Allergies & Asthma

Traffic-related air pollution was responsible for nearly 2 million new asthma cases in children across the globe in 2019, according to a new study. Of the 1.85 million new pediatric asthma cases that were attributed to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), two-thirds occurred in urban areas, reported Susan Anenberg, PhD, of George Washington University in Washington, D.C.,

When you send your teen or young adult off to college, you aren’t just sending them off to get a degree. You are also sending them off to learn more about adulthood and self-management. This is especially true if you have a child with asthma. No matter how you prepare them for these next steps,

Traveling can bring excitement, anxiety, and stress, whether you’re driving a short distance for the day or flying across the country for an extended business trip or vacation. Add food allergies to the mix and traveling can be overwhelming. Researching dining and flight options, communicating your allergies with others, remembering to pack important allergy-friendly items,

I am well aware I have neglected my blog and there have been no posts for sometime. I have sat down so many times to try and write but just nothing comes out. If I am honest I have been struggling a lot over the past 4-5 months. I feel lost in myself and couldn’t

At the end of 2020, we held the hope that 2021 would be better. But 2021 didn’t bring the end of the COVID-19 epidemic like we hoped. And many of the issues we faced in 2020 carried through 2021. But 2021 did bring some positive change. Three COVID-19 vaccines became widely available. The Biden administration

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America is sharing this press release from Amgen to bring you the latest research news. [PRESS RELEASE] First and Only Biologic to Consistently and Significantly Reduce Exacerbations in a Broad Population of Severe Asthma Patients Only Biologic for Severe Asthma Approved With no Phenotype or Biomarker Limitations THOUSAND OAKS,

When you hear “environmental allergies,” trees, grasses, and weeds might be the first allergens that come to mind. Just when you breathe a sigh of relief from waning outdoor allergens, prepare for sneaky indoor environmental allergens. Mold and dust mites trigger allergies throughout the year. But, as winter rolls around and you begin spending more

Did you know the mask you’ve been wearing to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 may have other benefits? It can be a vital tool to help you prevent asthma and allergy symptoms. A mask acts like a barrier. It can block some of the particles in the air – such as allergens, pollution, and

In the first half of 2021, AAFA saw two big advocacy wins. The School-Based Asthma and Allergy Management Program Act and the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act of 2021 (FASTER Act) both passed. Since June, AAFA has continued to advocate for: Health equity in all policies Healthy school settings Clean air and

The FDA approved the only biologic for severe asthma without any phenotype or biomarker limitations, manufacturers AstraZeneca and Amgen announced Friday. The first-in-class biologic tezepelumab-ekko (Tezspire) is indicated as an add-on maintenance treatment for patients ages 12 and older with severe asthma. It is not intended for acute bronchospasm or status asthmaticus. As a first-in-class

As we continue to fight COVID-19, we are now in flu season too. Get your flu shot and join the staff at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) to prevent a “twindemic.” What Is a “Twindemic” and Why Should You Be Concerned? A “twindemic” is a word used to describe a situation where

“My asthma typically affects me in one of three ways: from my negligence to take my daily dose of my inhaler, from a sinus infection, or by just weakening my overall immune system. Currently taking one inhalation a day from my inhaler relaxes my lung’s airways and allows me to pursue my day-to-day activities or

Don’t let hidden allergy and asthma triggers ruin your holiday cheer. Knowing where your triggers can hide during this season can reduce your chances of an asthma attack (or flare). Review your Asthma Action Plan and always keep your quick-relief (rescue) medicines with you at all times. 1. Cold, Dry Air Cold air can be

One in 10 people in the U.S. have atopic dermatitis, or eczema. The miserable symptoms — dry, itchy, sore skin — can take a toll on everyday activities, concentration, and sleep. Products and environmental factors you’re exposed to on a daily basis could trigger your eczema flare ups. Underlying allergy may even be at the

Interventions to de-escalate use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are necessary and beneficial, researchers said during the federal posters session at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear virtual meeting. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines recommend long-acting beta2-agonists (LABA) and long-acting muscarinic

“Winter is the hardest time of year! It constricts my breathing a bit. I feel chest tightness and I am not able to breathe outside as well as if it was summer or spring,” shared Shreaya Madireddy. Many people with asthma can relate to this. Shreaya is a senior in high school near Dayton, Ohio

Immune-mediated diseases collectively were associated with an increased risk of cancer, with the risks not always isolated to the involved organ, a large cohort study demonstrated. Overall, 48 common autoimmune and other immune-mediated conditions were linked with a modest total cancer risk (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04-1.12), reported Mingyang Song, MD, ScD, of Harvard T.H.

Children with poorly-controlled asthma were at much greater risk for COVID-19 hospitalization, a retrospective study from Scotland found. Among roughly 750,000 children ages 5 to 17, those with an asthma-related hospitalization in the 2 years before the pandemic — a marker for uncontrolled asthma — had a more than sixfold higher risk of being hospitalized

We’ve all heard about food recalls on the news — “food abc” recalled for undeclared allergens, “food xyz” recalled due to possible Salmonella contamination. As scary as they may sound, food recalls often get brushed to the side if it isn’t a food you eat or buy. Undeclared major food allergen, when a food allergen

According to a new study, Latino people with asthma had higher rates of uncontrolled asthma after having COVID-19. They also had asthma symptoms for a longer time after the illness. Experts looked at 174 adult Latino people with asthma who had COVID-19. The study found that they were 4.6 times more likely to have asthma

The short answer is NO and there needs to be a big changes for that to happen. I have actually written this blog post twice. The first incarnation was me getting my feelings off my chest but I decided not to post it as it would not be helpful to anyone. Instead I have decided

NEW ORLEANS — Although still technically an orphan disease, hereditary angioedema (HAE) remains a popular focus for drug developers despite a half-dozen products already approved in the U.S. That was on full display at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology’s annual meeting here, with phase II studies on two investigational agents featured in

NEW ORLEANS — Everyone who received their second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 at military facilities after experiencing allergic reactions to the first did just fine without any pretreatment, a physician reported here. These individuals were observed closely, of course, and some underwent allergy testing beforehand to ascertain whether they

*Sponsored by Merck Approximately 5% of adults in the U.S. are living with chronic cough, a cough that lasts longer than 8 weeks. People with the condition commonly cough in “bouts” they cannot control, and usually feel a strong urge to cough before a coughing bout starts. Over the course of her career supporting people

You’ve probably heard of some allergy-friendly products, such as HVAC/furnace filters and bedding, but, it might come as a surprise that even some home materials, such as paint and flooring, can be friendlier for allergy and asthma sufferers. Within 46 different product categories, there are over 200 products in the U.S. that have passed the

Renegade’s SWEAT-X Free and Clear Laundry Detergent removes pet and dust mite allergens with fragrance-free formula. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) has announced that Renegade’s SWEAT-X Free and Clear is the first laundry detergent to earn the asthma & allergy friendly® certification. When used to wash bedding

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is sharing this press release from the 2021 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting to bring you the latest research news. This year’s meeting is being held Nov. 4-8 in New Orleans, Louisiana. [PRESS RELEASE] Lea la versión en español de este comunicado de

NEW ORLEANS — Only a minority of teenagers with asthma got substantial advice and assistance from their pediatricians in how to manage their condition as adults, according to a small single-center study reported here. Young adults surveyed about their experiences in transitioning to adult asthma care mostly got no help from their regular doctors until