Allergies

WASHINGTON (April 10, 2008) — Attention allergy sufferers: Climate change is bad for your health. Recent scientific studies have found that rising temperatures and higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are lengthening the allergy season and changing how plants produce allergens.

Sneeze: Photo by Matt Musselman (CC)

Meanwhile, other studies have determined that rising temperatures combined with vehicle pollution can trigger more ground-level ozone — a pollutant that causes respiratory problems — especially in urban areas that already suffer from poor air quality.    » read more »

FDA advises health care practitioners to switch suppliers and limit use of drug until problem identified

February 11, 2008 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that Baxter Healthcare Corporation has temporarily stopped manufacturing multiple-dose vials of the injectable blood-thinning drug heparin due to reports of serious allergic reactions and hypotension (low blood pressure) in patients who receive high "bolus" doses of the drug.    » read more »

Increases in Ragweed and Smog Could Produce “Double-Whammy” for Allergy and Asthma Sufferers in Major Cities Throughout the U.S.

NEW YORK (October 17, 2007) – New maps resulting from analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) find that regions most affected by ragweed and smog substantially overlap with one another — leaving these regions particularly vulnerable to the effects of global warming. As global warming boosts levels of both ragweed and smog, the risk of asthma and allergic reactions for people living in these overlapping regions will likely increase.    » read more »

Results from 7-year mother and child study just published

11-Sep-2007 -- Giving children a diet rich in fish and “fruity vegetables” can reduce asthma and allergies, according to a seven-year study of 460 Spanish children, published in the September issue of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.

The findings also reinforce the researchers’ earlier findings that a fish-rich diet in pregnancy can help to protect children from asthma and allergies.    » read more »

New online feature helps reduce your exposure to allergy-causing substances

May 08, 2007 -- ROCHESTER, Minn. -- An estimated 50 million people in the United States, approximately 20 percent of the population, suffer from allergies -- a figure that has doubled in the last decade.

Seasonal allergies or hay fever are the most prevalent, affecting approximately 35 million Americans. MayoClinic.com offers help for people with all types of allergies, including hay fever and seasonal allergies.    » read more »