Tag Archives: asthma

Asthma May Be an Issue for Athletes in Beijing

Olympic athletes with exercise-induced asthma may face two problems at the Games in Beijing: competing in one of the most polluted cities in the world and finding an asthma medication that is allowed under anti-doping regulations. Talk about a double whammy! Over the last decade, Beijing has spent more than seventeen billion dollars on pollution clean-up. But the site of the Summer Games is still known as one of the worst cities in the world for air quality. During the Olympic Games, the city will be cutting the number of cars on the road — a good start, but it … Continue reading →

Watch Out for Food Allergies at Summer Fairs

My friend who has celiac disease will be joining me at a craft fair this weekend — and I’m concerned that he may have a hard time finding something safe to eat. Fairs, picnics, ball games, barbeques, and other summer gatherings can be a tough place for people with food allergies. It may not be possible to get an ingredients list from a fair vendor. Often, the food may be prepared off-site by someone other than the folks working the stand. If you’re especially sensitive, there may be issues of cross-contamination — a “safe” item may become unsafe if cooked … Continue reading →

Keep Out Mold and Dust

A healthy home is a home that is free from dust, mold and other allergens. While you may think your home is clean, there are some things that you can do to ensure that it is really clean, including the air in your home. While air purifiers are on the list, there are other forms of regular maintenance that can go a long way to ensure that everyone breathes easy. Make sure your vacuum contains a HEPA filter. You would be surprised how much this will improve the air quality in your home. Don’t forget to vacuum all upholstery, carpet … Continue reading →

7 Ways to Have A Healthy Bedroom

Are you always getting colds and allergy symptoms no matter what time of year it is? Do your kids wake up with sniffles and coughs that go away later in the day? Are you tired when you wake up? If so, you might want to consider the fact that you are suffering from allergies. Your bedrooms might not be the healthiest places to sleep. Considering the importance of sleep, especially for kids, it makes sense to make a few changes in the bedroom to reduce your allergies and asthma. 1. Get rid of the carpet. Carpeting is notorious for trapping … Continue reading →

Girls Benefit Most from Breastfeeding

If you have a baby girl, it may be even more important that you breast feed than if you have a baby boy. Recent research investigated by John Hopkins Children’s Center reveals that girls may receive a greater benefit from the protective nature of breast milk than do boys, at least when it comes to one area of health. The June issue of the journal Pediatrics reports findings that suggest that breast milk provides more protection from respiratory infections for girls than it does for boys. Furthermore, girls who were formula fed had the absolute highest risk for developing respiratory … Continue reading →

Bed in a Plastic Bag

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When I was little, I had a very hard time with allergies. I was five (and my brother was three) when we first started scratch tests to figure out what we were allergic to. Among the laundry list of allergens were dust mites. Dust mites are pervasive little critters. These microscopic mites live in upholstery, pillows, mattresses, bedding, curtains, and carpets. Back in the early 1980s when we were first diagnosed with allergies, the way to deal with dust mites was to either get rid of them or block them. Most of the carpet in the house had to go. … Continue reading →

100 Worst Cities for Spring Allergies

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has released the 2008 list of the worst cities for spring allergies. The top ten cities with the worst spring allergy conditions are: Lexington, Kentucky Greensboro, North Carolina Johnson City, Tennessee Augusta, Georgia Jackson, Mississippi Knoxville, Tennessee Birmingham, Alabama New Orleans, Louisiana Little Rock, Arkansas San Diego, California Looks to me like the South is in for a bad time with allergies this spring. More than half of the top ten are in what I’d consider southern states. How do they pick the worst cities for allergies? Four factors are involved: general allergy … Continue reading →

New Advice For Children’s Allergies

Worrying about your children developing allergies? You aren’t alone. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently took a new look at pregnancy, breast-feeding, and allergies. Old wisdom — from 2000 or so — suggested that mothers who had a family history of food allergies (like milk, fish, peanuts, and tree nuts) should avoid eating those foods while breast-feeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics also had a recommended schedule for introducing children to so-called “risky” foods. The suggestions were making some parents feel like they were to blame for their children’s allergies, food allergies, and asthma. But you don’t have to feel … Continue reading →

Where Coughing Comes From

Coughing is a common ailment that sends plenty of people running to the doctor’s office. Occasional coughing can be good for you — it can clear out particles in the lungs that can lead to infection. Persistent coughing isn’t quite so helpful. Most of the time, a cough is a symptom of something else. Maybe you’ve got allergies or post-nasal drip. Maybe a medication (like a nasal spray) is making your throat irritated. Maybe something more serious — like a heart condition, serious sinus infection, the flu, or gastro-esophageal reflux (GERD) — is hiding behind that cough. Your doc will … Continue reading →

What Causes Snoring?

In a strange turn of events last night, I heard myself snoring. I was having a weird dream (sort of a monster movie kind of scenario) and one of the people in my dream kept telling me that I was snoring. “No,” I insisted. “I don’t snore.” But I could HEAR myself snoring while I was dreaming (and denying it). Very weird. I tend to talk in my sleep — I’ve done it since I was a little kid — but don’t often snore. So it made me wonder about the cause. A few different things can cause snoring, like: … Continue reading →