Inflammation...triggers...wheezing...congestion—they’re familiar terms among people who have asthma or an allergy. But, significant differences exist in the details of each term, depending upon its roots—asthma or allergy.  read more »

A sore throat is no fun. You want relief and think that a prescription for antibiotics will provide it. But antibiotics are not always the answer.

Pharyngitis may sound like an exotic disease, but in fact it’s very common—so common that it accounts for approximately 11 million visits to doctors’ offices and emergency rooms each year in the U.S.  read more »

Of all chronic (long-term) childhood diseases in the U.S., asthma is the most common. To help guide the management of this disease, 15 years ago the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) created a system to classify asthma according to severity. This classification system is based on the frequency of daytime and nighttime symptoms and the degree to which the symptoms interfere with the person’s daily activities.  read more »

In an allergic person, the immune system learns to respond to one or more innocent foreign substances as if it or they were dangerous to the body. In the case of pets, for instance, the immune system perceives their dander and sebaceous gland and salivary and urinary extracts as threats. Pet allergens are usually considered airborne allergens (though rashes caused by pet licking and contact dermatitis from pet dander are examples of non-airborne allergic reactions)... Breathing them in can affect your entire respiratory tract  read more »

As many as 17 million American adults have asthma. You may be interested to learn how a doctor identifies and treats this common inflammatory disease.

Coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath: These may be the symptoms that first take a person to the doctor’s office. Several conditions may cause these symptoms. So, how does the doctor know when it’s asthma?

None of those symptoms alone would be enough to clinch the diagnosis of asthma. However, the level of suspicion rises when shortness of breath appears along with wheezing.  read more »

For someone with chronic lung disease, pulmonary rehabilitation offers an opportunity to reach—and keep—the best possible level of functioning and independence.  read more »

Tuberculosis is no longer a leading cause of death in the U.S. thanks to the discovery of effective drugs. But recent history reminds us that we must stay vigilant to keep this health threat under control.  read more »

Along with the growing popularity of body piercing has come an increase in allergic reactions to nickel. Here’s why they occur and what you can do about them.  read more »