NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Boys who have eczema intheir first two years of life are more likely to develop asthmalater on, but there is no association between early eczema andasthma in girls, Australian researchers report.

“Further interventions that attempt to reduce the progressionfrom eczema to sensitization and asthma are warranted, particularlyin boys,” Adrian J. Lowe of the University of Melbourne andcolleagues write in the Journal of Allergy and ClinicalImmunology.

If eczema does lead to asthma, they add, preventing the skincondition could cut the incidence of childhood asthma by 28percent.

Word of the Day: Amathaphobia

Amathaphobia (not to be confused with math phobia) is the abnormal fear of dust.

Why would anybody fear dust?

Well… This phobia doesn’t seem so abnormal when you consider what’s inside dust…

DUST MITES!

Although dust mites are invisible to the human eye, they’re still too heavy to become airborne for long periods of time. Their fecal pellets, however, are much smaller and lighter; these fecal pellets become airborne when you walk across carpet or roll over in bed - and it is these particles that cause allergy symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes, and eczema.

• Encase your mattress and pillows with Allergy Armorâ„¢ dust mite bedding.
• Vacuum at least twice a week with a HEPA vacuum cleaner.
• Monitor your humidity and use a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the air. Dust mites require a humid environment for survival. Keep the relative humidity in your home below 50% to control the dust mite population.
• Run an air purifier to eliminate airborne dust and allergens.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who experienceasthma flare-ups during the first trimester of pregnancy are atincreased risk for having a baby with a birth defect, according toa report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

A first-trimester flare-up increased the odds of a malformationby 48 percent, note Dr. Lucie Blais and Amelie Forget, fromUniversite de Montreal and Hopital du Sacre-Coeur de Montreal. Formajor malformations, the risk increased by 32 percent.

“This study adds evidence to the necessity of keeping asthmaunder control during pregnancy to avoid exacerbations,” theinvestigators write.

Last Chance to Save on Miele Vacuum Cleaners

Miele vacuum cleaner prices will increase per the manufacturer. Order your new Miele vacuum now, and save up to $30.00!

If you don’t have a quality, HEPA vacuum cleaner, then you’re simply stirring up household allergens every time you vacuum. As an allergy sufferer, you need a vacuum that will actually capture the allergens which make you sick.

Miele vacuum cleaners are designed for allergy sufferers and built to last. From the to the , Miele vacuums are . The HEPA filtration system is so impressive that, if you wanted to, you could run your vacuum cleaner as an air purifier!

Act now to save up to $30.00! The price increase goes into effect on May 30th at 12:00 AM… so you have until midnight to place your order!

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Among adults witheczema, otherwise known as atopic dermatitis, “proactive” long-termtreatment with tacrolimus ointment applied twice-weekly safelyreduces exacerbations of the condition, European investigators haveshown.

Conventional “reactive” treatment of atopic dermatitis involvesapplying anti-inflammatory medication to skin lesions only whilethey are visible. With a proactive approach, intensive treatmentuntil lesions are no longer visible is followed by low-dosetreatment of previously affected skin areas to prevent flare-ups,the researchers explain in the medical journal Allergy.

Formaldehyde in FEMA Trailers Causing Health Problems

The Associated Press video above states that more than 22,000 FEMA trailers are still in use along the Gulf Coast. The trailers were supplied by the federal government after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

It has been discovered that the trailers contain dangerously high levels of formaldehyde, which has been causing breathing problems and will likely lead to lifelong health problems for many.

Formaldehyde, which is used in embalming, often off-gasses from building materials, especially plastics. When inhaled, formaldehyde may irritate the eyes and cause headaches, burning in the throat, and difficulty breathing. It can also trigger or aggravate allergies and asthma. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has found evidence that exposure to formaldehyde causes nasopharyngeal cancer in humans.

Many people are filing lawsuits against FEMA as a result of the exposure to formaldehyde.

If you happen to know someone who lives in one of these FEMA trailers - or if you know someone who is regularly exposed to formaldehyde or other dangerous chemicals - let them know that air purifiers with carbon filters will remove the chemicals from the air.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research indicatesthat asthma is significantly linked to suicidal thoughts andsuicide attempts, but after accounting for mental health conditionsand smoking, the association is markedly weakened.

A number of studies have shown increased rates of suicidalideation and suicide attempts among individuals with asthma andother respiratory diseases. Why this is so, however, has beenunclear, according to the report in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma,and Immunology.

Common risk factors that may soften the association have oftennot been taken into account in prior studies, note Dr. Diana E.Clarke, from The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health inBaltimore, and her associates.

Asthma and nasal allergies often go hand in hand. In other words, people with asthma often have nasal allergies as well, and vice versa. Having one of these diseases puts you at high risk for the other, as does having parents who have either asthma or alleriges.

Both conditions affect different sections of your airways, so the methods for treating them are somewhat similar. For instance, inhaled steroids can be used effectively for both asthma and nasal allergies.

However, steroids tend to be most effective when they are inhaled into the affected part of your body. So nasal steroid sprays tend to work well for nasal allergies, and steroids inhaled through the mouth into the lungs using an inhaler device work best for asthma. But having to take 2 different medications isn’t much fun.

So, when the pharmaceutical company Merck developed an “all in one” type drug called Singulair, many people who had both asthma and allergies, were thrilled. Here was a little pill that could help relieve the symptoms of BOTH asthma and allergies! Singulair is an oral medicine called a leukotriene modifier. But how effective is it really?

A recent study attempted to figure that out, as well as to look at the effectiveness of a combination asthma drug called Advair. Advair contains both an inhaled steroid and a type of drug called a long-acting bronchodilator and is most commonly used in more severe cases of asthma. Researchers looked at different combination treatments involving the combo drug Advair, Singulair and combinations with both, as follows:

• Advair alone
• Singulair alone
• Advair with Singulair
• Advair with a nasal steroid spray

Here are the highlights of the study:

• Involved 660 people age 15 years and older who had both persistent asthma and seasonal allergies
• People treated with Advair only had significant improvement in peak flow readings, while those treated with Singulari did not
• They also had more symptom-free days and used their rescue inhalers less
• Those treated with Advair and the nasal spray saw significant improvement in daytime nasal symptoms.

This study focused mainly on asthma outcomes in people with both asthma and allergies, and not allergy outcomes. So, it was not reported as to whether Singulair was an effective medication in treating seasonal allergies. Past studies have shown that, though.

So what does this research mean to you, if you have both asthma and allergies. Well, mainly it points up the fact that physicians need to find the right combination of drugs to treat you effectively. If you’re not achieving complete asthma control AND complete nasal allergies control, it might be time to talk with your doctor about a change in treatment.

American Lung Association Issues Air Quality Warning

Air pollution kills as many as 24,000 people per year in California alone. According to the American Lung Association’s 2008 State of the Air report, California is home to five of the eight most polluted metro areas in the nation. (achoo! ALLERGY’s hometown of Atlanta comes in at number 12 on the list.)

Pollution from soot, smoke, metal, dust, diesel engines, agriculture, and construction have been linked to lung cancer, heart attacks, and stroke, as well as asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Here are some key findings from ALA’s State of the Air report:

• Two out of five people live in counties that have unhealthy levels of either ozone or particulate pollution.
• Nearly one-third of the U.S. population live in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone.
• Over a quarter of U.S. citizens live in areas with unhealthy short-term levels of particle pollution.
  
• One in six U.S. citizens lives in an area with unhealthy year-round levels of particle pollution.
• At-risk groups include children and elderly, as well as people with asthma, chronic bronchitis emphysema, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.
• As an individual, you can help reduce air pollution by doing the following: drive less, don’t burn wood or trash, use less electricity, and get involved in your community.

When outdoors in polluted areas, wear a respirator mask, and when indoors, run an air purifier to avoid inhaling dangerous particles.

Riluzole, an FDA-approved drug for Lou Gehrig’s Disease has been shown to slow the growth of melanoma. A phase 0 (first in human) trial on people with late stages of melanoma conducted by investigators at Rutgers shows that Riluzole slowed the growth of melanoma in enough patients to warrant further studies.