Learning From 2016 And 2010: Risk And Resources For Thunderstorm Asthma In Melbourne

30 second read For a description of this syndrome and explanation of weather maps, see previous post. High risk: Mid-October to Mid-December, highest risk in November Spring hay fever Usually past or present asthma, or very slight chest symptoms in spring, often disregarded. Many have NO past history of asthma or chest symptoms Weather patterns […]

Foods That Trigger Asthma

If you do surveys, somewhere up to 70% of people with asthma believe that some foods can trigger their asthma. But if you test BLINDFOLDED adults with disguised food, so that even the people running the test don’t know what’s in the food until the end of the test (so-called double-blind testing), then less than […]

Controlling Your Asthma: Triggers, Preventer Puffers, and Action Plans

Why would you want to control your asthma? After all, two or three puffs of a reliever puffer (inhaler) (see below) a few times per day is easy, gives quick relief, and doesn’t take any commitment. BUT this means that your asthma is controlling you. If your asthma controls you, this is what happens: Your […]

What Can You Do About Airborne Allergies?

I recommend you do nothing… …if you don’t have symptoms. That means about 70% of you can stop reading this post and do something more useful. (That’s 70% give or take 10% depending on the country you live in, and I haven’t allowed for self-selection bias because most people reading this will be allergic. That’s […]

The A to K of asthma triggers

A few years ago I wrote an article for Current Therapeutics about the A to K of asthma triggers. It proved popular so I have updated it for this site. Deaths from asthma have fallen dramatically in Australia in the last 20 years, from about 800/year to about 400/year. That is the good news, but […]

Dust Mite

The dust mite is a tiny bug. It is a member or the spider and tick family. There are numerous types of mite, but the domestic dust mite which has been linked to allergy likes to live in beds and carpets. It won’t bite you, but it excretes very fine droppings which are HIGHLY ALLERGIC to […]

Eczema

Eczema is an itchy, weeping, scaly skin condition which mainly affects babies and children, but can persist into adult life. In babies it tends to occur on the face, trunk and nappy (diaper) area, and in this age group there is a strong association with food allergy. Many babies settle down when they are switched […]