Mucky mucus: Lots of fluids and understanding mechanism helps

Mucky mucus: Lots of fluids and understanding mechanism helps

Feeling stuffed up? Achy around the eyes? Talking funny? Getting up close and personal with the mechanics of your respiratory system can enlighten – and offer fight-back tactics. Our respiratory system (nose, sinuses and lungs) is lined with a membrane technically described as mucociliary columnar epithelium. The mucociliary part refers to the fact that there are abundant mucus glands, and the top of the cells have little hairs called cilia. When all is normal, a great system is in operation:…

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Q – Tips: Asthma and obesity

Q – Tips: Asthma and obesity

A recent Canadian study on obese asthmatics found marked improvement in airway function associated with weight loss. The degree of improvement seemed to track with the amount of weight shed, but notable improvement was found with as little as an eight-pound loss.

Q – Tips: IBS

Q – Tips: IBS

Recent research on IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) has uncovered the fact that many persons with this condition have a bacterial toxin called cytolethal toxin B (Cdt B) in their stool. This toxin is produced by unhealthy gut microbes. A potential treatment is the use of probiotics.

Q – Tips: Mediterranean Diet

Q – Tips: Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet has been shown to keep telomere length long. Telomeres are DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes used to repair our chromosomes from damage. The Mediterranean Diet (high in fruits, vegetables, nuts and olive oil — with reduced red meat) reduces oxidative stresses that damage our chromosomes. Damaged chromosomes lead to premature aging, cancer and chronic disease.

Heads-up’ issued for ol’ faithful aspirin: may aggravate respiratory disease

Heads-up’ issued for ol’ faithful aspirin: may aggravate respiratory disease

  A “pay attention” article was recently published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology cautioning adults with asthma to be more aware that aspirin may aggravate their condition. The authors pointed out that while some adult asthmatics with Aspirin Exacerbated Respiratory Disease (AERD) are cognizant of the negative effects aspirin can have on their health, most are not. Studies have shown that AERD is more likely to occur if adult asthmatics also have chronic sinus problems and/or nasal…

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Dear Doc: Penicillin/Cephalosporin — cross-reactive?

Dear Doc: Penicillin/Cephalosporin — cross-reactive?

Dear Dr. K: I’m allergic to penicillin but my pharmacist has also labeled me cephalosporin-allergic. I’ve never taken cephalosporin. Should I follow her advice? I can’t give you an answer with a 100 percent surety, but I can come close. As luck would have it, Kaiser Permanent Health Care just finished a research project on cephalosporin allergy. Their study included 820,000 patients who received a total of 1.4-million courses of cephalosporin (often prescribed as Keflex). Of these, 66,000 were allergic…

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Hookworms highlighted again: hitches and hopefulness this time

Hookworms highlighted again: hitches and hopefulness this time

Do you remember a previous newsletter article about a crazy British physician with asthma? He was able to put his asthma into total remission by ingesting hookworms. The worms end up living in the GI tract and for some strange reason, they switch the body from the allergy-promoting TH-2 mode to TH-1, which eliminated allergy (See Promising New Asthma Drug this issue.) Now his crazy Australian brethren are doing research on celiac disease and hookworms. The Australian scientists found that…

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Promising new asthma drug nears testing finish line

Promising new asthma drug nears testing finish line

Research on a very exciting new medicine for asthma was featured several weeks ago in The New England Journal of Medicine. This drug — the first ever to work on both the acute and late phases of allergic response — is an enzyme that inactivates GATA-3 messenger RNA, and is being called SB010. GATA-3 is a signal that favors T-helper cells to follow the TH-2 pathway, which promotes allergy. TH-1 eliminates allergy. Or, to use a Star Wars analogy: TH-1…

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Shingles Protection Aging Badly

Shingles Protection Aging Badly

When the shingles vaccine was being researched and developed, the patient population was studied for five years. These initial studies showed the vaccine to be 90 percent effective after five years. Based on that research it was therefore felt that Zostavax (shingles vaccine) could be given once in a lifetime.  Unfortunately, it is starting to look like that won’t be the case. Now that longer-term studies are being completed, it is apparent that immunity wanes with time. In fact, efficacy…

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Q – Tips: Dog days of summer!

Q – Tips: Dog days of summer!

Alas, we’ve entered the “dog days” of Florida heat and humidity. Persons who are allergic to dust mite and/or mold should be aware that even with continuous air conditioning, ambient indoor humidity can creep up and allow dust mites and mold to flourish. Ideal indoor humidity is 50 percent or lower. If your level is higher, consider using a dehumidifier during the summer months.