I think this discovery is very exciting.  In the early online edition of the journal Nature, scientists report that they were able to observe the “healing” of a DNA strand that had been damaged UV radiation.  They observed an enzyme inject a single electron and proton into a damaged strand of DNA.  This enzyme known as photolyase was able to heal the DNA in a billionth of a second.

UV radiation causes damage to cells by creating chemical bonds in the wrong areas on DNA.  Photolyase actually breaks those incorrect bonds and puts them back together correctly.  Then the electron and proton get expelled back to photolyase which moves on to the next bond.

Of course knowing what’s going on at the molecular level is just the beginning, but the possibilities of sunburn, skin cancer, and even wrinkle treatment are enormous.

With healthcare reform getting closer, how do you think our asthma medications should be payed for? Asthma medications are expensive, but not having access increases costs in other ways. Take the poll and leave a comment.

With summer allergies and pollen in full gear, how are your allergies compared to last year? As ya’ll are probably aware, there is a link between allergies and asthma. All is not lost if you are having a wicked allergy season. There are a number of preventive actions you can take to prevent your allergy symptoms. If you do need medications, antihistamines are commonly used in addition to several other medications.

Leave a comment or go to the forum to discuss how your allergies are doing and what you do to control your allergies..

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According to Stephen Barrett, M.D., founder of Quackwatch, quackery can best be defined as “the promotion of unsubstantiated methods that lack a scientifically plausible rationale. Promotion usually involves a profit motive. Unsubstantiated means either unproven or disproven. Implausible means that it either clashes with well-established facts or makes so little sense that it is not worth testing.”

You probably receive all sorts of information about asthma that touts amazing results. Too often these claims are unsubstantiated.

What sorts of quackery have you seen in relation to asthma?

Why not leave a comment here or join the discussion in the forum.

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If your child has nasal allergies, asthma, food allergies or insect allergies, you need to be prepared before sending them to school. It should be expected that your child’s allergy or asthma symptoms may worsen at school, and therefore they need to be treated there. Children with asthma should have albuterol available as well as a plan for when to use it, such as before physical education and if asthma symptoms occur. Those with food and insect allergies should have avoidance information as well as an Epi-Pen available to treat severe reactions. Don’t wait for something bad to happen – put a plan into place BEFORE the school year starts so that your child can be treated at school if needed.

Learn more:

• Special Considerations for the Allergic Child at School
• Develop an Asthma Action Plan for School
• Preparing and Treating Food Allergies at School

I am always amazed and inspired by athletes who overcome chronic illness to achieve great things. I was always impressed by Jackie Joyner-Kersee, but only recently learned she suffered from asthma. Despite her asthma, she was one of the most dominant women in the history of women’s track and field winning 6 gold medals. Diagnosed at 18 while a freshman at UCLA, she initially, like many people with chronic illness, ignored signs and symptoms of the disease. Once treated and feeling better, she relaxed her treatment regimen and, at one point, had a nearly fatal asthma attack.

You can learn more about her accomplishments. She is just one of many very successful athletes with a history of asthma. With her Olympic career behind her, she now advocates for kids with asthma and attempts to increase awareness of the disease.

Photo (c) Getty Images

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How are you connected to asthma? Our asthma community is affected by asthma in many different ways– let us know how asthma affects you.

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Avoiding triggers is an important part of getting control of asthma. Do you think your child can avoid triggers at school? The American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology has an interactive game where you can see if they can identify common classroom triggers.

Challenge your child to avoid classroom triggers.

Let me know how your child did.

Learn More

Identifying and Avoiding Your Asthma Triggers

Understanding Asthma Triggers Is A Key To Asthma Prevention

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Benadryl is a commonly used over-the-counter antihistamine taken for the treatment of various allergic conditions, such as nasal allergies, eye allergies and skin allergies such as hives. While Benadryl is reasonably effective, at least for a few hours, it is far too sedating to be taken on a routine basis. Learn more about the pros and cons of taking Benadryl, and the better treatment options that are available.

Read More:

• Pros and Cons of Taking Benadryl
• Comparison of Antihistamines for Allergies
• Which Over-the-Counter Allergy Medicines are Best

Many teenagers have acne and one of the most difficult issues with treatment is consistency.  Teens have busy lives and often don’t think about their skin care regimen every morning and night.

In the past tretinoin (Retin-A, Avita, Retin-A Micro, Renova) could not be used at the same time with benzoyl peroxide because they inactivate eachother.  Both topical medicines help fight acne by different means and using them together is more effective than using one medication alone.

In the past this meant using tretinoin at night and benzoyl peroxide in the morning, but often teens would get frustrated with what one of my patients called “always putting gunk on my face”.

A new study just out shows that a new tretinoin formulation, Retin-A Micro Pump, used with benzoyl peroxide in the morning is as effective as splitting the application of tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide.

While this may be great news to teens who want to simplify their skin care routine, insurance companies aren’t going to care that this is a more effective treatment.  It’s likely that most insurance companies will not cover this new formulation.  Why pay for a more expensive treatment when the teen just needs to be more consistent with a cheaper option.