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Allergy and Asthma Newsletter
September 1, 2008


In This Issue
• Climate Change Linked to Longer Pollen Seasons
• Food Allergy Action Plan Can Keep Kids From Harm
 

Climate Change Linked to Longer Pollen Seasons


MONDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Add increased suffering for people with ragweed allergies to the list of problems caused by climate change, a new study suggests.

Recent research indicates that increasing global temperatures and carbon dioxide levels are causing longer ragweed seasons and more concentrated pollen counts, says the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, which has devoted the September issue of its Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology to examining the effects of climate change on allergic disease.

In one of the articles, Dr. Richard W. Weber, chairman of the AAAAI Aerobiology Committee, wrote that "there is now a wealth of evidence that climate change has had, and will have, further impact on a variety of allergenic plants."

Climate change has been linked to "longer pollen seasons, greater exposure and increased disease burden for late summer weeds such as ragweed," Weber noted. Researchers have found that increased carbon dioxide has boosted pollen production by 61 percent to 90 percent in some types of ragweed.

Ragweed pollen grains can travel up to 400 miles with the breeze, which means there is virtually no outdoor location that is free of ragweed pollen.

Allergy shots (immunotherapy) provide effective treatment for 90 percent of people with ragweed allergies, according to the AAAAI, which offered a number of simple steps that can help prevent or relieve ragweed allergy symptoms:

  • Keep windows closed in your home and car. Use the air conditioner, which filters, cools and dries air.
  • Stay indoors when pollen counts are highest, typically between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
  • Check daily pollen counts for your area.
  • After you spend time outside, change your clothes. Don't dry laundry outside.
  • Take a shower before bed to wash pollen from your hair and face. Otherwise, the pollen could end up on your pillow.

More information

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology has more about allergies  External Links Disclaimer Logo.


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Food Allergy Action Plan Can Keep Kids From Harm


MONDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Parents, teachers and school staff need to take measures to ensure the safety of the more than 2.2 million American students with food allergies, says the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

"Open and frequent communication between parents and school staff is a key ingredient to keeping food-allergic students out of harm. It takes a partnership to establish effective avoidance strategies and emergency plans," Dr. Michael Pistiner, a member of the AAAAI Adverse Reactions to Foods Committee, said in an academy news release.

The AAAAI offers a checklist of safety tips and a sample food allergy action plan to assist parents and school staff as they prepare for the new school year. Among the tips:

  • Inform the school cafeteria, teachers and other staff of what foods your child must avoid. Pack bag lunches. Your child should avoid classroom snacks and refrain from sharing food with friends.
  • When there's a classroom party, provide your child with safe snacks he or she can eat during the party.
  • Push for "no eating" policies on buses and in other settings where there's no supervision of children.

Pistiner, whose own nut-allergic son enters kindergarten this fall, added another important tip.

"Parents should be aware of expiration dates and keep in contact with their allergist to insure that all medication, especially self-injectable epinephrine, is replaced prior to expiration," he said.

More information

Visit the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology for more on food allergies and their management  External Links Disclaimer Logo.


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