Asthma makes breathing difficult for more than 22 million Americans. Asthma symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness. Asthma in children is on the rise, but with proper treatment kids and adults can live a productive life.

Foods That May Worsen Pollen Allergies

Allergic to pollen? You may want to watch out for these trigger foods.

By Neil Osterweil
WebMD Feature

What do yet get when you cross a cantaloupe with a ragweed plant, or an apple with a birch tree? An itchy mouth.For many people with hay fever, eating cantaloupe can cause itching or hives in their mouths. Eating uncooked apples may do the same to people with birch pollen allergy.

They have oral allergy syndrome. So do up to a third of pollen allergy patients, notes the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (AAAAI). Most cases are mild. But some can be an early warning sign of a serious or even life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.

Research Finding Could Revolutionize Asthma Treatment

Use of Beta Blockers May Have Long-Term Benefits

The American Asthma Foundation announced a research breakthrough suggesting that, contrary to popular belief, drugs commonly used to treat high blood pressure may also bring relief to many asthma sufferers.

Seth Feldman, Executive Director of the American Asthma Foundation (AAF), said, “Drugs known as beta blockers have long been used to treat high blood pressure. However, they have historically been forbidden for patients with asthma, because they may make the symptoms worse. Now, however, results from a research study funded by the American Asthma Foundation suggest that, over the long run, asthma may well improve with low daily doses of beta blockers.”

Clean Air Helps Asthma

Asthma sufferers find that clean air helps their breathing. A state-of-the-art air purifier that uses ionization to drop particulates from the air, is bringing relief. It also kills germs carrying flu, salmonella, and e coli.

For more information, call 301-343-2078 and ask for Chuck MacDonald. Or go to http://www.ecobusiness.com/cmacdonald/overview-air.

ASTHMA FACTS

» 23 Million Americans suffer from asthma.
» More people have asthma than cancer or coronary heart disease.
» Asthma is only partially controlled by the best treatments now available.
» There has been no improvement in treatment in over 50 years.

(source: American Asthma Foundation)

There is no place safe from allergies in America, and some cities are more problematic than others. The Allergy Capitals is an annual research project of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) to identify “the 100 most challenging places to live with allergies” in the spring and fall seasons each year. The rankings are based on scientific analysis of 3 factors for the 100 largest metro areas in the U.S. Number of allergy specialists per patient

Top 5 Spring Allergy Capitals for 2010:

1. Knoxville, TN
2. Louisville, KY
3. Chattanooga, TN
4. Dayton, OH
5. Charlotte, NC

For the rest of the list, go to

(http://www.aafa.org/pdfs/FINAL%20public%20LIST%20Spring_2010.pdf)

Hamburgers Linked to Asthma Risk in Kids

Study Shows Higher Risk for Asthma in Kids Who Eat 3 or More Burgers a Week

By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

June 4, 2010

New research shows that kids who eat three or more burgers a week have a higher risk for developing asthma and wheezing than kids who eat fewer burgers.

Conversely, asthma risk was lower for children whose diets more closely adhered to the Mediterranean way of eating -- with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and fish.

The research is based on data from about 50,000 children living in developed, middle-income, and low-income countries.

While diet did not appear to influence the risk for common non-food allergies, such as those triggered by tree or grass pollen, diet did appear to play a role in asthma risk.

But whether the role is direct or indirect is not clear, study researcher Gabriele Nagel, PhD, of Germany's Ulm University tells WebMD.

Nagel says it may be that some fats, such as omega-3, are protective against asthma, while others, like the saturated fat in burgers, promote asthma by causing inflammation.

(www.webMD.com

Common House Dust Mites Trigger Asthma Attacks by Tricking the Immune System

San Francisco, California, January 6, 2009: The American Asthma Foundation announced a research breakthrough that explains why tiny, household pests called dust mites are a major source of airborne allergens for patients with allergic asthma.

Seth Feldman, Executive Director of the American Asthma Foundation, explains “that although dust mites are known to trigger asthma attacks, until now we did not know why the allergic response to the mites was so strong.” The mystery was solved as a result of research funded by the American Asthma Foundation’s
Research Program. The results were published December 7, 2008 on www.nature.com, the on-line edition of Nature, a prestigious scientific journal. The lead investigator, Dr. Christopher Karp, and his colleagues found that house dust mites trick the immune system into believing that it is facing a bacterial infection. Thus misinformed, the immune system
mounts a strong allergic response to the mites, a response that can trigger asthma attacks.

(http://www.americanasthmafoundation.org/research-dust-mites-trigger-asthma-attacks)

Vollara Air Purifier Cleans Air

Makes Breathing Easier for Allergy and Asthma Sufferers

Vollara's state-of-the-art air purifier rids air of dust, dust mites, mold, mildew, pollen, germs and smoke.

Studies from Kansas State and University of Cincinnati confirm the purifiers' effectiveness.

http://www.ecobusiness.com/cmacdonald/overview-air

For more information, contact Chuck MacDonald, Bowie, MD

cmacdonald@ecobusiness.com 301-343-2078

Breathing Free in Bowie

Relief for Asthma and Allergy Sufferers

Healthy Living Through Clean Air and Alkaline Water