Results tagged “allergens” from Allergy

April 23, 2007 -- A stomach bacterium that causes ulcers and is linked to stomach cancer may make asthma less likely.

That news appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The bacterium is called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). It is associated with ulcers and increased risk of stomach cancer.

H. pylori is found worldwide, but it's more common in developing countries, note Yu Chen, PhD, MPH, and Martin Blaser, MD.

A fresh study by the Environmental Health section of the National Public Health Institute shows a strong link between asthma in children and dampness in the building structures of the home.

According to an article in the upcoming edition of the European Respiratory Journal, at least one in ten, and possibly as many as one in five cases of asthma among children are linked with water damage in the building.

The onset of asthma is the result of the cumulative effect of many factors. Nevertheless, in the 1990s there was a rapid increase in cases of asthma in Finland, as well as an increase in damage caused by dampness in buildings.

Researchers have long noted that many asthma sufferers also have atopic dermatitis — often called eczema — a chronic disease of the skin that can leave it red, raw, scaly, tender, oozy and excruciatingly itchy. But scientists are looking at whether such ravaging of the skin creates the conditions that can trigger asthma.

Last spring in the journal Nature Genetics, British scientists reported that people who suffer from both eczema and asthma carry the same gene mutation and concluded that eczema may actually lead to asthma in some cases.

Until now, it had largely been assumed that dander, dust mites, pollen and other allergens that can cause asthma enter the body through the respiratory system. But the researchers said they now believe that they can also enter the body through tiny breaks in the skin’s surface — something that occurs in patients with eczema.

by Mark T. O'Hollaren, MD

Alternaria alternata is a saprophytic mold typically found in soil and plants, and is considered to be primarily an outdoor allergen. It has been associated with episodes of severe, life-threatening attacks of asthma, and sensitivity to Alternaria (ie, as demonstrated with a positive allergy skin test) has been associated with an approximate 200-fold increase in the risk of a life-threatening asthma attack.^[1] Sensitization to Alternaria has also been found to be more common in patients with asthma than in those without asthma.

Salo and colleagues collected data as part of the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing study, and they surveyed a nationally representative sample of over 800 housing units inhabited by over 2400 individuals. They collected dust samples from bed, sofa, or chair, and from the bedroom, living room and kitchen floors, and analyzed for the presence of Alternaria using a polyclonal anti-Alternaria alternata inhibition assay.

A variety of agents, including some hand protection products, can contribute to contact dermatitis among workers. Contact dermatitis is a major problem for employees in many industries. Dermatitis is most often seen among workers involved in activities such as construction, healthcare and cleaning.

A common factor for these activities is the need for hand protection, primarily in the form of rubber gloves.

When contact dermatitis occurs, the first instinct is to blame it on the gloves.

More often than not, however, the reason for the allergic reaction is not contact with one agent but a combination of rubber and another source.

Abstract

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an important disease with high quality of life and economic impact. Patch testing is the procedure by which identification of the cause of ACD can be elicited. Proper performance of the test, from taking an appropriate patient history to placing the correct allergens to evaluating and educating the patient, is of utmost importance. The purpose of this article is to highlight common allergens encountered in our environment, to increase awareness for this important disease, and to underscore the importance of this testing modality. An early index of suspicion can lead to appropriate testing, diagnosis, avoidance, and cure.

Many experts believe the current advice to parents to keep peanuts away from their babies may be making the problem worse.

In Africa, Asia and China, where peanuts are a staple food and routinely given to young children, rates of peanut allergy are lower than they are in the West.

Other research suggests the opposite - that early exposure to peanuts makes an individual more susceptible.

Parents are being asked to volunteer their babies for a major investigation into the causes of peanut allergy.

 

Nearly half of the U.S. population lives in areas with unhealthy ozone levels, according to a 2006 report. For people with respiratory and lung diseases, especially the estimated 20 million Americans with asthma, "bad air" days pose an exceptionally high risk. The health risks associated with high levels of ozone aren't limited to summer months, and people can feel the effects of smog all year long.

Over the last decade, ozone levels have increased for many reasons, including higher temperatures and humidity, said John D. Cox, author of "Weather for Dummies." Despite this, people are still unaware that ozone is dangerous even at its lowest levels.

When inhaled, ozone can irritate lung airways and cause inflammation, and exposure to elevated levels of ozone can also increase the need for medical treatment and hospitalization in people with asthma. People who are active and people with asthma and other respiratory problems are at a higher risk on these days.

Skin allergies can be caused by a myriad of different things ranging from environmental agents to ingredients found in personal care products like soaps, detergents, cosmetics, or even household products or pets.

It is still unknown why allergic reactions to products occur in some people but not others, although it is known that people who have allergies to certain agents are genetically predisposed, so if you find yourself itching like crazy at just the sight of a specific laundry detergent, you have at least one parent to thank.

Dogs can offer babies all kinds of love and attention -- and they might help them breathe easier, too.

Living in a home with multiple dogs may help reduce an infant's risk for developing wheezing in the first year of life, according to a study in the December issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

University of Cincinnati researchers found that infants living in homes with high levels of endotoxins and multiple dogs were more than two times less likely to wheeze than other infants.

Children exposed to at least one course of antibiotics in their first year of life may have an increased risk of developing childhood asthma.

The research, published in the journal Chest, has shown that children under age 1 who were treated with an antibiotic were twice as likely as untreated children to develop asthma in childhood. In addition, the use of multiple antibiotics in infants appeared to further increase the risk of developing asthma.

" Antibiotic use in children has been found to coincide with an increased incidence of childhood asthma," said lead author Carlo Marra, University of British Columbia, Vancouver ( Canada ). "Although the causal nature between antibiotics and asthma is still unclear, our overall results show that treatment with at least one antibiotic as an infant appears to be associated with the development of childhood asthma."

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- A new certification standard has been launched this holiday season to help people with asthma and allergies find pillows that are more suitable for them. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) reports that pillows and other bedding can be home to millions of dust mites and other allergens that cause asthma symptoms. Now, AAFA has launched the asthma friendly(R) Certification Program in the U.S. to help consumers identify the best tools for controlling and reducing allergen exposure in the home.

Medical experts advise that reducing exposure to dust mites should be a critical part of everyone's allergy and asthma management plan. "Dust mites are among the most common indoor allergens," says Clifford W. Bassett, MD, of the Long Island College Hospital of Brooklyn and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine. "We can't emphasize enough how important it is to get tested to learn if you have allergic sensitivities and to take steps to reduce exposure to dust mites."

Cosmetic manufactures are required to list the ingredients of the products they are marketing, according to Canada's legislation.

"It's going to be phased in over the next two years to allow cosmetics companies to use up current stock while designing new labels for the ingredients. It's going to allow the Canadian public to make more informed choices and avoid cosmetics containing ingredients which they may be sensitive to," announced a spokesperson for Health Canada.

"In addition, physicians will be able to refer to an ingredient by its one name for the purpose of treatment or incident reporting. Now absolutely everything that's in the product is going to have to be written on the label," the spokesperson explained.

Young people who light up may find themselves sidelined with asthma. Early exposure to cigarette smoke is linked to the development of asthma in adolescents and teenagers.

Researchers at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles tracked the smoking habits of 2,609 children and teens with no prior history of asthma. The study was held over the course of five to eight years, depending on the student's age at the beginning of the study. Participants who became regular smokers were more likely to develop asthma compared to non-smokers. Children who smoked 300 or more cigarettes per year were four times more likely to develop asthma than those who did not smoke.

"A year after they start smoking regularly, the risk triples for the development of asthma," study author Frank Gilliland, M.D., Ph.D, of the Keck School of Medicine and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles told Ivanhoe. "During adolescence, you're at risk for asthma, so it's not something you can start and stop and think you can reduce your risk for asthma later on."

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 15 -- Children with asthma are more likely to have exacerbations requiring admission to the pediatric ICU in the late summer and early fall months, reported investigators here.

In a retrospective review of records of children admitted to a pediatric ICU for asthma exacerbations over a nine-year period, 41% of all admissions occurred during August, September, and October, reported Pulin Patel, D.O., of the Children's Hospital of Michigan/Detroit Medical Center, and colleagues.

But those exacerbations don't appear to correlate with the airborne concentrations of allergens prevalent at that time of year, suggesting that other factors may also be involved in triggering asthma exacerbations, the investigators wrote in a poster presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology meeting.

Plagued by poison ivy allergy? It might be possible to coax the body to build up immunity to poison ivy.

That news comes from researchers including Mary Morris, MD, of Allergy Associates of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis.

They studied 115 people with a history of severe skin reactions to poison ivy who were treated at their clinic over the past 15 years.

The treatment was a small amount of poison ivy extract placed under the tongue. The goal was to train the body's immune system not to overreact to poison ivy.

The patients took skin tests to see if the treatment helped.

PHILADELPHIA -- Home is where the heart is, and increasingly, where allergens lie in wait.

For people with allergies and asthma, home sweet home could be masking a festering stew of molds, dust mites, noxious gases, building debris, and other unhealthy substances, suggested speakers at a symposium held at the American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology meeting here.

Variables that can affect the severity of allergic rhinitis and asthma among the occupants of a given house included the age and condition of the house, type and condition of heating and cooling systems, humidity, air flow, indoor tobacco use, pets, and hygiene habits of the occupants, said James L. Sublett, M.D., of the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 13 -- Rodent allergies, particularly sensitivity to mouse allergens, are common among inner city children, and may be the primary triggers for moderate-to-severe asthma, reported researchers here.

A retrospective study showed that 31% of inner city children in a small sample were sensitive to mouse allergens, and 18.5% were sensitized to rat allergens, said Philip Hemmers, D.O., of Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, .N.Y., and colleagues. 

"This study reinforces the importance of rodents in the allergic evaluation of inner-city children, especially those with moderate-severe asthma," the investigators wrote in a poster presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology meeting.

 

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 12 -- Infants who are put on food-elimination diets to avoid allergens could be inadvertently robbed of the proteins and nutrients they need to grow, researchers warned here.

Children taking allergen avoidance diets may develop malnutrition due to the severe protein and caloric restrictions involved, said Michael B. Levy, M.D., of the Medical College of Wisconsin, and colleagues.

In a presentation at the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology meeting, the investigators reported on two patients in which the diets robbed the children of so many calories and nutrients that they developed failure to thrive.

Wheeze. Sneeze. Sniffle.

Recent news reports have dangled a stratospherically priced option for wannabe cat owners who are allergic to the bewhisker-ed, twitchy-tailed set. Just plunk down $3,950 (plus a $995 processing and transportation fee) for a hypoallergenic Allerca cat. (For an extra $1,950 "premium placement" fee, you can jump the two-year waiting list and get one next spring.)

Or you can just buy a Siberian for about $700.

"Siberian breeders have already bred a hypoallergenic cat, but people tend not to believe breeders," says cat geneticist Leslie Lyons of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis. "And now here comes a company that says the same thing. It all comes down to marketing."