Allergy/Asthma

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America designates May as National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month each year to raise awareness for these common diseases, as it is peak season for both conditions.

Male infants who were exposed to ambient fine particulate matter and maternal psychosocial stress in utero were more likely to develop asthma by 6 years of age, according to research presented at the 2017 American Thoracic Society International Conference.

While asthma and allergies continue to be common conditions in the United States, with over 60 million people experiencing symptoms, many people are unaware or do not follow suggestions on managing and preventing their symptoms.

While more than half of parents reported they administered over-the-counter allergy medicine to their child, 15% of parents gave their child medication labeled for adults. Moreover, 18% of parents reported they did not inspect the expiration date on the medication before administering it, according to a poll conducted by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

On Sunday, May 14, the Empire State Building was illuminated in teal in honor of the 20th annual Food Allergy Awareness Week, intended to educate the public regarding the serious consequences of food allergy reactions, identify symptoms and respond accordingly in an emergency.

Low-income children with chronic conditions and their families could experience drastic cost increases for health care — as much as $233 to $2,472 in annual expenditures, depending on income levels and individual needs — if the Children’s Health Insurance Program is not renewed and the families are switched to Marketplace health insurance plans.

Increasing vitamin D is unlikely to reduce the risk of pediatric and adult asthma, atopic dermatitis or other allergies, according to study results recently published in PLOS Medicine

Although concentrations of epinephrine weaken over time, significant amounts of epinephrine are retained in EpiPens long after their expiration dates, and the dose available 50 months after expiration will likely have a beneficial pharmacologic response, according to a research letter published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Adolescents with common health conditions, such as diabetes, asthma and obesity, are at a higher risk for depression and major depressive episodes, compared to their peers without these conditions, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Use of inhaled corticosteroids, including budesonide and fluticasone, was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia in patients with asthma, according to data published in British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.