The “hygiene hypothesis” holds that early exposure to a variety of microorganisms may decrease the risk for chronic inflammatory diseases, like asthma. Two Swedish studies that tracked 650,000 children found that exposure to farm animals and even dogs can have this kind of beneficial effect. Living on a farm cut kids’ asthma rate by half.… read on >
Milk allergy affects more than half of American infants who have food allergies in their first year of life, a new study finds. However, study lead author Christopher Warren said, “Our findings suggest that while milk allergy is relatively common during infancy, many children are likely to outgrow their milk allergies. “We observed that while… read on >
When you have serious food allergies, eating at a restaurant can literally mean risking your life. But new research suggests you can take steps to protect yourself when dining out. In fact, the more steps you take to protect yourself from exposure to the allergic substance, the less likely you are to have an allergic… read on >
When vocal cords become inflamed, it is more difficult to speak and the voice could sound hoarse, the Nemours Foundation says. The voice is produced by the processes of lengthening, shortening, tensing and relaxing the vocal cords. Laryngitis may be triggered by speaking or singing loudly, or by excess stomach acid that backs up into… read on >
While taking a long, brisk walk is great exercise, you’ll need to pay extra attention if you’re walking along busy streets. Here are tips for pedestrians, courtesy of the New Jersey Division of Highway Safety: Only cross the street at a crosswalk. Pay attention to road signs and cars around you. Don’t assume that cars… read on >
Aerosol products are found in every household but can be potential killers, doctors warn. Highlighting the dangers posed by “huffing,” Dutch physicians outline the tragic case of a 19-year-old who died after inhaling spray deodorant to get high. The teenager, who’d been in a residential drug rehabilitation program, died of cardiac arrest soon after, according… read on >
People with food allergies aren’t the only ones who need to be aware of menu minefields when eating out. If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important that you don’t fall prey to these temptations. It’s not only supersized meals that can be your diet downfall — restaurant meals in general have jumped in size.… read on >
Prejudice directed at older people results in $63 billion in excess health costs each year in the United States, a new study claims. Ageism, which is the marginalization of the elderly in society, accounts for one of every seven dollars spent on the eight most expensive health conditions for Americans older than 60. Those conditions… read on >
Coffee’s bitter taste shouldn’t be a selling point. But a genetic variant explains why so many people love the brew, a new study suggests. Bitterness evolved as a natural warning system to protect people from harmful substances. That means they should want to spit out coffee, the researchers said. But their study of more than… read on >
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains the fourth biggest killer in the United States. But only a fraction of the millions of people who could benefit from post-hospital rehab for COPD are doing so, new research shows. COPD is a progressive, debilitating and incurable respiratory illness, often tied to smoking. Many patients require supplementary oxygen… read on >
