The People's Perspective on MedicineArticles categorized as Asthma
Show 1424: Breathing Better Despite Pollution, Infections, Asthma or COPD
Air quality is key for breathing better. We discuss pollution from smoke as well as trouble with infection and inflammation.
Cleaning Products Linked to Worsening Lung and Brain Function
Women who use cleaning sprays and other cleaning products at least once a week see their lung function decline more quickly than those who do not.
How to Prevent Asthma Flares with Vitamin D
A careful analysis of nine clinical trials of vitamin D found that supplements cut the rate of scary asthma flares approximately in half.
Can You Save Money by Importing Drugs from Canada?
The FDA says it will now allow Florida to import drugs from Canada. Is it now legal for the rest of us? Learn about the latest FDA flip flop.
Primatene Mist Is Back on Drugstore Shelves
The maker of Primatene Mist brought this OTC asthma inhaler back on the market after eight years away. What are the benefits and risks?
Authorized Generic Drugs Offer Quality and Affordability
How good are generic drugs? FDA reports problems in India! Authorized generic drugs (AGs) offer an alternative. GSK will make a Flovent AG.
Should Pharmacists Be Able to Prescribe Behind the Counter Drugs?
Many countries permit pharmacists to prescribe behind the counter drugs such as antivirals, antibiotics, and asthma meds. Why not in the US?
What Are the Hazards of Hair Straighteners?
Hair straighteners used mostly by African-American women contain hormone disrupting chemicals and are linked to uterine cancer.
Aluminum in Vaccines and Risk of Asthma in Kids
Vaccines makers have put aluminum in vaccines for decades. How safe is this adjuvant? It stimulates the immune system, for good or bad.
Prednisone Withdrawal: Can You Ever Stop Corticosteroids?
Corticosteroids are prescribed to millions of people. Many may not be informed about side effects or strategies for prednisone withdrawal.
Lactose in ADVAIR DISKUS Is Unexpected Ingredient:
Did you know that dry powder inhalers for asthma or COPD often contain lactose? Neither did we. Lactose in ADVAIR DISKUS can cause problems.
Show 1282: How Climate Change Affects Our Health
Our guests argue that climate change is the greatest threat to global health. What can we do about it?
Show 1270: How Your Microbiome Shapes Your Immune Response
Gastroenterologist Emeran Mayer explains how your microbiome shapes your immune response and why you should take care of it.
Trelegy for COPD Leads to Hoarseness
Do asthma inhalers cause hoarseness? If you haven't seen the Trelegy for COPD 'The Power of 1-2-3' ad, please watch it! Trelegy side effects?
Show 1253: The Lessons of COVID-19 on How to Avoid Airborne Viral Transmission
Evidence shows that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, moves like an aerosol. How can we avoid airborne viral transmission?
Show 1208: Keeping Kids Healthy in the Age of Coronavirus
How are parents and grandparents keeping kids healthy when they can't go to school or the playground? Dr. Alan Greene has suggestions for families, 4/18/20.
Singulair – Montelukast Warning About Psych Side Effects
Singulair is sold as a generic allergy and asthma drug under the name montelukast. The FDA has just issued a montelukast warning about serious side effects.
Are Household Cleaners Harmful to Babies?
Babies exposed to the fumes from common household cleaners during their first few months are more likely to develop asthma as youngsters.
Asthma Expert Questions Conventional Asthma Treatment
Asthma treatment used to seem simple: a corticosteroid inhaler plus a bronchodilator. A study in the NEJM has turned things upside down. Asthma is complex!
Strong Vitamin D Helps Protect Kids from Air Pollution
Inner city children with strong vitamin D blood levels are less likely to develop asthma upon exposure to indoor air pollution.
What’s Your Personal Invisible Cloud Made of?
Each of us is surrounded by an exposome–an invisible cloud of bacteria, viruses, fungi and volatile compounds that can have an effect on our health.
When Do Americans Develop a Sweet Tooth?
A study suggests that children under two years old have a sweet tooth. Their diets have a surprising amount of added sugar.
You Don’t Have to Be a Farmer to Benefit from the Farm
A Dutch study shows that you don't have to be a farmer to have immune system benefits from exposure to animals and their microbes. People who live near farms have fewer allergies.
What Are the Best Drugs for a Desert Island Adventure?
What would you do if your were stranded on a desert island? What about if the power went out for several months? What are the best drugs in such extreme situations?
How to Overcome Hoarseness from Advair
Have you been troubled with hoarseness from Advair? One reader found that treating asthma with Singulair instead took care of the problem.
How Does Temperature Affect Mail Order Medicines?
Prescription drugs have become pricey. That's why insurance companies may try to save money by encouraging patients to buy mail order medicines. Are there problems with this practice?
Steroid Inhaler Laryngitis (SIL) More Common Than Realized
We'll bet you have never heard of SIL (steroid inhaler laryngitis). It's supposed to be very rare. But a lot of readers report hoarseness from asthma or COPD inhalers.
What Should You Do If Your Medicine Freezes?
How do you store your medicine. Hopefully NOT in the bathroom medicine chest--too hot and humid! Mail-order medicines can freeze in your mail box or roast in the summer sun.
Can You Cure Asthma With Antifungal Medicine?
Is it possible to cure asthma? Some people seem to think so. Is there any evidence to support the idea that doctors can do more than treat symptoms?
Do Sex Hormones Have an Impact on Asthma?
New research shows that sex hormones have different effects on airway inflammation. Testosterone blocks a pro-inflammatory protein.
A Dog in the Home: Less Asthma and Eczema for Kids?
Babies living in a home with a dog are less likely to develop asthma and eczema than others without furry friends at home.
Should You Worry About Scary Corticosteroid Side Effects?
Most people think that corticosteroid side effects occur only after long-term treatment. New research suggests that short-term therapy also poses a problem.
Will Inhaled Steroids Make You Vulnerable to Metabolic Syndrome?
Women using inhaled steroids for asthma or COPD breathing problems were 40 percent more likely to have metabolic syndrome.
How Could People Treated for Asthma Not Have It?
One in three Canadian adults being treated for asthma did not meet diagnostic criteria for the disease, according to a study published in JAMA.
Will Ham and Bacon Make You Wheeze?
French people who ate four or more servings of cured meats a week were more likely to wheeze or suffer from asthma than those who ate one or fewer.
How to Lower the Chance that a Baby will Develop Asthma
Babies whose mothers took fish oil supplements during pregnancy were less likely to develop asthma by age three.
Why Are Amish Kids Less Prone to Asthma?
Scientist find that early-life exposure to house dust rich in microbes explains why children in Amish communities are much less prone to asthma.
Why Do Antibiotics Sometimes Help Solve Asthma Problem?
The asthma problem in American (and around the world) is getting worse. For many it has origins in allergy. Others, though, may have a smoldering infection.
Could Yoga Practice Improve the Quality of Your Life?
Yoga practice was found to improve the quality of life for people with asthma; previous studies suggest benefits for post-stroke recovery and PTSD.
How Did an Antibiotic Cure Asthma?
A reader was surprised to find that a prolonged course of azithromycin got rid of long-standing asthma symptoms. Did the drug cure asthma?
When Will Campbell Soup Cans Be BPA-Free?
BPA, an endocrine disruptor, is found in the lining of soup cans, but Campbell's Soup has just announced that its cans will become BPA-free.
Is Azithromycin a Miracle Cure for Asthma?
Could intensive treatment with an antibiotic get rid of symptoms like wheezing and shortness of breath? Might it be a miracle cure for asthma?
Colds Could Make Trouble for Children with Asthma
Catching a cold may be more dangerous for children with asthma, since it could lead to an episode of difficult breathing.
Vitamin D Supplements Don’t Prevent Colds
In a study comparing vitamin D supplements to placebo, people with asthma did not get fewer or less severe colds when they took vitamin D supplements.
How Much Money Can You Really Save Buying Drugs from Canada?
Can people really save money buying drugs from Canada? Is it worth the challenge? Find out about the price discrepancy between U.S. and Canadian pharmacies.
Dogs May Protect Kids from Asthma
Growing up with dogs or living on a farm appears to make children less susceptible to asthma, perhaps because of exposure to a wider range of bacteria.
Did Marijuana Help Relieve Asthma Symptoms?
Marijuana was prescribed over 100 years ago to help ease asthma symptoms. Is there any research to support the medical use of marijuana for asthma?
Aerobic Exercise Reduces Asthma Severity
One study shows aerobic exercise helps control asthma symptoms and lowers important markers of lung inflammation.
Mycobacterium Infection Was Misdiagnosed as Asthma
A Mycobacterium infection in the lungs could become chronic and cause symptoms that resemble those of asthma.
How I Overcame Asthma That Would Not Quit
A long-term course of the antibiotic azithromycin helped me shake off recurrent bouts of asthma that would not quit.
Z-Pak (Azithromycin) Cured Asthma Symptoms
Asthma symptoms such as wheezing, persistent coughing and other lung problems may respond to antibiotic treatment with Z-Pak (azithromycin).
Cleaning Products Make Asthma Symptoms Worse
Irritating cleaning products such as bleach or ammonia can exacerbate symptoms in people with asthma.
Soy Compound Fails to Relieve Asthma Symptoms
Genistein supplements derived from soy did not reduce asthma symptoms in adults and kids with poorly controlled asthma.
Doctors Ignore Possible Asthma Cure
When breathing does not improve despite inhaled drugs, it makes sense to see if treating a hidden lung infection leads to an asthma cure.
Asthma Treatment with Prednisone Triggered Steroid Psychosis
Prednisone treatment for asthma led to anxiety, insomnia, disruptive behavior and delusions. Patients should be warned about such side effects.
Do You Know How to Use Your Inhaler?
Many asthma patients don't know how to use a metered dose inhaler for optimum effect.
Vitamin C Stops Asthma Cough
Ascorbic acid lozenges help quell the cough due to asthma.
Kids Exposed to BPA Before Birth Are More Likely to Wheeze
Children who were exposed to high levels of the endocrine disruptor BPA while in utero are at greater risk of developing asthma symptoms as toddlers.
The Worst Time of Year for Asthma
September is the most dangerous month for people with asthma because ragweed pollen, mold and upper respiratory infections can trigger severe attacks.
Jim’s Story: Reclaiming a Life Nearly Ruined by Sudden-Onset Asthma
Sudden-onset asthma threatened Jim Quinlan's lifestyle and his life, until he was successfully treated for a C. pneumoniae infection.
Living with Dogs May Help Protect Against Asthma
There may be advantages for youngsters living with dogs. Exposure to a range of bacteria associated with animals reduces the risk of asthma.
Spiriva (Tiotropium) Side Effects & Memory Problems
Tiotropium, the active ingredient in Spiriva, is an anticholinergic compound. Anticholinergic drugs can cause dry mouth, connstipation and mental fogginess.
Does Acetaminophen (Tylenol) Put Kids at Risk of Asthma?
Many epidemiological studies link acetaminophen use to an increased risk of asthma among infants and children. Some experts remain undecided.
Farm Kids Less Likely to Have Asthma
Early exposure to a wide range of bacteria, especially those associated with farm animals, may help children avoid asthma as they grow up.
Acetaminophen Use and Asthma
Epidemiological data link acetaminophen use to an increased risk of wheezing and asthma among children and adolescents.
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