Heat treatment helps most severe cases of asthma (23 Jan 2012)
Bronchial thermoplasty delivers heat to the walls of the airways, reducing the tightening that makes it hard to breathe.

Inter-relationships between different classes of chemical allergens (23 Jan 2012)
Chemicals that cause skin-sensitisation may also cause sensitisation of the respiratory organs, resulting in rhinitis and/or asthma.

The association of acetaminophen (paracetamol) and asthma prevalence and severity (Dec 2011, reported online 25 Jan 2012)
Until the safety of paracetamol/acetaminophen is established, children with, or at risk of, asthma should avoid this drug.

A sheep model to investigate the role of fungal biofilms in sinusitis: fungal and bacterial synergy (Sept 2011, reported online: 31 Jan 2012)
Although still poorly understood, fungal infection may be involved in sinusitis.

Oral antifungal therapy for chronic rhinosinusitis and its subtypes: a systematic review (Sept 2011, reported online: 31 Jan 2012)
The data gathered so far suggests that oral anti fungal medicines may have a beneficial effect on chronic sinusitis.

Exposure to common environmental bacteria may be source of some allergic inflammation (31 Jan 2012)
Some cases of asthma may be caused by an allergic reaction to a common environmental bacterium.

Association between cleaning-related chemicals and work-related asthma among healthcare professionals (Jan 2012)
Healthcare professionals are at risk of developing work-related asthma from exposure to cleaning substances.

Breastfeeding tied to stronger lungs, less asthma (3 Feb 2012)
Kids who were breastfed as babies may have better lung function, and lower risk of asthma, than those who were formula-fed.

E-cigarettes cause lung damage (3 Feb 2012)
Smokeless "e-cigarettes" cause adverse effects of their own, including airway constriction and inflammation.

Reflux Drugs No Help for Children With Asthma (24 Jan 2012)
Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment doesn't ease asthma for children who don't have gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, even for those with a positive pH test.

Traffic-related asthma costs two cities big money (3 Feb 2012)
A new study reveals the true financial cost of traffic pollution in respect of the health of asthmatics.

Allergic march in children, from rhinitis to asthma: management, indication of immunotherapy (3 Feb 2012)
The early employment of immunotherapy to treat rhinitis has the potential to prevent the allergic march and the possible subsequent development of asthma.

Unraveling the mystery of the hygiene hypothesis through Helicobacter pylori infection (6 Feb 2012)
It is already known that infection with the gastric bug, H. pylori, provides reliable protection against allergy-induced asthma. This new research also strengthens the intriguing link between pathogen exposure and allergic disease in general.

Drinking Large Amounts of Soft Drinks Associated With Asthma and COPD (7 Feb 2012)
A high level of soft drink consumption is associated with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the more soft drinks consumed, the higher the risk. Smoking further compounds this relationship.

Enhancing ventilation in homes of children with asthma likely to be cost-effective (Nov 2011, online 10 Feb 2012)
Improving ventilation and heating in the homes of children with moderate to severe asthma is likely to be a cost-effective strategy.
Also see this article.

Impact of air pollution on asthma and allergic diseases (Sept 2011, online: 14 Feb 2012)
Research suggests a causative relationship between air pollution and the increased incidence of asthma and allergic disorders.
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How helicobacter pylori infection protects against allergic asthma (6 Feb 2012)
This research in mice strengthens the intriguing link between pathogen exposure and allergic disease by showing how H. pylori infection in neonates elicits the generation of regulatory T cells that reduce the risk of allergic disease.

Antibiotics Ineffective for Most Sinus Infections (14 Feb 2012)
Antibiotics typically prescribed for sinus infections do not reduce symptoms any better than an inactive placebo.

Overweight in early childhood linked with asthma and allergic sensitisation (Jan 2012, online at 15 Feb 2012)
A high BMI at age 7 years is associated with an increased risk of asthma and sensitisation to inhalant allergens.

Loratadine is safe and effective for the treatment of childhood asthma (Nov 2011, online at 15 Feb 2012)
This is the conclusion of reviewers following consideration of 179 scientific papers.

Want an asthma-free child? Get a pet while you are pregnant (17 Feb 2012)
Mothers who spend time with pets during their pregnancy are less likely to have children with allergies and asthma.

Study Links Asthma To paracetamol/acetaminophen (21 Feb 2012)
A study concludes that acetaminophen (paracetamol) use has contributed to the recent increase in asthma prevalence in children.

Are viral infection and allergy linked to the development of asthma? (18 Feb 2012)
Could airway inflammation resulting from viral respiratory infections, in someone who is atopic, cause or worsen asthma?

Home-visit program may improve children's asthma (23 Feb 2012)
In-home instruction can reduce hospitalisations and save money.

Intake of alcohol and risk of adult-onset asthma (Feb 2012)
Alcohol intake is associated with new-onset asthma in adults.

Treating symptoms of allergic rhinitis improved asthma outcomes (3 Mar 2012)
Allergic rhinitis and asthma may be considered as manifestations of one syndrome that has a wide spectrum of severity.

Asthma medications may be less effective in overweight children (4 Mar 2012)
Children with asthma who have a higher body mass index may mount a weaker response to corticosteroid medications because chronic inflammation, as seen in obese patients, can interfere with the body’s response to this type of drug, leading to a higher requirement for them in patients with asthma.

Many Asthmatics Do Well on Food-Allergy Tests (4 Mar 2012)
People with asthma fare better than non-asthmatics on a type of food-allergy test called a "food challenge".

Farm Living Linked to Low Asthma Prevalence (5 Mar 2012)
A study comparing asthma and allergic rhinitis prevalence among Amish children in the US with those of Swiss children living both on and off farms shows that asthma prevalence among the Amish is low, and similar to that of the children living on Swiss farms, lending further support to the hygiene hypothesis as a factor in asthma and allergy.

A herb to fight asthma (5 Mar 2012)
A traditional Chinese herbal remedy known as kampo helped to relieve daily asthma symptoms in nearly all of the 200 people studied.

Children With Asthma at Higher Risk for Shingles (5 Mar 2012)
Children with asthma have a higher risk for developing the painful skin rash, shingles, following infection with the herpes zoster virus.

Exposure to antibiotics linked to severity of allergic asthma (16 Mar 2012)
Widely used antibiotics may increase the incidence and severity of allergic asthma in early life by disrupting gut bacteria.

Systematic review of the effectiveness of breathing retraining in asthma management (Dec 2011, online 20 Mar 2012)
There is evidence of benefit from yoga, Buteyko breathing technique and physiotherapist-led breathing training in improving asthma-related quality of life.

Antibiotics Disturb Normal Gut Bacteria, Increase Severity Of Allergic Asthma (20 Mar 2012)
Widely used antibiotics may increase incidence and severity of allergic asthma in early life.

The role of gut microbiota in the development of asthma (online 23 Mar 2012)
The intestinal microbiota plays an independent and potentially interactive role in the development of asthma, and is impacted buy various factors including caesarean delivery, breastfeeding, perinatal stress, probiotics, and antibiotics.

Air pollution from trucks and low-quality heating oil may explain childhood asthma hot spots (27 Mar 2012)
Asthma rates among school-age children can range from a low of three percent to a high of 19 percent depending on the child's neighbourhood, and may be explained by varying levels of air pollution from trucks and residential heating oil.

How Raw Milk Protects Against Asthma (31 Mar 2012)
An analysis published in the prestigious Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology shows that children who drink raw milk are less likely to have asthma.

Pycnogenol may assist asthma management (Sept 2011, online at 10 Apr 2012)
Pycnogenol administration may improve control of allergic asthma and reduce the need for medication.

Alternaria Sensitization Common in Children With Severe Asthma (12 Apr 2012)
Children with severe asthma may have their already serious symptoms further worsened by sensitisation to common household fungi in the genus Alternaria.

Do environmental toxicants contribute to allergy and asthma? (Mar 2012, online at 17 Apr 2012)
Research has linked environmental chemicals (such as pesticides, solvents, and air pollutants) to increasing rates of both asthma and allergies. Additional evidence suggests the possibility that oral supplementation of N-acetylcysteine and the use of sulforaphanes might be therapeutic options for countering type 1 hypersensitivity disorders caused by environmental chemicals.

Depression Can Worsen Nasal Allergies (20 Apr 2012)
Mood disorders such as depression have been found to undermine treatment of some nasal conditions including allergies and chronic rhino sinusitis.

The role of vitamin D in asthma (Apr 2012)
Vitamin D metabolises to produce immune-modulatory hormones that are able to suppress allergic airway disease, and even to regulate some genetic factors that may contribute to asthma.

Low concentrations of selenium and zinc are associated with childhood asthma (Dec 2011, online at 27 Apr 2012)
The study results clearly demonstrated an association between low concentrations of selenium and zinc in children's nails and asthma.

A third of asthmatics at 'high risk' of fatal attack (1 May 2012)
A third of people with asthma are at a high risk of having a potentially fatal asthma attack, research based on an online test reveals.

Secondhand smoke continues to vex children with asthma (1 May 2012)
Despite longstanding recommendations for children with asthma to avoid tobacco smoke, many youths are still exposed to secondhand smoke and their health suffers as a result.

Many Asthmatic Kids are Harmed by Secondhand Smoke (1 May 2012)
Exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk of having three or more visits to a doctor or emergency room due to wheezing in the past year; sleep disturbed by wheezing one or more nights a week; and exercise limitations because of wheezing.

Caloric restriction may help asthma (Podcast) (7 May 2012)
Alternate-day caloric restriction can reduce symptoms in overweight asthma patients.

Acupuncture May Help Some People with COPD (14 May 2012)
Three months of acupuncture improved breathing problems in people with chronic lung disease, in a new study from Japan.

Effect of cat and daycare exposures on the risk of asthma in children with atopic dermatitis (May 2012)
In children with atopic dermatitis, cat and daycare exposure may reduce the risk of them developing early childhood asthma.

Asthma drug discovery (21 May 2012)
Researchers have uncovered a new mechanism of action for a group of asthma drugs already on the market, which could enable more effective treatment for patients with a particular type of allergic asthma, potentially removing the need for steroids.