Allergies The Chart - CNN.

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If babies are ingesting both solid foods and breast milk, the immune system can learn the food is
safe, scientists say.
November 22nd, 2013
02:26 PM ET
Here's a roundup of five medical studies published recently that might give you new insights into
your health, mind and body. Remember, correlation is not causation - so if a study finds a connection
between two things, it doesn't mean that one causes the other.
Breast milk + solid foods = allergy prevention?
Journal: Pediatrics
With up to 8% of children in the United States dealing with food allergies, many parents want to
know how they can prevent this condition. A new study suggests that babies who receive solid food
while they are breast-feeding may be protected from food allergies.
FULL POST
September 18th, 2013
11:51 AM ET
Although the allergy season has gotten off to a late start, this fall could be a "perfect storm for
allergy sufferers," according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. And residents in 10
cities across America will be feeling it more than others.
AAFA has published their annual ranking of fall "allergy capitals" - the most-challenging places in
the United States to live in for people with allergies.
The rankings are based on average pollen levels, resident reliance on over-the-counter and
prescription allergy medications, and the number of board certified allergists in each city. Topping
the list this year is Wichita, Kansas, which ranked second last year.
The remainder of the top 10 for 2013 are:
2. Jackson, Mississippi
3. Knoxville, Tennessee
4. Louisville, Kentucky
5. Memphis, Tennessee
6. McAllen, Texas
7. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
8. Dayton, Ohio
9. Chattanooga, Tennessee
10. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
FULL POST
May 6th, 2013
01:15 PM ET
As a parent, there are undoubtedly a few things you do now that before you had children you
thought were gross: Changing diapers, wiping up vomit and using your own spit to clean off a child's
pacifier, just to name a few.
Though it's hard to admit, most parents have done the latter. You're out at the mall when your kid
drops his pacifier and there's not a place to clean it nearby. So you pick it up, suck on it a bit and
hand it back to your baby.
What's the harm?
Turns out cleaning a recently dropped pacifier with your saliva - meaning you put it in your mouth
before inserting it back into your baby's - may actually help strengthen your child's immune system
and keep him from developing certain allergies, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics.
When parents cleaned pacifiers in this way their children were significantly less likely to develop
eczema, a skin condition considered to be the most common early form of allergies.
FULL POST
May 2nd, 2013
02:39 PM ET
Food and skin allergies are becoming more common in American children, according to a new report
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both have been steadily increasing for more
than a decade.
Food allergy prevalence increased from 3.4% to 5.1% between 1997 and 2011, while skin allergy
prevalence more than doubled in the same time period. That means 1 in every 20 children will
develop a food allergy and 1 in every 8 children will have a skin allergy. According to the CDC,
respiratory allergies are still the most common for children younger than 18.
The new report, which looked at data from the National Health Interview Survey, found that skin
allergies decreased with age, while respiratory allergies increased as children got older.
FULL POST
March 27th, 2013
11:33 AM ET
In Europe, some allergy sufferers are given sublingual immunotherapy, or allergy drops, to treat
their symptoms. These tiny drops of purified allergens - such as pollen or dust mites - are placed
under the tongue as an alternative to weekly allergy shots. The drops work like a vaccine, slowly
increasing the body's tolerance to the allergen.
The Food and Drug Administration has yet not approved these drops for use in the United States,
but new evidence published this week by the Journal of the American Medical Association could pave
the way for American pharmaceutical companies.
"There is a tremendous interest in this treatment," said Dr. Clifford Bassett, medical director of
Allergy and Asthma Care of New York. "As such there have been and are currently clinical trials
underway by various companies looking to try to get an approval and come to the U.S. market in the
years ahead."
Dr. Sandra Lin from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and her colleagues reviewed
63 studies to analyze the effectiveness of allergy drops.
FULL POST
March 25th, 2013
02:36 PM ET
At least 40% of moms are feeding their infants solid foods far too early, according a new study
published in the medical journal Pediatrics, and that may lead to problems for their children later in
life.
Researchers wanted to know how many babies were being fed solid foods (including cereal and baby
food) sooner than recommended, whether breast-feeding or formula feeding made a difference and
why solids were being introduced early. When the study began in 2005, the American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP), which also publishes the journal Pediatrics, recommended introducing solid foods
when babies were between 4 and 6 months old.
In 2012, the AAP changed those recommendations. Now it says babies shouldn't be eating solid food
until they are about 6 months old.
FULL POST
January 14th, 2013
04:26 PM ET
Teenagers and young children who eat fast food could be increasing their risk of developing asthma,
eczema and hay fever, according to a study published Monday in the British Medical Journal's
respiratory journal Thorax.
The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) study used written
questionnaires completed by 319,196 13- and 14-year-olds from 51 countries and by the parents
of 181,631 6- and 7-year-olds in 31 countries. They were asked if they had symptoms of the
three conditions and about their weekly diet - including the types of foods they ate over the last
year, and how often.
FULL POST
December 4th, 2012
01:59 PM ET
Pesticides in produce and drinking water may be playing a role in the increasing prevalence of food
allergies, according to a new study.
Researchers looked at 2,211 people and found those in the top 25% for urine concentrations of
chemical dichlorophenols - used to chlorinate tap water and keep pests off produce - were also 80%
more likely to have a food allergy.
"Adults can develop food allergies even though they're not kids anymore," says allergist and study
author Dr. Elina Jerschow. "Adult allergies to foods are on the rise. That certainly includes shellfish
and fish allergies, but also peanuts. We don't know what influences this development. But having
been exposed to dichlorophenols in our study suggests there could be some link." FULL POST
November 13th, 2012
12:21 PM ET
Climate change, we've all heard, is problematic. Major shifts in climate patterns in the future may
affect the spread of disease, devastate coastal areas and cause the extinction of some of our beloved
species of wildlife. It may even contribute to future violence.
But if Superstorm Sandy didn't bring climate change concerns home for you, here's something else
that might: Allergy mayhem.
New research presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI)
conference last week suggests that pollen counts are going to get a lot worse in the next 30 years.
Dr. Leonard Bielory showed predictions that pollen counts will more than double by 2040.
FULL POST
Almost a quarter of a million people will be arriving at London's Heathrow airport as athletes and
fans arrive for the Games.
July 23rd, 2012
07:00 AM ET
Less than a week from the opening ceremonies, allergists are warning that some Olympic athletes
may suffer breathing problems due to air pollution in London.
The amount of nitrogen dioxide in London is comparable to the level of nitrogen dioxide in Beijing
before Beijing banned half of the cars in preparation for the Games, and London has done little to
control traffic, says Dr. William Silvers, an allergy specialist and a member of the American Academy
of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
Demanding workouts in the polluted air could spell trouble particularly for those athletes that
already have conditions such as asthma or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), a narrowing
of the airways that makes it hard to move air out of the lungs, according to AAAAI.
FULL POST
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr.
Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers.
They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care
of yourself and the people you love.
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/category/allergies/