Is stress affecting your asthma? Stress can certainly make your asthma worse, but there are a number of things you can do including:

• Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Getting enough sleep
• Exercising regularly
• Limiting caffeine and alcohol
• Identifying your stressors and trying to reduce them
• Practicing relaxation techniques

What do you do to decrease your asthma stress?

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As you get ready to send your child back to school, the American Lung Association recommends the following steps be taken to ensure your child has a good transition back into school.

• Schedule an asthma check-up: Make sure that no changes need to be made to your child’s asthma action plan and review any activity restrictions for the coming year.
• Confirm medications: Make sure that you understand all your child’s medications, how they will be stored at school, and fill out any paperwork needed. Find out if your school allows students to carry and independently take their asthma medication. Complete the appropriate steps if your child carry and use an inhaler when recommended by a doctor.
• Meet with your child’s school: Make sure that you meet with your child’s school nurse, teachers, and the principal if needed. Provide the school with an updated asthma action plan and make sure the school understands the action plan. Make sure you discuss any specific triggers and your child’s usual symptoms.
• Develop an emergency plan: Make sure your child’s school knows how to find you in case of an emergency and make sure there is some alternative contact. Ask about the school’s past history in dealing with asthma episodes and what they have done to get better. Make sure that other school personnel such as after-school coaches and bus drivers are trained to respond to asthma emergencies.

Have we left anything out? Do you have any other recommendations for an easier transition back to school?

_Sources:

_{American Lung Association. Lung Association Urges Back-to-School Asthma Checklist}

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A new study in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology examines allergy awareness among the general public and finds some encouraging signs — plus some places where knowledge could be better.

The good: Despite the inevitable flame wars that break out on message boards, blogs, and newspaper sites whenever the thorny topic of nuts in school is on the agenda, programs and policies designed to protect allergic kids in school are mostly popular. Some 85% of adults support action plans in school aimed at protecting allergic children, although nut-free tables and classrooms are more contentious. Also good: the vast majority of subjects (95%) recognize that food allergies can be deadly.

The bad: Many people believe that food allergies can be treated medically, through daily medicine or through some type of cure, rather than by a strict allergen-free diet. So while most people recognize the importance of avoiding reactions, many may not be aware that you need to be careful about your diet all the time.

There’s also still broad confusion about the difference between food allergies and food intolerances. If you have a severe food intolerance, you may find that people say you have an allergy if you try to explain your condition.

Do these findings reflect your experience? What’s the one thing you’d want people who don’t have allergies to know? Vote in the poll and share your own experiences in the comments.

• Newswise: Food Allergy Knowledge Found Lacking in General Public

It seems that lately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can’t stop issuing precautionary statements regarding the potential dangers of various asthma medications. Whether these are warranted or not, multiple asthma medications now carry warnings regarding potentially serious side effects. This may lead many asthmatics to hesitate prior to taking any asthma medication, possibly leading to uncontrolled asthma, which is in general far more dangerous than any theoretical medicine side effect.

Read more:

• Advair Black Box Warning
• Singulair and Suicide
• Xolair and Heart Attacks/Strokes

As you begin getting ready to send your child back to school next month, you begin what may be a yearly discussion with school over your child’s rescue inhaler and other important issues. How would you describe how accommodating your child’s school is related to their asthma.

Leave a comment or tip on how to best advocate for your child in the school setting. Are there ways that you have found to get your child’s school on your side?

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A number of questions have recently come up in the forum regarding software programs that might help you track your asthma, battery powered nebulizers, and peak flow meters that automatically store your numbers.

I thought I would ask ya’ll to share your asthma gadgets and programs that might help others gain better control of their asthma.

Leave a comment about your favorite or worst asthma gadget. I will try to obtain and review any particular device or program that people comment on.

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Do you have a questions about asthma that you would like answered in a blog? Post a question here and see it answered in one of the weekly blogs.

How are we doing on the asthma site? Having been live as a guide for about 5 months now, I would like your feedback– what you like, what you would like to see more of, and what we could be doing better!! Thanks for your input.

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In July 2009, the FDA issued a statement regarding the possibility that Xolair (omalizumab) may result in an increase in various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular side effects, such as heart attacks and strokes. These concerns are based on some early data from the “Evaluating the Clinical Effectiveness and Long-Term Safety in Patients with Moderate to Severe Asthma (EXCELS)” trial, which is following 5,000 patients treated with Xolair, along with 2,500 other patients treated with other asthma medicines and not Xolair. Until the final analysis from the EXCELS study is complete, people using Xolair should discuss any concerns that they have regarding the side effects of Xolair with their physician, and should not stop using Xolair without notifying their physician. Stopping Xolair may also have potential risks, such as worsening of asthma symptoms, which could potentially be very dangerous.

Read more:

• Xolair for the Treatment of Severe Asthma
• Asthma Medicines with Black Box Warnings
• Treatments for Severe Asthma

A study in the July issue of BMJ reviews research on a gene controlling the protein filaggrin. Defects in this gene are strongly associated with eczema, an allergic skin condition. Researchers noted that defects in this gene are related to allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and in the development of asthma in those with atopic eczema.

What is less clear — and what researchers noted as a subject for further study — is whether this gene is related to food allergies. It is believed that there is a genetic component to food allergies, as having a close relative with food allergies or another atopic condition is a strong risk factor. It’s also known that people with one allergic condition are predisposed to others later in life, a phenomenon known as the “atopic march.” Still to be determined is whether, and how, genes interact with environmental factors to cause allergies.

_{Rosanne A H M van den Oord and Aziz Sheikh, “Filaggrin Gene Defects and Risk of Developing Allergic Sensitisation and Allergic Disorders: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” BMJ. 2009;339:b2433.}

• Risk Factors for Food Allergies
• Eczema and Food Allergies
• What is the Hygiene Hypothesis?

A recent study published in Nature Genetics has identified at least 5 genes that influence the risk of melanoma. Someone who has all 5 of these genetic variants is 8 times more likely to develop melanoma than someone who has no variants.

For some time now we’ve known that people with red hair and fair skin are at greater risk for getting melanoma. This study showed that the links between melanoma and the genes for red hair and freckles are much stronger than they had anticipated.

Having many moles is a risk factor for melanoma and in this study investigators found a definite link between genes on chromosomes 9 and 22 and increased risk of melanoma. The number of moles someone has is an independent risk factor, meaning someone with darker skin and hair but many moles might be at a greater risk of developing melanoma than someone with lighter skin and hair and no moles.

I think there are a couple of take-home points here. First, knowing the genetic changes that influence the risk of melanoma puts us that much closer to a way to detect who is more at risk of getting melanoma, but also gives us a target for treatment. Second, I know many people with darker skin who don’t use sunscreen because they don’t think they’re at risk. This research shows that they may still be at risk if they have many moles.

I guess the bottom line is to take precautions to be safe in the sun whether you think you need to or not.