The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain says research carried out by pollsters YouGov suggests 73 per cent of those experiencing hay fever symptoms do not seek medical advice before selecting a treatment.
Sneezing, runny nose and itching eyes are all common symptoms of hay fever, properly called allergic rhinitis.
But too few are bothering to seek advice on what sort of product is best for them. The research suggests five million out of Britain's 13 million hay fever sufferers could be risking their health by taking inappropriate medicines.
"Pharmacists are highly trained health professionals and experts in medicines – they can play a significant role in the management of allergies including hay fever," RPSBG director of practice and quality development David Pruce commented.
Sufferers could benefit from having the type of allergy identified and the right treatment – many of which are tailored to individual symptoms – identified for them, Mr Pruce believes.
Given the damage hay fever can cause to sufferers' lifestyles the importance of getting the right treatment is especially important, he adds.
The RPSBG's research suggested two in five become irritable when they have hay fever, while 29 per cent have difficulty concentrating.
Five per cent of respondents even said they avoided leaving the home because of the condition.
Labels: Allergy - Asthma News
According to a study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, trees may play a role in preventing asthma as areas with a large number of trees were found to have lower rates of childhood asthma.
US researchers studied four and five-year-olds in 42 health service districts of New York City, as well as asthma-related hospital admissions among under-15s.
When asthma rates were compared to the number of trees in each area, the researchers found that for every additional 343 trees per square-kilometre, asthma rates among children fell by nearly a quarter.
The researchers suggested: 'Trees may help prevent asthma, either by encouraging outdoor play or through an effect on local air quality.'
Approximately 1.1 million children in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma, according to Asthma UK.
Labels: Allergy - Asthma News
There are 'shocking' differences in the numbers of emergency hospital admissions for children with asthma across the UK, a new report reveals.
Figures published by the charity Asthma UK show an eight-fold difference in admissions between different primary care trusts (PCTs).
According to the charity, governments and health services need to take asthma more seriously and ensure consistent standards.
The charity claims that 75 per cent of emergency hospital admissions for asthma could be prevented through effective asthma management and routine care, potentially saving the NHS nearly £46 million per year.
Neil Churchill, chief executive of Asthma UK, said that the figures paint a 'disturbing' picture of the impact of asthma and that not all children are getting the same access to vital asthma services.
'These divisions are unacceptable, particularly the staggering eight-fold difference in admissions in England,' he remarked.
'If asthma is not controlled effectively, the effects can be devastating and in some cases fatal, which is why reducing the hospital admissions of people with asthma is a key aim for Asthma UK.'
Labels: Allergy - Asthma News
The first four months of the year have experienced the lowest level of bee and wasp stings in recent years, according to experts.
Insect sting monitoring website WaspWatch has monitored the nation's sting activity over the last six years and believes that the decline in sting activity is likely to be due to falling numbers of wasps and bees.
David Glaser, chief of WaspWatch, commented: 'The early months of our calendar year are usually dominated by bee stings rather than wasp stings and this year has undoubtedly seen a real drop in activity compared to previous years.
'Whilst there has been some unfriendly weather this year, it has been no worse than in previous years,' he noted.
The majority of people experience redness and minor swelling when stung by an insect; however, some may experience a severe allergic reaction characterised by swelling or itching elsewhere on the body, wheezing, headache or nausea, a rapid heart rate, difficulty swallowing, or a swollen face or mouth.
Patients experiencing any of these symptoms are advised to seek emergency medical treatment.
Labels: Allergy - Asthma News
Mothers who are stressed during pregnancy appear to be more likely to have children with allergies and asthma, new research suggests.
Experts at Harvard Medical School found that the cord blood of infants whose mothers were stressed during pregnancy contained higher levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), a protein linked to allergies, even when exposed to relatively low levels of dust mite.
The researchers say that the mother's stress may magnify the effect of dust exposure on the child's immune system.
Dr Rosalind Wright, assistant professor of medicine at Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, commented: 'Certain substances in the environment that cause allergies, such as dust mites, can increase a child's chance of developing asthma and the effects may begin before birth.
'This research adds to a growing body of evidence that links maternal stress such as that precipitated by financial problems or relationship issues, to changes in children's developing immune systems, even during pregnancy.'
The findings were presented at the American Thoracic Society's international conference in Toronto.
Labels: Allergy - Asthma News
Researchers at University Children's Hospital in Munich, Germany, analysed 18 farming mothers and 59 non-farming mothers.
They found that exposure to farms during pregnancy affects the unborn baby's T regulatory cells, which are thought to suppress immune responses and contribute to the development of a healthy immune system.
Lead researcher Dr Bianca Schaub commented: 'We found that the babies of mothers exposed to farms have more and better functioning regulatory T cells.
'The effect was strongest among those mothers who entered barns or drank farm milk.'
The findings were presented at the American Thoracic Society's international conference in Toronto and Dr Schaub concluded that they may help scientists to develop an 'effective preventive strategy, perhaps even a vaccine, against allergic diseases'.
Labels: Allergy - Asthma News
According to Helen Young, clinical director and chief nurse for NHS Direct, nothing will make hay fever go away completely.
However, she said that certain actions can help to reduce the risk and impact of the 'debilitating' problem, which affects around one fifth of the population.
'Certainly hay fever and allergic reactions are made worse if people smoke around children,' Ms Young revealed.
'It's obviously sensible in the early stages to have a balanced diet so that the immune system can develop appropriately because then your own immune system will fight your allergens and hay fever for you without necessarily having to totally depend on medicines.
'But sadly there isn't an injection that stops it from happening and we can't do anything that makes it go away completely,' she added.
Research by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has found that 73 per cent of hay fever sufferers do not seek medical advice, yet 40 per cent become irritable and a third have difficulty sleeping.
Labels: Allergy - Asthma News
A study involving 1,028 volunteers found that those who were given the Pollinex Quattro vaccine - which is administered in four doses over four weeks - benefited from a 13 per cent reduction in the severity of symptoms during the peak hay fever season compared with those given a dummy drug.
The findings are due to be presented to the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology by its creators at Allergy Therapeutics in the UK, who hope that the vaccine could be approved next year.
Neil Kao, an allergy doctor in South Carolina, US, told the New Scientist: 'The size of symptom relief is small, but the convenience is very high.'
Estimates suggest that one fifth of people in the UK suffer from hay fever, which is caused by an overactive immune response to pollen.
The vaccine works by introducing a modified pollen protein which evades the body's antibodies, enabling the body to build up immunity.
Labels: Allergy - Asthma News
Researchers found that over a third of parents would use the internet as their first port of call if they thought their child may have a food allergy, while a further 15 per cent would rely on their own experiences of allergies.
According to nutritionist Fiona Hunter, this could be dangerous as some parents eliminate certain foods from their child's diet without being aware of the health risks.
Ms Hunter revealed: 'Cutting out major food groups like dairy or wheat can compromise a child's intake of key vitamins and minerals which can have serious implications in terms of their health.
'It is crucial that allergies are diagnosed by a properly qualified medical practitioner and that if parents are going to eliminate food from their child's diet they seek advice from a registered dietitan.'
The survey, which was conducted by Total Greek Yoghurt, found that a third of parents believe their child may have a food allergy or intolerance.
Labels: Allergy - Asthma News