Health News
Sinus Infection? Skip the Antibiotics
If you have a sinus infection, chances are you do not need antibiotics. New Infectious Diseases Society of America ( IDSA ) guidelines recommend not using antibiotics for most sinus infections.
FDA Approves New Drug For Premature Babies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Surfaxin ( lucinactant ) for the prevention of respiratory distress syndrome ( RDS ), a breathing disorder that affects premature infants.
The lungs of premature infants are not able to make enough surfactant, a liquid that coats the inside of the lungs and helps to keep them open. Without enough surfactant, the lungs collapse and the infant has difficulty breathing. Most babies who develop RDS show signs of breathing problems and a lack of oxygen at birth or within the first few hours after birth.
Surfaxin is the fifth drug approved i...
Childhood Smoke Exposure Increased COPD Risk
Cigarette smoke can stay with you long after it clears the room. Children exposed to cigarette smoke have a greater risk of developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( COPD ).
Antibiotics and Asthma, an Adverse Relationship?
The rise of childhood asthma may be linked to antibiotic use. A new study focused on how antibiotics may prevent healthy immune system development leading to new cases of asthma.
Wiki Your Way to Better Asthma Management
Asthma action plans are a valuable asset for managing symptoms. A community-based wiki may allow even more asthma sufferers to use an action plan that's right for them.
COPD Gets More Predictable
Inflammation is common in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( COPD ). Researchers are now using inflammation to better predict COPD mortality.
Using biological indicators of inflammation, in addition to established predictors of COPD mortality, may improve COPD mortality prediction. Improving the mortality prediction will give the patient a more accurate time line of survival, which is important for treatment purposes and for the quality of life for the COPD sufferer.
Ask your doctor about risk factors associated with COPD .
The study was led by Bartolome Celli , M.D., from...
Climate Change Heating Up Respiratory Diseases
Mild winters and warmer weather year round may have some negative side effects. A new position paper believes that climate change will be responsible for even more respiratory disease cases.
It Takes Two to Treat Cystic Fibrosis
Treating cystic fibrosis may be a two-fold problem according to researchers. A new study highlights two cellular defects which could lead to improved cystic fibrosis treatment.
Childhood Asthma is Hard to Predict
Childhood asthma continues to be a tricky thing to predict. New studies are bringing doubt to the effectiveness of using atopy , a genetic predisposition to allergic reactions, to predict asthma.
Your Blood May Predict Steroid Resistance
Steroid resistance may not be known until the treatment fails for asthma patients. Blood testing may help predict resistance so asthma patients can choose the right treatment.