From www.AAAAI.org
I thought it appropriate to share this video, in this time of the Winter Olympics, of a speedskater who chose not to let asthma control her life.
Samantha, age 27, has been competing in speedskating as well as in cross country and track since she was 12. Her asthma, allergies and other illnesses haven't dampened her competitive spirit.
Samantha took a break from skating to discuss the challenges she faced before she was diagnosed with asthma and allergies. The story begins with help from an allergist who was able to put Samantha on the life-long road to victory.
Q: What went through your mind when you were diagnosed with asthma and then allergies?
A: When I was diagnosed with asthma, I was relieved. For the longest time, doctors could not identify what was going on with me, which was quite frustrating. With the right diagnosis, I could actually do things to make myself better and lead a more 'normal' life.
My allergist also determined that I have allergies, and he was actually able to pinpoint what I was allergic to. I was thankful that my doctor did all of the necessary tests at one time so that I didn't have to keep guessing about what was going on with my breathing. I could start creating a plan with him to best fit my needs.
Q: What obstacles have you faced in speedskating and other competitive sports?
A: I have allergy-induced and sport-induced asthma. I faced obstacles not only in speedskating, but in high school sports like cross country and track and field.
Since cross country is an outdoor fall sport, my asthma was an issue whenever the ragweed count was high. Unlike cross country, speedskating is done (for the most part) indoors in a controlled arena. The cold has actually been better for me and has limited the amount of asthma-induced issues.
Q: Do you to prepare differently for practices and competitions?
A: Living with asthma has definitely changed my preparation for practices and competition. There is a routine I follow in terms of warm up. I know my body well enough to feel when I need to do more of a particular exercise so my lungs are functioning to their full potential. I also make sure I have my inhaler with me at all times for both competitions and practice.
Q: Have you ever had to stop in a race because of an asthma attack?
A: Fortunately, I have never had to stop a race because of an asthma attack. Preparation is the key. From the time I was diagnosed, my doctor put me on a plan that included allergy shots, medication and learning my warning signs. To this day, I am thankful to him for instilling the importance of discipline in taking my medications and taking a pro-active role in my health and well-being so my asthma did not get in the way of what I really want to do in life.
Q: Have you ever wanted to quit skating because of your asthma?
A: I am a very strong-willed person and firmly believe that you are directly responsible for your destiny. A kind of mind-over-matter thought process, if you will. I have never wanted to quit skating just because of my asthma.
Q: Do you discuss your asthma with other skaters?
A: No, I don't talk about my asthma with other skaters. I am sure not a lot of people even know I have this condition. It's not that I don't want to. If the subject came up, I would talk about it, but it's not really something I feel needs to be shared.
Cold winter weather keeps us indoors, and that can mean more allergy problems. Gas fumes, household sprays, indoor mold, and pet dander can all trigger wheezing and runny noses.
"You don't have any pollens in winter," says Douglas H. Jones, MD, of the Rocky Mountain Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Group in Layton, Utah. "But you still have the indoor stuff — cats, dogs, cockroach droppings, dust mites, and mold," he told Everyday Health.
Use these tips to cut your winter allergy woes:
• Keep rooms thoroughly dusted and vacuumed to cut down on dust mites and pet hair. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter and change filters according to manufacturers' suggestions.
• Replace furnace filters every two to three months and use high-efficiency air filters to remove the maximum amount of allergens.
• Use a humidifier to reduce dry air. Don't go overboard, though, and make the air too humid, which encourages mold and dust mites. Experts recommend a maximum humidity of 50 percent. Change the water and clean the humidifier regularly to discourage the growth of bacteria and mold.
• Bathe pets once a week to minimize dander, and keep them out of the bedroom if you have allergies.
• Wash sheets weekly in hot water to kill dust mites and consider hypoallergenic cases for pillows, mattresses, and box springs.
• Wear a dust mask when cleaning.
• Beware of gas stoves, warns National Jewish Health. They release nitrogen oxides into the air that can irritate the lungs, especially in those with asthma or other lung problems.
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, between 40 and 50 million Americans suffer from allergies.
© 2010 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
By Elizabeth Landau, CNN
San Diego, California (CNN) -- Peanuts are like poison for people who have severe food allergies to them. For some, ingesting even a tiny piece of peanut can trigger a potentially fatal reaction.
But new research is showing that immunotherapy, a method of giving a small dose of peanut to a patient in a controlled setting and then increasing the amount over a few months, may help temper these reactions. It's the same principle as allergy shots, only done with food.
The research, conducted at Cambridge University Hospitals in the United Kingdom, was presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The Cambridge group will begin a randomized controlled trial next month with 104 children involved, similar to the peanut study done already, but with controls, said researcher Dr. Andrew Clark of Cambridge University Hospitals.
Some 30,000 Americans go to the emergency room each year because of severe food allergies, said Dr. Stefano Luccioli of the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Food Additive Safety. Food allergies affect about 4 percent of adults and 6 to 8 percent of children under 3, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Researchers took a group of 23 children allergic to peanuts and gave them small amounts of peanuts to eat daily, usually starting with 1 mg, said Clark. The peanut quantity was increased carefully every two weeks, until the children could eat about five peanuts.
They took this dose daily for at least six weeks, mostly tolerating it well except for some temporary mouth itching or abdominal pain, he said.
The results showed that 21 of the 23 children, or 91 percent, can safely eat at least five peanuts every day without any reaction. One of the children can get two peanuts a day, and one dropped out of the study. After six months, 19 of them could tolerate 12 peanuts at a time, and after one year, 15 participants could tolerate 32 peanuts. Participants said they didn't have to carefully read food labels or fear the allergy anymore, Clark said.
Read full CNN article
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From Medscape Medical News
By Robert Lowes
February 18, 2010 — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that manufacturers of long-acting beta agonists (LABAs) must now state on product labels that asthma patients must not take LABAs on a long-term basis unless their condition cannot be adequately controlled with other medications such as inhaled corticosteroids.
The labels also must state that the LABAs should never be used alone in the treatment of asthma in adults or children.
Roughly 95% of asthma patients using an LABA receive it in combination with a corticosteroid in a single inhaled product such as Advair Diskus, Advair HFA, or Symbicort, according to the FDA.
As a result of the new warnings labels required by the agency, patients who gain control of their asthma through these combination corticosteroid products need to be switched to a corticosteriod alone or some other "controller" medication, with no LABA added.
Recent analyses of clinical trials show that LABAs are associated with a higher risk of severe worsening of asthma symptoms, resulting in hospitalization, intubation, and sometimes death for adults and children alike, according to the FDA.
"We think the greater public health benefit is to reduce the use of LABAs, but keep them available for patients who really need them," said John Jenkins, MD, director of the Office of New Drugs in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at a news conference today. "There is still a benefit to these drugs for patients who aren't absolutely controlled on asthma-control medications."
More information is available on the FDA Web site.
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From Reuters Health Information
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Feb 15 - A prescription pill approved in Europe for the treatment of grass pollen allergies seems to have lasting benefits, a new study finds.
The drug, called Grazax, offers an alternative to allergy shots. Dissolved under the tongue, the pills contain a small amount of grass-pollen extract. The drug is taken daily, starting several months before the start of the allergy season and continuing for three years thereafter.
In the new study, researchers looked at the medication's long-term effects in patients who had stopped using it after the recommended three years. They found that, compared with patients who had been given a placebo, Grazax users had one-quarter fewer hay fever symptoms one year after stopping the medication.
They also had less need for antihistamines and other allergy medications, according to a report in the January issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
These longer-term findings, the researchers write, support Grazax as a treatment option for people whose hay fever symptoms fail to improve with standard medication.
Dr. Stephen R. Durham, of Imperial College London in the UK, led the study, which was funded by Denmark-based ALK-Abello, the maker of Grazax. Durham and several co-researchers on the study have received research grants and other funds from the drug company.
The findings are based on 257 adults with grass pollen allergies, confirmed through allergy tests. They were randomly assigned to take either Grazax or inactive placebo tablets every day, beginning four to eight months before the next grass pollen season. They continued the therapy for three years.
Over those three years and for one year after stopping the treatment, the patients rated their daily symptoms and allergy medication use.
During the year following treatment, patients in the Grazax group reported a 26 percent reduction in symptoms like congestion and itchy, watery eyes compared with the placebo group. They also had a 29 percent reduction in medication use and gave higher ratings to their quality of life.
Those differences were similar to those seen during the three years of active treatment, according to the researchers.
During the last year on treatment, 15 percent of Grazax patients had side effects believed to be caused by the treatment -- the most common being itching and swelling in the mouth, ear itchiness and throat irritation.
A clinical trial aimed at winning FDA approval for Grazax is currently underway.
J Allergy Clin Immunol 2010;125:131-138.
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