Allergies & Asthma

A novel gene therapy for severe combined immunodeficiency from adenosine deaminase deficiency (ADA-SCID) restored immune cell counts without death or need for enzyme replacement therapy, researchers reported. Survival without needing to re-initiate pegylated ADA enzyme replacement therapy, or have a rescue allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHCT), was 95% to 97% at last follow-up at

You might think that when asthma patients were switched involuntarily from regular insurance to high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), a substantial number would cut corners on their daily controller medications — but you would mostly be wrong, researchers said. In fact, in a study of some 185,000 pediatric and adult patients with asthma spanning 2002 to

The 24-hour news cycle is just as important to medicine as it is to politics, finance, or sports. At MedPage Today, new information is posted daily, but keeping up can be a challenge. As an aid for our readers and for a little amusement, here is a 10-question quiz based on the news of the

Can caffeine stop an asthma attack? Are at-home food allergy tests legit? Dr. M. Itch is back on TikTok to answer these questions and more about asthma and allergies. Don’t forget to check out our first round of myth-busting videos. Watch our AAFA blog and TikTok channel for more videos during National Asthma and Allergy

Rather than site-wide food bans or allergen-restricted zones, allergy training, action plans, and available epinephrine to treat suspected anaphylaxis are recommended to address allergic reactions to food at child care centers and schools, according to new practice guidelines. Not only has research found little evidence that food bans work, such restrictions can pose monitoring and

Contents of baby’s first stool were a biomarker for early-life allergy risk in a study of 100 infants. Infants who developed IgE-mediated atopy by age 1 showed a significantly poorer environment in their meconium — the fecal matter accumulated prior to birth and typically expelled within a few days of delivery — for microbiotal development

One of the most talked about food allergies is peanut. Though not the most common food allergy, it’s the most common food associated with severe allergic reactions – so it’s an important one to be educated on. Consider this overview on peanut allergy: from symptoms, diagnosis, and avoiding peanuts, to options for treating the cause.

Presentation At her 8-year-old son’s regular check-up, a mother asked the pediatrician to look at a skin condition that developed rather suddenly about a month ago. He had a few groups of follicular scaly papules bilaterally on his knees and elbows. They didn’t seem to bother him at all, but since he is prone to

As the world starts to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, another global — and even more devastating — existential threat persists: climate change. Worldwide, climate-driven disasters including storms, droughts, fires, and floods displaced more than 10 million people since last September. Here in the western U.S., we face increasingly catastrophic wildfire seasons with powerful effects

Note that some links may require registration or subscription. A new coronavirus variant, BV-1, has been discovered in Texas. (Fox News) The European Medicines Agency said it found a “possible link” between the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and blood clots and recommended that a warning be added to the vaccine’s label, but they also

Earth Day is a great opportunity to reflect on our planet and what we can do to make it better. Climate change is a popular topic, especially on and around Earth day — and it may impact your allergies more than you think. A 20-year study looked at how environmental allergy seasons are impacted by

7 years ago I had the privilege of being invited to join the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research (AUKCAR). At the time I had no idea what I was getting in to. I had no idea what patient and public involvement (PPI) in research was and to be honest was a little daunted at

A team of Mount Sinai surgeons in New York City earlier this year performed the world’s first human tracheal transplant surgery, the health system announced this week. News of the procedure’s success already has other patients taking note. To date, surgeons have been unable to transplant the trachea — an organ essential for speaking, breathing,

A graded dosing protocol allowed two patients with hypersensitivity reactions to the first dose of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine to receive their second doses safely, researchers said. The patients — one with an immediate hypersensitivity reaction managed on site and one needing emergency department transport — got divided second doses, reported S. Shahzad Mustafa, MD, of

Dr. Mary Morris not only dedicated her career to offering allergy treatment following the La Crosse Method™ Protocol, but her family has also owned and operated an apple orchard for more than 100 years. New research by Nothegger1 and other researchers about the level of allergic sensitivity to different apple varieties for those with birch

A short-term rise in nitrogen dioxide air pollution could be tied to a bump in local mortality rates the next day, researchers showed in a large international study. Across 398 cities (located mostly in the U.S., Europe, and Asia), each 10 μg/m3 increase in ground-level NO2 concentration was associated with increases in mortality the next

March is National Nutrition Month — which highlights important topics for everyone. Adequate nutrition is critical to all, but for those with limited diets due to food allergy, it can be more of a challenge to meet. There are also so many different layers to staying safe that need to be considered when it comes

World Delirium Day- 17th March 2021 Delirium is a serious disturbance in mental abilities that results in confused thinking and reduced awareness of the environment. Delirium is rarely spoken about. Many people can feel ashamed because of the delirium they experienced due to the memories they have. There is often the perception that if you are

The following blog post was shared on the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research website. I was so privileged to speak at the Lung Health Cross Party Group meeting at the Scottish Parliament. I spoke about digital health and how I have integrated smart technology in my life. “Following her presentation to the Scottish Parliament

“We’re going to be in a ‘Pinkalicious phase’ for the next few months.” — Chris Martin, MD, MSc, of West Virginia University School of Public Health, quoting surprisingly apt advice from the popular children’s book series and applying it to potentially choosing one’s COVID vaccine. “It is sloppy and lazy to lump cladribine and alemtuzumab

Black and Hispanic children have a higher risk for developing food allergies compared with white children, and studies suggest they may also have a significantly higher risk for anaphylaxis and death due to allergic food reactions. African-American, Hispanic, and other minority children are also greatly underrepresented in food allergy clinical trials, and a new analysis

Many people with food allergies go looking for treatment with their eyes on the prize — reducing reactions to a certain food or foods. After testing for allergies and finding out you have a multitude of underlying food and environmental allergies, your provider might recommend treating a broad spectrum beginning with environmental allergies (as authors

Patients who experienced an allergic reaction to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines could potentially be eligible to receive the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, CDC staff said on a Tuesday call with clinicians. Currently, patients can be eligible to receive the Johnson & Johnson adenovirus vaccine after receiving one dose of mRNA vaccine only in special circumstances,

The patient voice is becoming such a valuable asset to medicine, medical research, pharma development and medical conferences. After all you can learn all the technical stuff about the anatomy and physiology in text books but you can never learn just what it is like to live with a certain condition unless you go through

Asthma patients with confirmed COVID-19 were no more likely to require hospitalization or mechanical ventilation than patients without asthma, researchers found. Moreover, the asthma patients were less likely to die from COVID, reported Lacey Robinson, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, at the virtual annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma &

Wide adoption of infant feeding guidelines calling for peanut introduction during the first year of life in Australia prompted a significant decline in child peanut allergies in that country, researchers reported. In 2016, guidelines in Australia were changed to recommend the introduction of potentially allergic foods such as peanut butter, cooked eggs, dairy, and wheat

Patient advocates seem to give off this impression of being fearless, great speakers and always knowing the right thing to say. I often looked patient advocates and admired their confidence and strength for the work they do. I still do. It has only been in the last few years that I have really identified as

It must have been fate that today was the day to write this blog post. My time hop reminded me that is was 4 years ago since I was in Florida with the Scotland Lacrosse Senior Women’s Team. Before I looked at my time hop I had been structuring this blog post in my head