7 Signs That Your Child May Have Exercise-Induced Asthma

When exercise leads to wheezing or coughing, people often blame the symptoms on being out of shape. But a new study shows that, in children at least, there may be more to the story. In fact, these symptoms were often accompanied by a decrease in lung function—a hallmark of asthma—even when children had no prior history of asthma or allergies. . read more.

Peanut Allergies on the Rise

The prevalence of peanut allergy among children tripled between 1997 and 2008, researchers found. Respondents to a telephone survey reported that 1.4% of children had peanut allergies, up from just 0.4% a decade earlier, Scott Sicherer, MD, of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, and colleagues reported in the May 12 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. "Although the total population prevalence of self-reported peanut and/or tree nut allergy did not increase among adults since 1997, there was a significant rise in self-reported allergies among children," the researchers wrote. . read more.

Burger and Fries Worsen Asthma, Study Suggests

A burger and fries are not only bad for the waistline, they might also exacerbate asthma, a new study suggests. Patients with asthma who ate a high-fat meal had increased inflammation in their airways soon afterward, and did not respond as well to treatment as those who ate a low-fat meal, the researchers found. The results provide more evidence that environmental factors, such as diet, can influence the development of asthma, which has increased dramatically in recent years in westernized countries where high-fat diets are common. In 2007, about 34.1 million Americans had asthma, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. From 1980 through 1994, the prevalence of asthma increased 75 percent. While the results are preliminary, they suggest cutting down on fat might be one way to help control asthma. . read more.