Asthma
Cleaning Products Linked to Worsening Lung and B…
Years ago, researchers reported that women who use common cleaning products are at risk for reduced lung function. The drop was gradual, but it appeared to be sustained. More recently, scientists have…
Should Prescribers Discuss FDA’s Drug Warnings…
Physicians, nurse practitioners and physician associates can all prescribe medications. But they are admonished to “do no harm.” That puts them in a double bind. Every single drug that they recomm…
How to Prevent Asthma Flares with Vitamin D
Asthma can be notoriously difficult to control. Asthma flares may occur on the heels of a respiratory tract infection or after an exposure to an allergenic trigger. Is there any way to prevent such as…
Can You Save Money by Importing Drugs from Canad…
The Trump administration made headlines when it announced a plan to allow the importation of drugs from Canada. The stated goal was to save patients money. Alex Azar, then head of Health and Human Ser…
Show 1369: What to Do If You Catch the Flu
This week, we hear from pulmonologist Roger Seheult, MD, about ways we can strengthen our immune responses to respiratory infections. Seasonal influenza activity is high and still rising in most parts…
Primatene Mist Is Back on Drugstore Shelves
More than 26 million Americans, roughly 8 percent of the population, have asthma. In this condition, airway inflammation can lead to constriction. People may cough, wheeze and find it very difficult t…
Authorized Generic Drugs Offer Quality and Affor…
Have you ever heard of authorized generic drugs? Most people, including some physicians and pharmacists, have no idea what they are. That’s largely because the Food and Drug Administration tells the…
Show 1354: How Hypnosis Can Help Your Health
Would you be surprised to learn that hypnosis is a powerful tool for healing? If your primary exposure to this practice has been in books and movies, you may have a few misconceptions about how it wor…
Should Pharmacists Be Able to Prescribe Behind t…
Many countries give pharmacists the authority to prescribe a substantial number of medications. The pharmaceuticals they can offer patients are labeled BTC for “behind the counter” drugs. They inc…
Azithromycin for Asthma AMAZES
Hard-to-treat asthma can be a life-threatening lung disease. That's why research from Australia suggesting that the antibiotic azithromycin (Zithromax) helps asthma is so exciting. The authors called …
What Are the Hazards of Hair Straighteners?
Some African-American women regularly use hair-straightening products to achieve the look they like. Studies suggest, however, that these cosmetics are far from benign. What are the dangers of hair st…
Aluminum in Vaccines and Risk of Asthma in Kids
This new study is controversial. It was funded by your tax dollars. Almost a decade ago, the Institute of Medicine requested research on the safety of childhood vaccines and aluminum. A preliminary st…
Prednisone Withdrawal: Can You Ever Stop Cortico…
Corticosteroids are powerful double-edged swords. One side of the blade is beneficial. It can save lives. The other side can do incredible harm. Balancing the benefits against the risks of drugs like …
Lactose in ADVAIR DISKUS Is Unexpected Ingredien…
Our readers often make us aware of medication problems we could never discover on our own. Such is the case with lactose in ADVAIR DISKUS for asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Th…
Show 1282: How Climate Change Affects Our Health
In September, more than 200 top medical journals around the world took the unprecedented step of publishing the same editorial. It was “Call for Emergency Action to Limit Global Temperature Increase…
Show 1270: How Your Microbiome Shapes Your Immun…
In the middle of a pandemic, you probably want to know how well your immune system is functioning. Even more important, what if anything can you do to support it? Scientists have found that the microb…
Trelegy for COPD Leads to Hoarseness
According to the CDC, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is surprisingly common. The experts say that at least 16 million Americans suffer with this challenging breathing problem. We’re …
Show 1253: The Lessons of COVID-19 on How to Avo…
Over the past year, the world has faced a global pandemic due to a previously unknown virus. People wanted and needed to know how the virus spread from person to person. At first, the focus was on fom…
Show 1208: Keeping Kids Healthy in the Age of Co…
Schools are closed and kids are home so that they don’t catch COVID-19 and spread it to family members. Of course, parents don’t want their children to get sick, either. How are we keeping kids he…
Singulair – Montelukast Warning About Psyc…
What took the FDA so long to issue a montelukast warning about serious neuropsychiatric reactions? We are constantly amazed that the Food and Drug Administration moves so slowly when it comes to serio…
Are Household Cleaners Harmful to Babies?
New parents may attempt to protect their babies from germs, but they shouldn’t try to keep their homes too clean. Household cleaners may have undesirable side effects. The Dangers of Common Ho…
Asthma Expert Questions Conventional Asthma Trea…
For decades, asthma experts have told their medical colleagues to prescribe daily use of low-dose corticosteroid inhalers to treat mild, persistent asthma. This recommendation has been enshrined in in…
Strong Vitamin D Helps Protect Kids from Air Pol…
Children exposed to air pollution, including indoor air pollution, are more likely to develop asthma. New research suggests, however, that those with strong vitamin D blood levels may be partially pro…
What’s Your Personal Invisible Cloud Made …
Many people have heard of the microbiota in our digestive tracts. This collection of bacteria, viruses and fungi live together inside us and impact our health. It is sometimes referred to as the "micr…
When Do Americans Develop a Sweet Tooth?
How early do Americans develop their sweet tooth and a taste for added sugar? A new study found that 99 percent of toddlers less than two years old consumed more than seven teaspoons of added sugar a …
You Don’t Have to Be a Farmer to Benefit f…
Epidemiologists have observed that children who grow up on farms are less susceptible to allergies than their urban counterparts. (Our previous report on this interesting phenomenon is below.) Now a D…
What Are the Best Drugs for a Desert Island Adve…
Remember Robinson Crusoe? He was the protagonist in a novel written by Daniel Defoe that was published in 1719. Crusoe was stranded on a desert island for 28 years before being rescued. A modern versi…
How to Overcome Hoarseness from Advair
Have you become so hoarse you could barely talk? Most people have experienced laryngitis as part of a respiratory tract infection like a cold or bronchitis. But some people report that certain inhaled…
How Does Temperature Affect Mail Order Medicines…
Many insurance companies love mail order pharmacies. That’s because they can often save money by having patients get their medicines from large services rather than local pharmacies. Pharmacy benefi…
Steroid Inhaler Laryngitis (SIL) More Common Tha…
The standard treatment for asthma and COPD often involves inhaled corticosteroid drugs like beclomethasone (Qvar), budesonide (Pulmicort, Symbicort) and fluticasone (Advair, Flovent). One side …
Curing Asthma By Eliminating An Underlying Funga…
Asthma is often perceived as a life-long condition that cannot be cured. Millions of people are prescribed corticosteroid drugs and bronchodilators for years if not for decades. Many absolutely must t…
What Should You Do If Your Medicine Freezes?
There are very stringent guidelines about how medicines should be stored. The manufacturer and the FDA agree about the proper temporary and long-term storage temperatures. We fear that pharmaceutical …
Can You Cure Asthma With Antifungal Medicine?
For many people, asthma is a mysterious condition. Wheezing and shortness of breath may seem to come from nowhere. Health professionals frequently blame asthma on allergies. Perhaps a person is allerg…
Do Sex Hormones Have an Impact on Asthma?
Researchers have long wondered why asthma is significantly more common in women than in men. This disparity is especially striking because the reverse is true before puberty. As a result, scientists h…
A Dog in the Home: Less Asthma and Eczema for Ki…
Parents may be able to reduce the chance of their children developing asthma with a simple approach: get a dog. Two studies presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology showed t…
Should You Worry About Scary Corticosteroid Side…
Cortisone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone and prednisone are called corticosteroids or glucocorticoids. These drugs dampen an overactive immune reaction. They can soot…
Will Inhaled Steroids Make You Vulnerable to Met…
Inhaled corticosteroid medications such as beclomethasone or fluticasone are prescribed to calm lung inflammation. Such drugs make it easier for people with asthma or COPD to breathe. Doctors have f…
How Could People Treated for Asthma Not Have It?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that about 17.7 American adults, or around 7 percent of the population, is currently being treated for asthma. But do all of them actually have …
Will Ham and Bacon Make You Wheeze?
Adults who love sausage, bacon, ham, prosciutto, pepperoni, pastrami and other cured meats could be setting themselves up to wheeze. That is the conclusion of a new study from France. What Did the Stu…
How to Lower the Chance that a Baby will Develop…
What can a parent do to reduce a child's chance of asthma? Until recently, the only advice doctors had was obvious: don't expose a baby or youngster to cigarette smoke. While that is still critical, D…