Archive for allergy
Could we cure or prevent food allergy by targeting an intestinal protein?
When is food simply nourishing and enjoyable, and when does it provoke an allergic reaction? The answer appears to lie in the balance of microbes that live in our intestine — and a specific protein secreted by intestinal goblet cells that influences that balance. Excess amounts of this protein, RELMß, change the profile of intestinal ... Read More about Could we cure or prevent food allergy by targeting an intestinal protein?
Keeping up with the tween skin care trend: What’s in those products?
More teens and tweens are hitting the mall to grab skin-care products they’ve seen on social media — but are these popular ingredients safe for younger skin? We asked Dr. Jennifer Tan and Dr. Jennifer Huang in Boston Children’s Dermatology Program to weigh in on this trend and break down common ingredients. Trends aren’t for ... Read More about Keeping up with the tween skin care trend: What’s in those products?
Will early intervention prevent asthma in school-age children?
Asthma affects about 1 in 10 children, often sending them to the emergency room or causing them to miss school. Allergic conditions in young children — like food allergies or eczema — are often a precursor. Susceptible children begin producing IgE antibodies, which trigger allergic reactions and spur the “allergic march” toward asthma. IgE antibodies ... Read More about Will early intervention prevent asthma in school-age children?
Five ways to help manage your child’s asthma this school year
While fall is a time of considerable change for children — a new school year with new challenges — it can also be especially difficult for those with asthma. Between viruses, allergies, and colder air, asthma triggers increase for many children in the fall. Late summer is an ideal time to ensure your child is ... Read More about Five ways to help manage your child’s asthma this school year
How transnasal endoscopy got Jamie back on the golf course
Jamie is like most 15-year-olds — he goes to school, hangs out with his friends, and still makes time to get outside to play some golf and baseball. However, when Jamie was having bouts of throwing up and getting food stuck in his throat, he and his mom, Tricia, knew it wasn’t just a case ... Read More about How transnasal endoscopy got Jamie back on the golf course
Spring into good health: Tips for allergies, poison ivy, and tick bites
Spring is here — and so are allergies, poison ivy, and ticks carrying Lyme disease. But that doesn’t mean your family shouldn’t embrace springtime. Here are some tips to help your child best control allergies and avoid (and treat, if necessary) poison ivy and tick bites. Simple steps and home remedies can tame allergies Managing spring allergies doesn’t have ... Read More about Spring into good health: Tips for allergies, poison ivy, and tick bites
Addressing inequities in asthma by focusing on children’s environments
Asthma strikes children in low-income urban areas especially hard, more often sending them to the hospital. For more than 20 years, Dr. Wanda Phipatanakul at Boston Children’s Hospital has been investigating why — and seeking ways to level the playing field. “Children in low-income areas and children of color often aren’t diagnosed early enough with ... Read More about Addressing inequities in asthma by focusing on children’s environments
Is it allergies or COVID-19?
Allergy season has kicked off earlier this year than usual. This means children may start having symptoms — such as coughing and sore throat — that are similar to those of COVID-19, but are triggered by a reaction to pollen or grass. Dr. Subhadra Siegel the director of the Allergy and Immunology Program at Boston Children’s ... Read More about Is it allergies or COVID-19?
Racial differences in response to asthma therapies, and other AsthmaNet lessons
African Americans have higher rates of serious asthma attacks, hospitalizations, and asthma-related deaths than whites. Now, a large multicenter study of African Americans with poorly controlled asthma finds that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to common asthma treatments. Results appear in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The randomized study had ... Read More about Racial differences in response to asthma therapies, and other AsthmaNet lessons
‘Good’ bacteria may prevent – and reverse – food allergy
Food allergy is a large and growing public health problem. For reasons that remain a mystery, the number of Americans who suffer from the disease has risen sharply over the last decade to as many as 32 million, according to one recent estimate. Nearly 8 percent of children in the U.S. — about two in ... Read More about ‘Good’ bacteria may prevent – and reverse – food allergy