Allergy News – 2006

Exercises Curb Need for Inhaler

The use of reliever medications for mild to moderate asthma can be reduced with the help of breathing exercises, according to researchers at the University of Sydney.
Their study involved 50 asthmatics who reported taking daily inhaled corticosteroids as a preventative measure, as well as four or more doses of reliever medication (short-acting beta-2 agonists) a week. Participants were either given nasal breathing or upper body exercises to be performed twice daily. They were also encouraged to use abbreviated versions of their prescribed exercise routines should an asthma flare-up occur, followed by medication if needed.
By the end of the 28-week study, participants had lowered their dosages of inhaled coritcosteroids by 50 per cent and reduced their use of reliever medications by 86 per cent. However, overall irritation and sensitivity of the airways was not affected, suggesting that study participants may have been over-medicating and relying on reliever medications to prevent attacks.

Posted: Aug. 28/06

U.S. Switching to New Inhalers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking a step towards protecting the environment by phasing out CFC-containing asthma inhalers by December 31, 2008. Quick-acting bronchodilators may use a chemical that contains CFCs to propel the medication out of the device. CFCs (chloroflourocarbons) are known to contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer when they are released into the atmosphere.
An alternative is already available in the form of HFA (hydroflouroalkane) inhalers, which are safe for the environment. The FDA is urging asthmatics to switch to HFA inhalers as soon as possible.
Canada completed its phase-out of CFC inhalers in early 2005. Similar measures are already in place in several countries, including Australia, Japan, and parts of Europe. For more information, click HFA at the AAFAsitte

Posted: Aug. 28/06

Accidental Peanut Exposure Down

Allergists from the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal have determined that the rate of accidental exposure to peanuts has decreased significantly in the past 15 years for children with that allergy.
The researchers discovered that over the course of a year, only 29 of 252 study participants (children in the Montreal area) experienced a reaction due to unintended ingestion or contact, mainly in their own homes, or those of friends or relatives. Only one incident occurred at school.
Due to multiple episodes for a few children, the total number of reactions was 35, meaning a rate of exposure of 14.3 per cent – much lower than the 50 per cent rate reported by an American study in 1989. While this indicates a vast improvement in allergy awareness and food labeling, the McGill team were troubled that of the 35 reactions, which ranged from mild to severe, only four were treated with epinephrine, and 20 did not involve treatment by a physician.

Posted: June 16/06

Report on Christina’s Death

The coroner examining the death of Christina Desforges released his report on May 11, 2006, finding that the 15-year-old died of a lack of oxygen to the brain, caused by a severe asthma attack.
Dr. Michel Miron rejected the early speculation that Christina, of Saguenay, Quebec, had died from anaphylactic shock after kissing her boyfriend who had eaten a peanut butter sandwich. At a press conference, Miron said too many hours had passed before the kissing for peanut in the boyfriend’s saliva to have been a factor.
Miron said that Christina’s breathing problems had begun earlier in the evening, as she partied with friends who were smoking. She had also smoked some marijuana herself, a potential asthma trigger. He said that “physical activity” with her boyfriend likely also contributed to her fatal attack.
Still, in his report, the coroner stressed the importance of recognizing the seriousness of both asthma and food allergies. He noted that asthma is responsible for 150 deaths a year in Quebec, and that the Saguenay region has the highest incidence of death in the province.

He recommended:
– That ministries of the government of Quebec develop a food allergy awareness and prevention program aimed at teenagers and make it available in all provincial schools.
– That health and social service agencies throughout Quebec, and particularly in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean area, work with specialists in the field of asthma to develop an asthma education program for asthmatic patients.
–Further, the coroner asked that the ministries of health and social services and the Quebec College of Physicians work with asthma specialists to determine whether epinephrine should be the first-line medication for severe bronchospasm in those with asthma and food allergies.

Posted: May 11/06

Peanuts and Kissing

Peanut can be detected in saliva up to four hours after it has been eaten, a new study shows, and even teeth brushing doesn’t eliminate it.
Researchers at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York conclude that a peanut allergic inidividual does risk reacting to a kiss from someone who has recently eaten peanuts or peanut butter.
In the study, 10 people ate peanut butter sandwiches, and then were tested for allergen levels. Peanut levels dropped markedly as the hours passed: at one hour after eating, three had no detectable peanut remaining, but seven did. One individual tested positively for peanut four hours after eating.
The researchers say a larger group test will need to be done before recommendations can be made.

Posted: Mar. 1/06

Teenage Risk-Taking

A study of food allergic teenagers confirms the suspicion that they do take more risks with their allergies than other age groups.
The study of 174 teens and young adults, conducted by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, found that 74% of participants said they always carried an epinephrine auto-injector. But only 43% had an auto-injector available while playing sports and many did not carry one to school dances or if wearing tight clothing. See also: “High School, the Danger Years”.

Posted: Mar. 1/06

Infant Antibiotics Risk

A new study has found that infants given antibiotics in their first year of life are twice as likely to develop asthma later in childhood, though the relationship betweeen the drug and the disease remains unclear. Researchers from the University of British Columbia analyzed data from more than 12,000 children, and found that their risk of becoming asthmatic increased with each course of antibiotics, which are commonly prescribed for ear and respiratory infections. The findings may give more credence to the “hygiene hypothesis” that posits too-clean environments are forcing the immune system to attack normally harmless proteins. The findings are published in the current issue of CHEST, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

Posted: Mar. 1/06

Read Allergy News posts from 2007