LA Times digs into another consequence of budget cuts, including a what-if scenario about a boy’s first-ever anaphylaxis from food allergy. Read it here
Allergic Living Magazine calls Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s guide a “Must-Have Resource”
“Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s Guide is a comprehensive resource for parents, written in easy-to-undersand language and covering topics shuch as: testing, future treatments and taking control of your child’s allergies or asthma.”
Mom Credits Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s guide with helping save her daughter’s life. Read about it here
Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s guide—A hit in the Mommy blogosphere. Our book continues to pick up raves from Moms whose children are beset with allergies and asthma. They typically include articulate and brave accounts of their own experience, which gives them extra credibility when they go on to laud our book. The most recent one at www:mommyrantings.com speaks of spending 20 minutes in the shower with the baby every hour—a home remedy—hoping the steam would ease little Dylan’s breathing, and moving from South Carolina to Buffalo in part to benefit from a shorter pollen season.
Here’s what “Mommy” said about the book:
“If you have a child that suffers respiratory issues, Asthma Allergy Children: a parent’s guide is definitely a must-have! ….This book can replace all of your other asthma and allergy reference guides and books that are collecting dust on your bookshelves!”
Tell your friends! It makes a lovely Valentine gift. For the full review, go here and scroll down to January 11.
High praise from the blogosphere! “I cannot tell you how valuable this book was…I learned so much great information in Asthma Allergies Children: A Parent’s Guide. I honestly don’t even know where to start….takes allergies and asthma, and their treatment, and explains it all in a very easy to understand format for parents. It’s a very easy and fairly non clinical read….as the parent of two children who have allergies and asthma I cannot say enough about this book. If you also have children with allergies and asthma, this is definitely one you need for your bookshelf.” Read more here
Asthma Allergies Children: a parent’s guide is…
“A veritable bible for parents of allergic kids.
I enjoyed Asthma Allergies Children tremendously. It is full of the kind of great stories that teach both patients and doctors more than mere facts. The science is explained in language you don’t need an MD to follow. This book should be kept right next to the antihistamines and epinephrine, and used even more frequently.”
–Dr. Lisa Sanders, author of Every Patient Tells a Story. Her NY Times column “Diagnosis” inspired the TV drama, ”House MD.”
(Asthma Allergies Children is now available in a Kindle edition)
AsthmaAllergiesChildren.com is the web companion to Asthma Allergies Children: a Parent’s Guide. (Terms of Use)
Authors Dr. Paul Ehrlich and Dr. Larry Chiaramonte are both pediatric allergists. The joint publication-website strategy is based on the fact that modern medicine moves faster than print, and that readers—both parents of asthmatic and allergic children and the doctors who treat them—will have many questions about the particulars of individual cases that cannot be answered in a book.
As they say in the book, the ranks of allergy specialists are dwindling even as the numbers of asthmatic and allergic patients are rising. The cost is immense. Asthma is the single largest cause of school and work absence. Allergic and asthmatic children disproportionately lose out on all the things that childhood is supposed to be about. But patients, patients’ parents, and their family doctors can make great strides in treatment if they are armed with up-to-date information and have regular communication with specialists. The book and website provide both.
Asthma Allergies Children is written in entertaining, anecdotal, down-to-earth language, and virtually every page has stories and observations that reflect both the science and art of some 70 years of combined medical practice.
“We hope that age and experience have given us wisdom that will benefit you the reader. And age hasn’t stopped us from learning. As you will read, both of us have devoted a considerable amount of time to bringing the best of allergy and immunology to underserved, high-risk populations, which has given us new insight into how chronic disease can be managed. Still, we have learned over many years that a child doesn’t have to be poor to have his life drastically diminished by asthma and allergies. We want to reach them all.”
–Dr. Ehrlich and Dr. Chiaramonte, From the Foreword to Asthma Allergies Children: a Parent’s Guide
AsthmaAllergiesChildren.com Features:
Dr. Paul’s blog
Insights from the front lines of clinical allergy practice by one of the foremost pediatric allergists in the nation, Dr. Paul Ehrlich
Dr. Larry’s blog
Dr. Larry Chiaramonte has been a pioneer in research, clinical practice, and has trained dozens of allergists in hospital practice. He looks at the big picture of science and policy.
Food Allergy Corner
Kathy Franklin has been the leader of a New York City support group, Parents of Asthmatic & Allergic Children, for the last 18 years. Her knowledge of parenting a food allergic child is vast.
Guest Editorial
Contributions by distinguished contributors on subjects that have large implications for asthma and allergy patients.
In the News–Tidbits from the wide world of asthma and allergies
In the Journals–Survey of scientific publications
New Science–The cutting edge of allergy and asthma research
Parent Mailbag–Readers! Ask the doctors about your children!
Physician Mailbag–All you non-allergy practitioners: ever have a question about allergy or asthma that arises in your practice? Ask them now!
The Site Does Not Provide Medical Advice
The contents of AsthmaAllergiesChildren.com are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, but to educate our readers as the basis for further discussion with their own doctors. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
