Latest Allergy News

  • February 5, 2012
    Many kids still exposed to secondhand smoke in cars
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new government study reports that while fewer kids and teens are getting exposed to secondhand smoke while riding in the car, rates of exposure are still high enough to warrant concern.

  • February 3, 2012
    Traffic-related asthma costs two cities big money
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Traffic pollution may cost two California cities millions each year in managing children's asthma, a new study suggests.

  • February 2, 2012
    Breastfeeding tied to stronger lungs, less asthma
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids who were breastfed as babies may have better lung function, and a lower risk of asthma, than those who were formula-fed, two new reports suggest.

  • January 26, 2012
    Spike in deaths blamed on 2003 NYC power outage
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The biggest electricity blackout to occur in the United States resulted in 90 additional deaths in New York City, caused both by accidents and disease-related problems, according to a new analysis of data from the summer of 2003.

  • January 23, 2012
    Positive psychology has limited health benefits
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A psychology technique that encourages patients to think positively and gain confidence helped some with high blood pressure and heart disease stick to medication and exercise goals, according to new research.

  • January 12, 2012
    Rip Roarin' Crab Soup recalled over allergy worries
    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Blount Fine Foods is recalling some of its Rip Roarin' Crab Soup sold in 16-ounce cups because it contains undeclared milk, wheat and crab, the company said.

  • January 11, 2012
    Pool chlorine tied to lung damage in elite swimmers
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Competitive swimmers who train at indoor chlorinated swimming pools may have lung changes similar to those seen in people with mild asthma, a new study has found.

  • January 11, 2012
    REFILE: Pot smokers don't puff away lung health: study
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A few hits on the bong now and then don't seem to have any detrimental effects on lung health, suggests a new study.

  • December 28, 2011
    Parents show modest gains after smoking programs
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - About one out of every four parents with small children responds to interventions to help them quit smoking, which is slightly better than the one in five parents who would quit without any special help, according to a new study.

  • December 27, 2011
    Getting a cat ups allergy risk in adults
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While having a cat as a kid may protect against future allergies, getting one in adulthood nearly doubles the chances of developing an immune reaction to it -- the first step toward wheezing, sneezing and itchy eyes.

  • December 26, 2011
    Holiday recalls hit snack makers, alfalfa producer

  • December 26, 2011
    Ulcer bacteria may protect against diarrhea
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who harbor ulcer-causing bacteria in their stomachs may be protected against some diarrheal diseases, suggests a new study.

  • December 23, 2011
    Sirocco Enterprises recalls cocktail mix on allergy fears

  • December 21, 2011
    US rolls out tough rules on coal plant pollution
    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Wednesday unveiled the first-ever standards to slash mercury emissions from coal-fired plants, a move aimed at protecting public health that critics say will kill jobs as plants shut down.

  • December 21, 2011
    Decision sharing tied to lower cost for kids' care
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Parents who report having an increased involvement in making decisions about their children's medical treatment are more likely to see lower risks of their kids going to the emergency room or being hospitalized, according to a new study.

  • December 20, 2011
    Lower asthma risk in chubby tots who slim down
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Overweight preschoolers who keep the extra pounds have a heightened asthma risk at age seven, but the baby fat doesn't seem to matter for kids who slim down, a new study suggests.

  • December 16, 2011
    Surgery checklist works, but benefits may vary
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A surgical checklist, similar to what pilots use before every flight, can lower patient death rates, a study at one hospital confirms -- though the drop was smaller than past research has found.

  • December 14, 2011
    Rice cakes recalled over undeclared egg
    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rhee Bros Inc is recalling eight-ounce packages of Assi brand Korean rice cakes because they contain undeclared egg, the Hanover, Maryland, company said on Wednesday.

  • December 9, 2011
    Weak Dutch tobacco controls to cost lives: experts
    LONDON (Reuters) - Leading cancer, asthma and heart health experts accused the Dutch government on Friday of "all but closing down" its tobacco controls and said such lax policies could lead to 145,000 preventable deaths by 2040.

  • December 8, 2011
    FDA staff worried about lung risk with Alexza drug
    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alexza Pharmaceutical's experimental drug for calming down patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder can cause severe lung problems, U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviewers said.

  • December 2, 2011
    Obese people use more meds: study
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese adults in the United States use a number of prescription drug types more frequently than normal-weight adults, says a new study from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • December 1, 2011
    Even low pollen levels can trigger kids' asthma
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids with asthma and pollen allergies were more likely to wheeze, cough and have shortness of breath and other asthma symptoms -- even when pollen levels were considered "low" -- in a new study that suggests parents need to be careful in all seasons.

  • November 23, 2011
    Traffic pollution may be linked to diabetes risk
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who live in areas with high levels of traffic-related air pollution may face a slightly increased risk of developing diabetes, Danish researchers conclude in a new study.

  • November 23, 2011
    Costly US health system delivers uneven care: OECD
    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. healthcare system is more effective at delivering high costs than quality care, according to a new study that found first-rate treatment for cancer but insufficient primary care for other ailments.

  • October 27, 2011
    Steroid medications tied to vitamin D deficiency
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who use oral steroid medications may be at greater-than-average risk of a serious vitamin D deficiency, a new study suggests.

  • October 25, 2011
    Asthma drugs may increase attacks in kids: report
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - One class of drugs used to prevent wheezing and shortness of breath in people with asthma may increase kids' risk of being hospitalized for an asthma attack, according to a new analysis from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

  • October 25, 2011
    Smog dims shine of India's festival of lights
    NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Bharat Prakash has stayed indoors on Diwali day for the past four years to avoid the smog that envelopes Indian cities during the festival, which celebrates the triumph of good over evil with fireworks and small oil-filled clay lamps.

  • October 20, 2011
    Organizing care for special needs kids saves money
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Families with special needs kids can save up to a third of their out-of pocket medical expenses by having a so-called "medical home" coordinate the care for their child, a news study suggests.

  • October 18, 2011
    Hospital safety practices unrelated to outcomes
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Whether or not trauma centers meet national safety standards says little about a patient's risk of dying or getting an infection while there, according to new research.

  • October 17, 2011
    Ailing and overweight Americans cost billions
    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Full-time U.S. workers who have chronic health troubles or are overweight cost more than $153 billion in lost productivity each year from absenteeism, according to a Gallup-Healthways study released on Monday.

  • October 13, 2011
    Brewers yeast tablets recalled for milk allergens

  • October 13, 2011
    Do hospitals do enough to help smokers quit?
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Nearly every smoker hospitalized in the United States is given advice or counseling on how to quit, according to a new study of hospital records.

  • October 10, 2011
    Children's chest pain rarely signals heart problem
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children and teenagers who complain of chest pain only rarely have a heart problem causing it, a study published Monday suggests.

  • October 10, 2011
    Kids of obese mothers have higher risk of asthma
    HONG KONG (Reuters) - Pregnant women who are obese are more likely to have children with asthma than are mothers of normal weight, a large study in Sweden has found.

  • October 7, 2011
    City cyclists breathe in twice as much soot: study
    New York (Reuters Health) - Urban cyclists may be exposed to more than twice as much black carbon from vehicle exhaust as pedestrians, a small new study suggests.

  • October 6, 2011
    Workplace pollutants tied to kids' asthma risk
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A mother's exposure to airborne pollutants may increase the likelihood that her unborn child will later develop asthma, a new study suggests.

  • October 6, 2011
    Nobel winner's last big experiment: Himself
    CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) In the last few years of his life, Dr. Ralph Steinman made himself into an extraordinary human lab experiment, testing a series of unproven therapies - including some he helped to create - as he waged a very personal battle with pancreatic cancer.

  • October 6, 2011
    Younger COPD sufferers report job and life burdens
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Worldwide, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases are damaging the confidence, and the incomes, of an increasing number of patients still of working age, a new international survey found.

  • October 5, 2011
    EPA easing air quality rule for power plants: report
    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to ease a new air pollution rule that would require power plants in 27 states to slash emissions, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

  • October 4, 2011
    Hospital asthma grades not linked to healthier kids
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Hospitals that meet performance standards for treating kids with asthma aren't any better at keeping those kids from showing up in the emergency room with asthma problems in the future, according to new research.

  • October 3, 2011
    Nobel winner joked about delaying death until prize
    NEW YORK (Reuters) - When Canadian scientist Ralph Steinman was admitted to hospital a week ago, his children joked with him about fending off death until the Nobel prize for medicine was announced on Monday.

  • October 3, 2011
    Christie White House bid talk spurs obesity debate

  • September 30, 2011
    Allergies linked to baby's birthplace, gut bugs
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Where and how a baby is born might affect its chances of getting allergies and asthma growing up, suggests a new study.

  • September 29, 2011
    Russian gangs behind global medicine scams-UK police
    LONDON (Reuters) - Russian gangs and their Chinese associates are making billions of dollars from selling fake and unlicensed medicines over the Internet, putting thousands of people at risk, British police and medical regulators said on Thursday.

  • September 28, 2011
    Few poor kids get asthma meds after ER visit
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When low-income children end up in the ER with an asthma attack, few are prescribed the medication needed to prevent further attacks, a study of South Carolina children suggests.

  • September 26, 2011
    Asthma tied to poorer diabetes control in kids
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids with diabetes may have a higher-than-average rate of asthma, and those with both conditions seem to have a tougher time keeping their blood sugar under control, a study out Monday suggests.

  • September 26, 2011
    Gene could explain why asthma treatments fail some
    CHICAGO (Reuters) - Genetic differences could explain why some 40 percent of people with asthma do not respond to inhaled steroids used to achieve long-term asthma control.

  • September 23, 2011
    'Telemonitoring' may not help with severe asthma
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A device that allows doctors to remotely monitor children with poorly controlled asthma may not help reduce serious asthma attacks, a small study finds.

  • September 22, 2011
    US FDA bans CFCs in some inhalers as of next year

  • September 20, 2011
    Preemies face higher death rates as young adults
    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When preemies grow up to be young adults, they could face slightly increased death rates, according to a new study based on Swedish data.