General
Allergies
Sites for Receiving Flu Shots - [10/26/08]
Summary: The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America is providing a free service to help people with allergies or asthma find clinics that provide flu shots. The Flu Shot Finder uses zip codes and links to a database of over 35,000 flu shot clinics nationwide. Patients are provided with clinic names, phone numbers, dates, hours, and addresses of the clinics.
Comment: Over 20 million Americans have asthma, and about 50 million have allergies. Chronic respiratory disorders such as asthma and allergies can make these people especially susceptible to catching the flu virus. By using the Flu Shot Finder it will be easy for people with these conditions to receive a flu shot. Getting a flu shot every year is important to the overall health of those with allergies or asthma.
Read article - HealthNewsDigest.com October 26, 2008
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Children and Adults React to Different Allergens - [10/22/08]
Summary: Children and adults taking the allergy patch test are equally likely to have allergic contact dermatitis, but tend to react to different allergens. About half of the patients taking the test have an allergic reaction. Children were more likely to react to nickel, cobalt, thimerosal, and lanolin. Adults were more likely to react to neomycin, fragrance mix, M. pereirae, and quaternium 15. Children were also more likely to be diagnosed with atopic dermatitis.
Comment: The allergens identified to cause reactions more commonly in this study can be used in patch tests to better diagnose children in the future. This study also showed that patch tests are effective in diagnosing both children and adults accurately.
Read article - Science Daily October 22, 2008
Patients Misunderstand Written Screening Tests - [10/14/08]
Summary: The majority of physicians require patients to answer written questions while in the waiting room to visit the doctor. However, a new survey has revealed the gap between doctors and patients in the process of answering the written questions. Because of the difference in literacy between patients and physicians, most patients are confused, or don't understand most of the questions. According to Dr. Master, one of the authors of this survey, the predominant reason for this is illiteracy.
Comment: Illiteracy is becoming more common in American which is causing great problems to physicians. Not only is there a problem with illiteracy but also with patients who are innumerate. By answering the surveys to the best of your abilities, you will receive better diagnosis or treatment of CONDITION.
Read article - Medical News TODAY October 14, 2008
Internet Consulted More Often Than Doctors - [10/12/08]
Summary: New market research shows that over the past year more adults went to the internet to get health information than consulted a doctor. This trend may likely be the product of an increasing consumer comfort in using the web to find reliable medical information. In addition, rising costs of healthcare coverage and visits to the doctor may be adding to the preference for first looking for information online.
Comment: The impacts of this trend, as well as others, will be discussed in an online seminar entitled "Is TV Dead? How the New New Media Changes Pharmaceutical DTC Advertising". The event is scheduled for October 14th at 11am EST and October 16th at 3pm EST.
Read article - Medical News Today. October 12, 2008.
Read article - Register for the Seminar
Vitamin D Linked to Overall Health - [10/10/08]
Summary: Vitamin D has been linked to improved overall health. This vitamin affects 36 organ tissues in the body including bone marrow, breast, colon, intestine, kidney, lung, prostate, retina, skin, stomach and uterus tissues. It has also been linked to improving immune systems, insulin secretion, heart health, blood pressure, muscle, brain activity, and decreased risk of cancer. For most adults 200-600 IU of daily vitamin D is recommended, but some experts recommend up to 2000 IU daily.
Comment: Vitamin D has previously been thought to improve bone health, but this study shows that it can affect all areas of health. By increased intake of vitamin D people with allergies can experience improved health.
Read article - Medical News TODAY October 10, 2008
Medicare Eliminates Coverage for 10 "Reasonably Preventable" Errors - [10/02/08]
Summary: New regulations, which will take effect next Wednesday, have Medicare halting payment for 10 errors which they have deemed "conditions that could reasonably have been prevented." Expected to affect hundreds of thousands, the new rules will mostly likely not result in a major reduction in expenses.
Comment: This new decision comes on the heels of announcements by four state Medicaid organizations last year in which they eliminated 28 "never events", preventable errors, from coverage. The trend seems to be growing and could have negative ramifications for millions of Americans. Among others, healthcare professionals have begun expressing concern about the decision.
Read article - Medical News Today. October 2, 2008.
Efforts to Reduce Ethnic and Racial Disparities - [09/29/08]
Summary: This article outlines current efforts are being made to reduce racial and ethnic health care disparities. These include the Respira program, which focuses on providing asthma education and outreach to Hispanic communities. Another program is a lecture that seeks to improve knowledge of blood pressure management and diabetes. Other efforts involve grants to increase levels of minority students in medical programs, and campaigns to increase medical literacy in minority communities.
Comment: Racial and ethnic disparities exist in most areas of medical care including allergies. These disparities can often be dangerous to the health of minority people. These programs are aiming to close the gaps in health care, which can result in better care for people with allergies.
Read article - Medical News TODAY September 29, 2008
Long Lasting Allergy Vaccines May Be in the Near Future - [09/28/08]
Summary: A new vaccine is being developed which will require fewer administrations and offer longer-lasting relief. The vaccine is being created to treat ragweed symptoms and will, hopefully, be ready for use within a few years.
Comment: Vaccines have become an alternative treatment for those who suffer from allergies but can find no relief from antihistamines. However, the current number of injections required to build up immune response is high, creating a major drawback. The goal of this new vaccine is to overcome those drawbacks and create an overall better treatment option.
Read article - Healthfinder.gov. September 28, 2008.
Increased Risk of Allergies or Asthma from Chlorinated Outdoor Pools - [09/25/08]
Summary: Researchers found that children who swim in chlorinated outdoor pools are five times more likely to develop allergies or asthma than children who have never swum in an outdoor pool. The suspected reason for this is that chlorine vapors from the surface of the pool enter the upper airways and can cause respiratory effects.
Comment: Some may think it is safer to swim outdoors than indoors because of the trapped chlorine vapors, but this study has proved that theory wrong. Outdoors pose the same risk for developing allergies or asthma. Because of this it is important to monitor the amount of hours spent in a chlorinated pool and the amount of chlorine in the pool. Doctors advise parents to avoid letting their children attend pools with strong smells of chlorine.
Read article - Medical News TODAY September 25, 2008
Exposure to Bacteria may Prevent Allergies - [09/22/08]
Summary: Some forms of exposure to parasites, bacteria, and viruses was found to actually prevent the onset of Type 1 diabetes, asthma, allergies, and other immune system disorders. These certain forms of bacteria can build the immune system to make people less susceptible to these conditions.
Comment: Because allergies come from immune responses, exposure to more bacteria is not necessarily a bad thing. Allergies can be serious and harmful, so the more you can build your immune system, the better. Allergies are a serious condition and it is important to understand the ways you can prevent it.
Read article - Medical News TODAY September 22, 2008