ZYRTEC Medication

Amazing Asthma Athlete

Zyrtec — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:00:03 +0000

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 Does Asthma Affect You?

Zyrtec — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:00:03 +0000

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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Can Your Child Identify Triggers At School?

Zyrtec — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:00:03 +0000

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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Should You Be Taking Benadryl For Your Allergies?

Zyrtec — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:00:02 +0000

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.

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

New Way to Streamline Acne Treatment Regimen

Zyrtec — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:00:02 +0000

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.

You Find An Old Inhaler Under Your Bed- What Do You Do?

Zyrtec — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:00:02 +0000

Do you ever use expired asthma medication? According to this ABC news story the expiration date is when your medication loses 10% of its efficacy. So your medication is not likely to hurt you, but it may not work, which is a problem for your asthma.

Leave a comment and let us know what you do with that inhaler you find under your bed or in the couch.

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Learn More

What Do I Need To Know About Buying Medication Online For My Asthma?
Important Asthma Medication Side Effects
Exploring Alternative Medicine For Your Asthma

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How Compliant Are You?

Zyrtec — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:00:02 +0000

How compliant are you with your asthma medication regimen? Depending on where you look, noncompliance with asthma regimens ranges from 10-46%. According to Katie M Buston and Stuart F Wood of the MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit in Glasgow, Scotland, patients commonly cite the following as reasons for non-compliance:

forgetfulness
belief that asthma medication is ineffective
denial that one is an asthmatic
difficulty using asthma inhalers
inconvenience
fear of medication side effects
embarrassment and laziness

So how compliant are you? Why not leave a comment and let us know what causes you to miss your asthma meds.

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Asthma Control and Your Rescue Inhaler

Zyrtec — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:00:02 +0000

Studies of asthma have revealed that as may as 74% of asthmatics have nighttime awakenings at least awoke at least once per week, while as many as 64% may have nocturnal symptoms 3 or more times per week. Importantly, as many as 40% asthmatics experience symptoms nightly.

Asthmatics may under appreciate nocturnal symptoms as a sign of poor asthma control. In another study, 26% of patients who rated their asthma as “mild” reported experiencing asthma symptoms like cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath nightly.

It is important to recognize these nighttime symptoms as poor control because a significant proportion of fatal asthma in adults and children from respiratory arrest and sudden death occurs between midnight and 8 a.m.

_Sources:

_{Sutherland ER. Nocturnal asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005 Dec;116(6):1179-86.}

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Poison Oak, Ivy and Sumac Season

Zyrtec — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:00:01 +0000

Plants from the Toxicodendron family are the most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis, and include poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. Coming into contact with these plants can cause a rash consisting of a linear, or streak-like, group of itchy blisters or bumps.

The chemicals released from the plants, called urushiols, cause the itchy rash. Urushiol can be carried on the fur of animals, garden tools, sports equipment and clothing. The smoke from burning Toxicodendron leaves can also carry urushiol, and can result in inflammation in the lungs if inhaled.

Patch testing is not necessary for Toxicodendron plants, since most people would have a positive test and the diagnosis is made clinically. Treatment involves avoidance of exposure to these plants, and the use of topical steroids to reduce the rash and itching.

Learn more:

Is There a Cure for Poison Oak Allergy?
Food Allergies and Poison Ivy
Other Common Causes of Contact Dermatitis

What You Need To Know: Buying Medication Online

Zyrtec — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 20:00:02 +0000

Buying medication online can be daunting. Every time you enter a drug in a search engine, hundreds of sites come up trying to make a sale to you. Is it safe? What do you need to know before purchasing? Read more and learn about buying medication online. Read more…

What Do I Need To Know About Buying Medication Online For My Asthma?

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