Asthma Health Center

News and Features Related to Asthma

Oral Contraceptives May Help Treat Asthma

Nov. 6, 2009 -- Treatment with oral contraceptives may benefit premenopausal women with asthma, even if their asthma symptoms are not strongly linked to their monthly menstrual cycles, early research suggests. In a small but rigorously designed study, researchers from the University of Alberta confi
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Acetaminophen May Be Linked to Asthma Risk

Nov. 5, 2009 -- The popular pain and fever reliever acetaminophen may be linked with an increased risk of asthma in children and adults, according to a new research review of previously published studies by Canadian researchers. But the manufacturer of Tylenol -- the brand-name version of acetaminop
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Electrical Stimulation Eases Asthma Attack

Nov. 3, 2009 -- Here’s a shocking way to help asthma patients catch their breath during a sudden and severe attack: Deliver tiny electrical impulses under the skin in the neck. Researchers from five U.S. institutions have found that electrical stimulation can safely be used to open the airways durin
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Asthma Patients Often Skip Their Medication

Oct. 23, 2009 -- Many asthma patients with poorly controlled asthma do not take their medications as prescribed, a new study from the U.K. suggests. Researchers found that in about a third of cases, poor compliance with treatment was a major factor in difficult-to-treat asthma. "There are a lot of r
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Day Care Doesn't Protect Against Asthma

Sept. 10, 2009 -- Infants and toddlers who attend day care are no less likely to develop asthma symptoms later in childhood than those who don’t attend day care, new research finds. The study challenges the so-called "hygiene hypothesis", which suggests that early exposure to infections and germs he
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Outgrowing Asthma: Is Remission Possible?

At 14, Alyssa Flanagan’s asthma symptoms all but disappeared. Since the age of 4, she had been hospitalized a few times each year -- once in the intensive care unit - when her colds turned into coughing, wheezy pneumonias. Asthma loomed large in her life. “The simplest explanation is that I’ve outgr
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Stress May Cause Asthma in Kids

July 21, 2009 -- Children living in high-stress homes may be more at risk for asthma associated with environmental triggers like traffic-related air pollution and exposure to cigarette smoke, new research shows. Among children who had regular exposure to pollution from traffic exhaust, those living
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FDA Checking Heart Risk of Xolair

July 16, 2009 -- The FDA is reviewing a possible link between the asthma drug Xolair and an increased risk of heart and cerebrovascular disorders. Since the FDA investigation is still under way, the agency is not telling doctors to stop prescribing Xolair and is not recommending any changes to the p
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Asthma and Depression

Asthma, a chronic disease of the airways, affects more than 22 million people in the U.S. Most people with asthma have symptoms such as cough and wheezing. But did you know that people with asthma have twice the risk of developing mood and anxiety disorders, including depression? Depression, with it
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Asthma in Women

When it comes to women and asthma, the ability to breathe can be affected by pregnancy, the menstrual cycle, and menopause. Women who also have allergies and other asthma triggers may struggle to get a breath of fresh air. “Unequivocally, women with asthma face an extra challenge simply because the
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