Posts Tagged ‘asthma’

As the nation gears up for another July 4th holiday, those with respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and COPD need to be aware of potential disease flare ups due to soot and ozone propelled into the air by barbecues, fireworks, and the increased number of cars on roads. Exposure to high levels of ozone can cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and even heart attacks in both healthy people and those with pulmonary disease. Therefore, be aware of your local pollution level and limit strenuous exercise (which can cause you to inhale more pollutants) during times of increased air pollution. Have a safe and happy fourth!

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New York University researchers published in the New England Journal of Medicine today that long term exposure to high levels of ozone, a main component of smog, is linked to an increased risk of death from respiratory diseases. Many studies have linked ozone to poor health, and others have shown that high-ozone days are linked to increased risk of acute health problems the next day, such as more asthma and heart attacks. However, this is the first study to demonstrate the effects of long term ozone exposure. In fact, the risk of dying from respiratory disease was more than 30 per cent higher in metropolitan areas with the highest ozone levels. During the 18-year study the city with the highest mean daily maximum ozone concentration was Riverside, California; the lowest ozone city was San Francisco. But even so, the average amount of ozone in San Francisco correlated with a 14 percent increase in death from respiratory diseases.

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Researchers from Cambridge University have successfully treated a small group of children with peanut allergy through a desensitization technique. The children were given daily doses of peanut flour with the dose increasing by a small amount twice a week. By the end they were able to eat 10 whole peanuts without having an allergic reaction. This research is important as there is currently no treatment for peanut allergy. Those with peanut allergy should not try to do this without medical supervision as there is a real risk that a person will react and need emergency treatment. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America estimates that peanut allergy is the most common cause of food-related death.

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