Pets Can Double as Asthma Antidote

FRIDAY, Nov. 16, 2018 -- 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. Just having a dog in baby's first year was linked to a 13 percent lower risk of asthma later on, the researchers reported.

Don't Blame Just Air Pollution for Asthma in Kids

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 24, 2018 -- Children with asthma who live in areas with dirty air require emergency medical care more often than those with less exposure to air pollution, a new study finds.

The Columbia University study included nearly 200 children with asthma in New York City, ages 7 to 8. They came from middle-class families in four of the city's five boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.

Making Halloween Less Scary for Teens With Allergies, Asthma

SATURDAY, Oct. 20, 2018 -- Teens with allergies and asthma can enjoy Halloween as long as they take precautions, an allergist says.

"There's no reason a teen with allergies should have to miss anything," said Dr. Bradley Chipps, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Teens usually know the drill when it comes to handling their food allergies, seasonal allergies or asthma, he said.

Add Asthma to List of Possible Causes of Childhood Obesity

FRIDAY, Oct. 12, 2018 -- Children with asthma are at increased risk for childhood obesity, a new study suggests.

Obesity is widely regarded as a risk factor for asthma, but these new findings suggest the reverse is true, too, according to the researchers.

5 Tips to Manage Your Child's Asthma

SATURDAY, Sept. 22, 2018 -- For many children with asthma, coughing is an early warning sign of a flare-up, an expert says.

Understanding asthma and knowing what to expect can help parents prevent or lessen the severity of asthma attacks, said Dr. Ronald Ferdman, a pediatric allergist-immunologist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.