Air Pollution, Hay fever and the Treatment

Every year in the UK millions of people experience the discomfort and symptoms associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis, better known as hay fever. In fact, health experts say Britain currently has one of the highest rates of hay fever in the world with around a quarter of the population suffering with it.

2014 UK Air Pollution

As many will know, this week has seen many parts of the UK affected by high levels of air pollution. The smog-like conditions are a dangerous mix of dust from the Sahara with local and continental pollution. One poll conducted this week of 532 asthmatics for Asthma UK discovered that 30% have suffered an attack because of the pollution and 84% said they are using their blue reliever inhaler more frequently than usual.

Dr Keith Prowse, honorary medical adviser to the British Lung Foundation, spoke of the danger the Saharan dust and air pollution may have a “significant impact” on those with respiratory problems.
“People who use a reliever inhaler should make sure that they carry it with them. If they feel that their conditions are worsening then they should contact their GPs” he said.

According to the Defra (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) website, those with lung and heart conditions have been told to cut down or avoid outdoor strenuous physical activity and those feeling the repercussions of pollution – including sore eyes, coughs and sore throats – are advised to reduce the amount of activity and time spent outdoors.

Hay fever symptoms and cause

Symptoms include sneezing, a blocked or runny, nose, headaches, red, itchy, or watery eyes, and are caused by an allergic reaction from pollen in the air that has been released from grasses, weeds or trees, usually during the spring and summer months. The plants produce ‘allergens’ – substances that trigger an allergic reaction.

For those unfortunately with hay fever, your body is producing immunoglobulin when you come into contact with pollen allergens and mistakes it for something harmful like a virus, your immune system overreacts and then the release of chemicals is triggered into certain cells in the eyes, nose and throat. One of the chemicals is histamine and it is this histamine which is responsible for the troublesome symptoms of hay fever.

Treatment

Prior to seeing a GP, you can speak to your local pharmacist about your symptoms as over-the-counter medicines may be able to help such as antihistamines; Loratadine is a popular non-drowsy antihistamine and can be taken as an ‘as required’ treatment when symptoms arise or as a ‘preventative’ method before you leave the house and know the pollen count is high. Non-drowsy antihistamine nasal sprays such as Prevalin can also be used to relieve the symptoms of hay fever in the nose and eyes. Alomide eye drops is another over-the-counter treatment are used to relieve the symptoms of hay fever such as red, itchy, watery and puffy eyes. The eye drops need to be used regularly to achieve relief from the symptoms. Once your symptoms improve, you should continue to use the drops regularly for as long as necessary to prevent the allergy.

There is also prescription-only corticosteroid nasal sprays such as Nasonex, which works at reducing the inflammation inside your nose after pollen has triggered an allergic reaction. Whether it’s hay fever, dust allergies or a seasonal problem, Nasonex can prevent you from suffering and allow you to enjoy life again.

All of the above treatments are available today from Medical Specialists™ Pharmacy at low prices, in addition to a wide range of asthma inhalers such as the blue reliever Ventolin Evohaler; asthma has been often linked to hay fever and both conditions need to be closely monitored and treated.

Who is at risk?

Around 2 in 10 people in the UK have hay fever, usually beginning in childhood and during the teenage years. The condition may actually disappear or improve in some cases, usually after suffering with symptoms each season for many years.

It is unclear what causes the immune system to react in the way it does to cause hay fever, but the condition tends to run in families. Your hay fever risk is also increased if you already have asthma or eczema or if you have already have hay fever, you are more likely to develop eczema or asthma.
The pollen count

The millions of people with hay fever are probably familiar with something called the pollen count, which is average number of pollen grains within one cubic metre of air over a period of 24 hours. As different people may have symptoms from certain types of pollen only, there are pollen counts for grass, tree and weed pollen and fungal spores and sufferers are usually advised to monitor weekly pollen forecasts so they can decide when it is best to begin or stop treatment. The pollen count is affected by weather and there is normally more pollen on dry, sunny days and much less pollen in the air when it is raining.

The pollen count forecast is normally judged as:

. Low: less than 30 grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air.
. Moderate: 30-49 grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air.
. High: 50-149 grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air.
. Very high: 150 or more grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air.
In the UK, the pollen count season is segregated into three sections:

. Tree pollen – late March to mid-May.
. Grass pollen – mid-May to July.
. Weed pollen – end of June to September.

This is only an approximate guide, with the pollen count season occasionally starting in January or ending as late as November.

As noted earlier, allergens may also cause asthma symptoms to flare-up such as a shortness of breath, tight chest and coughing and wheezing. There has been evidence to show a clear association between hay fever and asthma and your asthma symptoms may become more severe when your hay fever symptoms occur fever, or asthma symptoms may only flare-up when you have hay fever. People with both conditions should speak to their GP or an asthma nurse as soon as possible as it is imperative to treat both conditions with the appropriate medicines.

Brits still have a poor perception of asthma

Considering there are a staggering 5.4 million asthmatics in Britain, it could be assumed that the majority of us are pretty clued-up on the serious lung condition asthma. Unfortunately, the results of a new survey suggest this could be far from the truth.

Research conducted by supermarket giant Asda showed that whilst 94% acknowledge asthma as a serious health condition, 1 in four respondents could not recognise key symptoms associated with asthma. In fact, 17% incorrectly believed blocked sinuses are a sign of the lung condition.

An additional 15% of those surveyed simply thought feeling dizzy was asthma-related and 13% bizarrely assumed having itchy eyes was somehow a key symptom of asthma. In reality, the primary common symptoms of asthma are having a shortness of breath, wheezing (accompanied by a whistling sound), chest tightness/pain/pressure, coughing (especially at night or early in the morning).
Sufferers usually find their symptoms to be particularly worse at night time, after exposure to cold air, exercise-induced, or brought-on by a reaction to an allergen – similar to hay fever sufferers.

Other wrong assumptions held by Brits include thinking there is a permanent cure for the lifelong condition; incredibly a third of us believe this to be true. Moreover, 15% merely think that asthma is something that only ‘unfit’ people have.

This is clearly untrue though and many are obviously forgetting the countless famous asthma sufferers who have reached the top of their field, such as the multimillionaire and recently retired footballer David Beckham and cyclist Laura Trott, who won gold at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games in the Team Pursuit and Omnium events.

However, asthma attacks still cause around 1,140 deaths each year and a substantial number of those could have been avoided with more awareness about the condition and how to efficiently control it. Only 37% of Brits have a decent knowledge about asthma medication or can differentiate between the purpose of blue and brown inhalers.

Unfortunately, this perhaps demonstrate a worrying lack of awareness about the fact a person’s asthma can be better controlled with regular and correct utilisation of brown preventer inhalers such as the commonly used Qvar Beclometasone and Easi-Breathe inhalers. Over time, the brown preventers are effective at reducing the need for blue inhalers – which are taken immediately to relieve asthma symptoms and essential in treating asthma attacks.

Visit the ‘Asthma and Allergies’ area of the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website for a full list of all the preventer and reliever inhalers we provide for suitable patients.

If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. You can undergo a quick and easy confidential online consultation with one of our GMC-registered Doctors and if suitable, they will write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house RPSGB–registered Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice, all within just 24 hours!*

*Allow extra time for overseas deliveries.

Ginger may spice up asthma medications

Ginger extract could prove a lot of more useful than simply tasting delicious and having a soothing effect on the stomach – it may also help to soothe the lungs for asthma sufferers.

According to the researchers of a new study, asthmatics could benefit from more effective medications after ginger is added to them as parts of the peppery root interact with medicines known as beta-agonists.

Laboratory tests showed how the ginger compound worked at accelerating the relaxation of airway smooth muscle (ASM) tissue samples, says lead researcher Dr Elizabeth Townsend, from Columbia University in the U.S.

Dr Townsend spoke on the study findings, commenting: “Asthma has become more prevalent in recent years, but despite an improved understanding of what causes asthma and how it develops, during the past 40 years few new treatment agents have been approved for targeting asthma symptoms. In our study, we demonstrated that purified components of ginger can work synergistically with beta-agonists to relax airway smooth muscle.”

In the laboratory, the researchers exposed human samples of ASM tissue to the nerve signalling compound acetylcholine, which they knew would cause bronchial tubes to contract, preventing air flow and resulting in breathing difficulty. This is known as ‘bronchoconstriction’.

Following this, the researchers they treated the samples using the beta-agonist isoproterenol in addition to either one of three different components of ginger (6-gingerol, 8-gingerol or 6-shogaol).
It was noted that the 6-shogaol component appeared to offer the biggest effectiveness at increasing the relaxing effect of the beta-agonist and managed to dissolve protein filaments that are believed to constrict bronchial tubes. Interestingly, all three ginger compounds worked at suppressed a key enzyme that induces asthma symptoms.

Beta-agonist medications primarily target the muscles around the airways – bronchi and bronchioles. After the lungs are irritated, the airways become narrower as muscles surrounding the airways tighten. Beta-agonists relax the muscles of the airways and thus widen them, making it a lot easier to breathe.

Asthma and COPD are common lung conditions that are treated through the use of beta-agonists, with Ventolin Evohaler and AirSalb Salbutamol being two popular choices.  Moreover, there are beta agonists that have other medical uses to treat conditions such as hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), hypotension (low blood pressure), heart failure, and as an antidote to beta-blocking poisoning.

Hull man dies from asthma attack triggered by cold weather

A man from Hull has tragically lost his life following a severe asthma attack, thought to have been induced by severe cold weather.

Steven Metcalfe, 38, had been hospitalised on a number of occasions because of his asthma, and recent temperatures in the UK that plunged in minus figures, had only worsened his breathing difficulties.

His father Tony, 58, and also an asthma sufferer, spoke on Wednesday describing how he had immediately flown home from his job on a North Sea oil rig after receiving the devastating news that his son had died at home on April 5.

Mr Metcalfe said: “Asthma can strike you down – people need to take it a lot more seriously. It has knocked us for six. No one expected it.”

Steven was employed as a welder and shared a home with his girlfriend of two years Debbie Brennan, 39, on the Longhill estate, East Hull.

Steven’s father added: “Steven had been in and out of Castle Hill Hospital twice in the past few months. In particular, Steven had been having a lot of trouble with his circulation. The cold usually makes asthma worse. Over the past few weeks especially, he always seemed out of breath,” adding that his son had died in bed as a result of both heart failure and asthma.
“When you have asthma, your heart has to work that much harder,” said Mr Metcalfe, employed with rig company Wood Group along with his other son Lee, 31.

He continued: “Lee and I were on different rigs but a helicopter collected us and flew us back to Aberdeen. We were then flown to Humberside Airport. Unfortunately, Steven had already died.”
Mr Metcalfe says like himself and the majority of other asthma sufferers, Steven had to use two inhalers and always made sure to take his medication.

“The blue inhaler is used in case of an attack and the brown one each morning and night to prevent attacks,” he said.

Dr Samantha Walker, director of research and policy at the charity Asthma UK, said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Steven Metcalfe and our thoughts are with his friends and family at this difficult time. Asthma can be an extremely serious and potentially fatal condition with more than 1,100 people in the UK dying from asthma each year. We are working hard to develop ways of stopping people getting asthma and helping those who have it to stay fit and healthy. Our dedicated asthma nurses can offer expert advice and support through the Asthma UK Adviceline, on 08001 216244.”

Cold weather however is only one of many triggers and others include:

. Tobacco smoke.  This can irritate the lungs and it is imperative that you stop smoking immediately if you smoke and have asthma, or avoid coming into contact with secondhand smoke.
. Pollen from certain trees, grasses and flowers. Pollen is linked to problems for both asthma and hay fever sufferers. Many health experts believe the two are connected and that asthma suffers also benefit from taking an anti-histamine such as Loratadine on a regular basis, to act as a precaution to allergic and asthmatic reactions.
. Air pollutants such as car exhaust fumes and the already mentioned tobacco smoke can release gases and particles that affect the airways. Evidence actually suggests a higher risk of asthma developing in people living nearby to roads with heavy traffic.
. Many asthmatics are sensitive to the droppings of house dust mites; tiny creatures that inhabit carpets, beddings and soft furnishings.
. Changes in air temperature. For instance, leaving a warm room and going outside into colder air can sometimes trigger an attack.
. Some asthmatics find that exercise triggers an asthma attack and may need to use their reliever inhaler such as Ventolin Evohaler.

Junk food contributing to health problems in kids

There are countless health problems that junk food can pose to children. As well as being terrible for skin, causing spots and maybe losing popularity with friends, junk food can contribute towards tooth decay, is primarily responsible for the increasing childhood obesity epidemic that is sweeping across Britain – now being thought to increase the risk of liver disease in children and even leading to experts designing a childhood obesity risk calculator which can predict a new-born’s chance of becoming obese as they get older.

However, thanks to a study conducted by researchers based at New Zealand’s Auckland University, the list of health problems in kids that can be attributed to the consumption of junk food can now be increased.

More specifically, they are coincidentally the same issues that a survey published last week found could possibly be connected to the failure of Brits to wash their bed sheets at least once every week – asthma, eczema and rhinitis.

The study was a project examining the dietary habits of 181,000 youngsters aged six to seven within 31 different countries, in addition to 319,000 teenagers aged 13-14 from 51 countries.
Both the kids and their parents were given questions regarding the youngster’s diets and if the kids suffered from symptoms of asthma, or had itchy eyes, runny noses and eczema – a skin condition that causes itching and red/dry skin that can be appear cracked or broken.

From the results of the Auckland University study, health experts are now concerned that a diet comprising of high levels of saturated fat can be detrimental to children’s immune systems. This is because it was discovered that teenagers who ate food such as burgers three times a week or more were at a 39% higher risk of developing severe asthma, whilst younger kids were found to be 27% more at risk.  In fact, regardless of gender or financial status, junk food was the only type of food to show similar health problems across both age groups.

Those who ate junk food at least three times each week were also more susceptible to the eye condition rhinoconjunctivitis (rhinitis) – characterised by various symptoms including sneezing, red eyes,  runny nose and nasal congestion. However, the researchers also learned that by consuming about three portions of fruit and veg each week could reduce the risk by 14% in the younger group and 11% for the teenagers.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, the study authors state that their findings do not prove a definite cause and effect, but comment: “Fast food may be contributing to increasing asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema. Regular consumption of fruit and vegetables is likely to protect against these diseases.”

If you have suffering with Allergic rhinitis and/or asthma then Medical Specialists are at hand to help. We have a vast range of medications to help both asthma and allergy sufferers, all at fantastic prices. If you are suffering from asthma-like symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately for a diagnosis.

Your doctor is able to prescribe medication if he feels you have asthma. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler or have lost your inhaler or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. We have both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone and Qvar Easi-Breathe.

If you suffer from hay fever or allergies we have many options for you including Alomide allergy eye drops, Loratadine tablets, Nasonex spray, Prevalin allergy nasal spray and Prevalin allergy kids nasal spray.

Genetic testing could lead to tailored asthma treatment

Scientists from Dundee University claim that a relatively simple and inexpensive ‘spit test’ could pave the way for creating bespoke asthma treatment for children suffering with the lung condition if a specific genetic mutation is detected and thus practically rendering their current treatment almost useless.

The Dundee University scientists collaborated with colleagues at Brighton University to analyse a total of 62 children who all had poorly controlled asthma and in many cases it was determined that their prescribed medication could be the source of the problem.

In particularly, a common culprit could be the inhaled ‘salmeterol’, found in both seretide and servent inhalers. Salmeterol is used by children with severe asthma that cannot be controlled with just their inhaled steroid medication such as the blue inhaler Ventolin – a popular inhaler prescribed to all children after they are formally diagnosed as having asthma.

The scientists believe that genetic code is the reason why some children fail to respond to the salmeterol. The drug is known as a ‘bronchodilator’ beta-2 agonist meaning it acts at stimulating beta-2 receptors on the muscle cells that line the airways. This results in these muscle cells being able to relax and open the airways.

Unfortunately however, an estimated one in seven people have a genetic mutation – the arginine-16 genotype of the beta-2 receptor- that causes their receptors to have a slightly altered shape than normal and the salmeterol does not acknowledge this difference.

All 62 children involved in the study had this genetic mutation and all had required periods of time off school, had hospital treatment or had visited a GP out of hours due to their asthma flaring up. During the study, the authors allowed the children to use their basic inhaler to control symptoms. In addition though, half were chosen at random to receive salmeterol and the other half were administered the anti-inflammatory medicine montelukast, used to prevent children from experiencing an asthma attack.

Within just three months it was discovered that those taking montelukast had significantly less coughing and wheezing, less likely to experience any deterioration of their asthma symptoms, as well as more likely to use their reliever inhaler less frequently than before.

At the beginning of the study, researchers calculated that 36% of the children had to use their reliever inhaler on a daily basis. After the year-long study had come to a conclusion, the total number of children using this inhaler every day had been slashed by half in the montelukast group. Interestingly, this trend was not seen within the salmeterol group.

Professor Somnath Mukhopadhyay said: “For almost every clinical outcome we were looking at we found that salmeterol either wasn’t working or was working very poorly. Montelukast was very much better. We’ve shown for the first time that personalised medicine can work in the field of childhood asthma.”

Prof Mukhopadhyay says the simple test would cost around £15 if it were to ever be introduced into GP surgeries, adding that it is unacceptable to prescribe drugs to children that are ineffective. He continued: “It’s a common disease affecting a million children in this country.  A common medicine is probably not working in a significant proportion of the population. I think we need to get some guidance from lead charities and from the Department of Health.”

Professor Stephen Holgate, MRC clinical professor of immunopharmacology at Southampton University, commented on the results of the study and said: “While genetic changes that determine bronchodilator responses in asthma have been known for some time, this is a wonderful example of stratified or personalised medicine working its way into practice. While still a small trial, the results in the asthmatic children’s response to the two treatments across a number of asthma outcomes are impressive.”

Stephen Fry’s asthma worries at Christmas

Christmas day is now only four days away and when it comes to health, most people will be primarily concerned with how much stodgy food they are indulging in for fear of adding an extra few inches to their waistline.

Perhaps surprisingly though, there are another group of people besides the weight-conscious who should possibly be concerned at Christmas time – asthma sufferers.

Comedian, actor and TV Personality Stephen Fry is one of many celebrity asthma sufferers and Fry will be completely avoiding any festive bubbly with worry that even one drink could trigger an asthma attack and kill him.

He says: “Christmas parties are generally a lot of fun but I have to make sure that I avoid champagne because it triggers my asthma symptoms. People don’t always realise that there are all sorts of different triggers for asthma, including plenty of things that are in abundance during the festive season. Champagne can leave a lot of people feeling poorly the next day but for me it is far more serious because it could trigger a potentially fatal asthma attack.”

Fry’s comments came in the wake of the charity Asthma UK warning that approximately 200 people in Britain will require hospital treatment on Christmas day due to their asthma symptoms. Fry himself experienced a scary situation last month at a film screening when he was struck down with an asthma attack, and carelessly did not have a blue reliever inhaler in his possession, such as the widely used Ventolin Evohaler.

The 55-year old comedian suffered with breathing difficulties and had to resort to asking surrounding guests if anybody had an inhaler he could use. Luckily for him, other asthma sufferers at the screening were not so careless and did indeed have their inhalers. Fry later posted a tweet on his Twitter account saying: “Just had a surprise asthma attack at a screening. Got up to ask if anyone had an inhaler, so many hands went up. Saved.”

As the UK are fully in the midst of a bitterly cold winter, the decreasing temperatures alone are just one risk factor for triggering an asthma attack and therefore people are advised to wrap up warm.
However, as the cold winter months mean more people spend larger amounts of time indoors; this in itself can create a whole new set of potential asthma triggers that are just waiting to cause problems for sufferers.



For example, it might sound an exciting prospect giving your child a new pet puppy or kitten for Christmas, but if your child is an asthma sufferer then this could be disastrous for their lungs. These animals shed a high volume of something called ‘dander’ – a combination of dead skin cells and hair (or feathers) that can bring on asthma attacks and allergic reactions in those who are sensitive to these allergens. It if is determined by a doctor that your child’s allergies or asthma is worsened by dander then you may have to find an alternative home for your pet.

There are many other factors to consider though at Christmas from an indoor perspective.  Here are some important tips to reduce the risk of an asthma attack:

. Don’t use artificial snow. Although it looks festive enough and is aesthetically pleasing, fake snow straight from a can may unfortunately trigger asthma attacks. Perfumes and scented candles should also be avoided where possible.
. Don’t stress. The process of buying and wrapping presents can be a stressing time, and this isn’t even adding on the time needed to see friends, family and loved ones. Plan your time in advance in order to relax and not let stress get the better of you as this is one of many asthma triggers.
. Clean your Christmas tree and decorations. Artificial trees that have been stored in a dusty attic or damp basement through the year will gather dust and mould spores – both common asthma triggers. The process of unpacking the artificial tree out of its box can stir up all the allergens and create problems. A real tree – bought as close to Christmas as possible, is advised. However we recommend that both real and artificial trees should be taken outside and thoroughly shaken prior to any decorations being put on the tree. If your decorations have not been stored in a sealed bag, they should also be wiped down to eradicate dust and mould.
. Be careful about alcohol intake. Some asthma sufferers find that any alcoholic drink can erupt symptoms in them, whilst other such as Stephen Fry, find that they could only have symptoms after consuming a particular drink. Learn from Fry’s potentially-deadly mistake and have your reliever inhaler on you at all times.

Medical Specialists Pharmacy hopes we have made you more aware about the different factors to consider at Christmas if you are suffering from asthma or allergy problems. We do not want anybody’s Christmas to be effected through health issues and we hope you take our advice seriously.
In addition, we advise heading to our ‘Asthma and Allergies’ section of our website where we have a massive range of different inhalers and medications to ease your symptoms. In fact, many asthma suffers will also benefit from taking an anti-histamine such as Loratadine on a regular basis, to act as a precaution to allergic and asthmatic reactions, even throughout the winter months.

IVF babies could be at double the risk of developing asthma

Researchers based at Oxford University claim that a child who is born through In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is more than double likely to develop asthma compared to a child that is planned and then conceived naturally. During IVF, an egg is taken from the woman’s ovaries and then fertilised with the man’s sperm at a laboratory inside a dish. This fertilisation process is referred to as ‘in vitro’, which is the Latin meaning for ‘in glass’. The resultant embryo is then placed back inside the woman’s womb to grow and develop.

Cost of the treatment is incredibly expensive, with the UK and the U.S. leading the way in regards to each ‘live birth’ and it is the actual costliness of the underlying healthcare system that is taken into account more than anything else. Unfortunately, in recent times IVF has faced many controversies and some babies from IVF treatment have even joined together on internet forums later in their life to voice their distress and anger with their situation. Many feel socially ostracised and frustrated about not knowing their donor parent and genetic relatives they may have.

The asthma claims stem from what is the first ever UK study to analyse asthma risks following an IVF conception and have recently been published in the journal Human Reproduction. A possible connection was established by scientists at the University following an analysis of 18,818 children born in the UK in a two-year period between 2000 and 2002.

According to the study, children conceived after fertility treatment, are also more likely to suffering wheezing or have to use an anti-asthmatic medicine by the age of five; a potential indication of more severe asthma.  Despite the possible connection between IVF treatment and lung problems, the researchers stress that the findings do not definitely prove asthma is caused by IVF and that a child born as a result remains at low risk.

Childhood asthma is already a massive problem in the UK. In total it is estimated there are around 1.1 million children who are currently receiving treatment for asthma in the UK – an equivalent of 1 in every 11 children. Asthma rates have skyrocketed four-fold since the 1970s and some of the many risk factors for the problem have been covered in detail by Medical Specialists Pharmacy. Just this year alone we have seen a wide range of different issues that can contribute to asthma development, such as tobacco smoke, viral infections and mothers taking antibiotics during pregnancy.

In addition, approximately one child in every seven will experience ‘wheezing’ at some point during their first five years. The Oxford University study will raise concerns as the results show that IVF children are twice as likely to develop wheezing.

Researchers conducting the study found that children born to sub-fertile parents were 39% more likely to be experiencing asthma symptoms by the time they were aged five. Also the same children were 27% more likely to suffer with wheezing.

A thorough analysis of the results showed a link between health problems and assisted reproduction technology (ART). ARTs can include IVF as well as ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection); which involves injecting a single sperm straight into an egg to fertilise it.

Lead researcher Dr Claire Carson of Oxford University says that in total 15% of the children involved in their study were asthmatic at age five, with an increase to 24% within the 104 children born through assisted-reproduction technologies. As only 104 were born via this method, scientists have urged caution when translating the results.

Dr Carson explains: “Childhood asthma is a common condition in the UK where the prevalence of the condition is higher than other European countries, and to our knowledge this is the first UK study of asthma after IVF conceptions. Our analysis suggests that it is the ART group in particular who are at higher risk.”

Malayka Rahman, from the charity Asthma UK, said: “This study suggests that there might be an association between IVF treatment and asthma developing in children, but the sample size for this study is small and currently the research in this area generally is not conclusive. Overall research suggests that the absolute risk of asthma increasing after IVF appears to be small. Further work is needed to establish what might be causing this association and whether there are other factors at play other than the IVF treatment itself. In the meantime those considering IVF should speak to their GP about the benefits and health risks in order to make an informed decision.”

Medical Specialists Pharmacy is able to help you if you are suffering from asthma. We can provide any new or existing asthma patient with a wide range of medications. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. You can undergo a quick and easy confidential online consultation with one of our GMC-registered Doctors and if suitable, they will write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house RPSGB–registered Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice. We have both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone and Qvar Easi-Breathe.

Pregnant women taking antibiotics leave babies at risk of asthma

A new Danish study has emerged that shows potential dangers to children if their mothers take antibiotics during pregnancy, with these children possibly more likely to develop asthma in comparison to children whose mothers did not take any antibiotics when expecting.

The researchers state that results they have gathered from their study are not 100% definitive in proving that antibiotics were completely responsible for the apparent increased asthma risk. However their data does back-up an already known theory that the body’s own ‘friendly’ bacteria play an important role in whether or not a child develops asthma, with antibiotics seemingly sabotaging these good bacteria.

Dr. Hans Bisgaard, a professor at the University of Copenhagen, was one of a few authors of the study, published in The Journal of Pediatrics. He said: “We speculate that mothers’ use of antibiotics changes the balance of natural bacteria, which is transmitted to the new-born, and that such unbalanced bacteria in early life impact on the immune maturation in the new-born.”

Anita Kozyrskyj, a professor at the University of Alberta, has also conducted her own studies trying to ascertain asthma and antibiotic links, and she believes it is these effects on the immune system could end up leading to a development of asthma later on, although she is still trying to work out exactly how.

Although there have been arguments against the findings, previous research has suggested that those children who are given antibiotics during the first six months of their life are at a 52% more risk of developing asthma and allergies by the time they are 6 years old.

Dr Bisgaard and his colleagues however decided to focus their research on the effects of antibiotics earlier than infancy. To do this they obtained information from a Danish national birth database comprising of over 30,000 children who were born sometime between 1997 and 2003. The team’s follow-up analysis spanned for a total of five years.

It was discovered that approximately a quarter of the children (7,300), had mothers who had taken antibiotics during their pregnancy. Of these children, just over 3% had been admitted to hospital for their asthma prior to the age of five.

In total, it was found that 581 (2.5%) of the approximate 23,000 children not exposed to antibiotics, had been admitted to hospital for asthma.

Dr Bisgaard and his team then looked at other possible risk factors for asthma and managed to calculate that the children that had been exposed to antibiotics whilst in the womb were around 17% more likely to require hospital treatment for asthma conditions.

Also it was calculated that those children with mothers who had taken antibiotics during pregnancy were 18% more likely to have been issued a prescription for asthma medicine such as Ventolin for example, compared to kids whose mothers did not take antibiotics when they were pregnant.

If you are suffering from asthma, why not allow At Medical Specialists Pharmacy to help you as we are able to provide new and existing asthma patients with a wide range of medications. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. After undergoing a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors, if you are suitable they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice. We have both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone and Qvar Easi-Breathe.

Wrinkle-busting Botox may be used to combat hay fever

Almost precisely a month ago we delivered some exciting news for 10 million hay fever sufferers in the UK and millions more around the globe when we reported how a new vaccine was in development that could directly hit the immune system, providing effective relief. This is on top of already currently available treatments such as Loratadine tablets, Nasonex nasal spray, Prevalin and Alomide allergy eye drops.

Now it seems that hay fever sufferers could be offered even more options to treat their symptoms, which occur when the immune system (the body’s defence system) overreacts to allergens, which in turn results in the release of histamine which in turn causes inflammation, itchy reddening or itchy eyes and sneezing. Although hay fever sufferers are worse hit during the spring and summer period, those who have allergic reactions to cats and dogs can find themselves in misery throughout the year when they come into contact with these animals.

The new treatment option bizarrely comes in the form of a Botox nasal gel remarkably, and now Australian scientists are currently preparing to carry out the first trial of its kind. Botox is mostly associated with celebrities who are willing to fork out thousands of pounds in their effort to beat the aging process. As well as a wrinkle-fighter, Botox may also be useful as a weapon against the inconvenient and troublesome symptoms of hay fever.

The Botox gel will be applied to the skin on your nose with the help of a cotton bud, where it will work by penetrating the skin to reach the nasal cavity. According to Philip Bardin, a professor at the Monash Medical Centre, the botulinum toxin could offer relief for hay fever sufferers by blocking nerve endings in the nasal passage, decreasing inflammation and preventing the onset of symptoms.

For the forthcoming study, Professor Bardin is optimistic about recruiting around 70 patients with hay fever and what is a common practice in these experiments; half of the subjects will receive the tested treatment (i.e. the Botox) and the other half will be given a placebo. The study is being initiated after preliminary trial earlier this year showed that the therapy does indeed provide relief from symptoms.

Here is what Professor Bardin had to say on the promising new treatment: “Botox works for three months and then its effects are broken down and the nerves regenerate. So if this works, maybe it’s gel into the nose every three months – or once a year for people who have seasonal allergic rhinitis – and, hopefully, no more sneezing.”

Dr Stephen Till from King’s College London, acknowledged the exciting breakthrough, saying: “This new vaccine is potentially applicable to far larger numbers than the existing one.”

However, the good news doesn’t end there. It seems even asthma sufferers could find themselves better off after a therapy of Botox. Professor Bardin has also released preliminary details of an experiment where a group of asthma patients with severe symptoms were injected with Botox into their larynx in an effort to alleviate muscle spasms. He claims that 80% of the asthma patients responded to the treatment and showed improve symptoms. The next step will be similar to the hay fever trial, involving a much bigger selection of patients, with both a Botox and placebo therapy being tested.

Of course, nobody knows for sure when or if Botox will be given the go-ahead for certified hay fever or asthma treatment as any potential health risks will have to be assessed first. In the meantime, Medical Specialists Pharmacy provides a huge range of products and medications to help both hay fever asthma sufferers, all at great prices. We have all of the previously mentioned hay fever treatments (Loratadine, Nasonex, Prevalin and Alomide), in addition to a huge range of asthma inhalers.

If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms.   After undergoing a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors, if you are suitable they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice. This is all done discretely and within just 24 hours. We have both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone and Qvar Easi-Breathe.

Oldham schoolboy dies from a severe asthma attack

A mother of three from Oldham has called for more awareness to be raised regarding the seriousness of asthma after her 9-year-old son, Joshua, tragically died from an asthma attack earlier this year. In particularly, his mother wants parents to more educated on the difference between the blue reliever inhalers and the brown preventer inhalers, in the hope that other lives can be saved in the future.

Joshua Platt had initially been formally diagnosed with asthma at the age of just one. Despite the early setback, he never let the condition hold him back in life and regularly participated in things such as camping, football, swimming, basketball, judo and enjoyed playing with his younger sisters Demi-Rae, four, and two-year-old Macie.

On 12 February this year, Joshua helped Joanna tidy the house and then went to visit his Grandmother. He had earlier awoken with what Joanna described to the Oldham coroners court as a ‘bit of a sniffle’ and a mild cough, but nothing that majorly concerned her at that point in time.
Joshua arrived back to his home in the Hollinwood area of Oldham at about 7pm and his mum promptly gave him Calpol medicine. After he then started to wheeze, Joshua began rocking backwards and forwards, requested his blue inhaler and asked his mum to rub his back. She says, “He was trying to take deep breaths while trying to talk to me at the same time but was struggling to do both. He was panicking and I was trying to guide him and try to get him to inhale slowly but he just couldn’t.”

Unfortunately his reliever inhaler didn’t have an effect on him and he lost consciousness, leading to Joanna frantically calling for an ambulance to get Joshua to hospital. Despite her best efforts to get him breathing again, Joshua was rushed to Royal Oldham Hospital and tragically, he was pronounced dead at 8.30pm that night.

In what highlights the condition’s severity, the inquest heard that severe attacks could happen to sufferers who did manage their asthma in addition to those who did not. Coroner Simon Nelson recorded a death of natural causes, stating there was unfortunately nothing that could have been done to prevent Joshua’s death. He further called for all parents, teachers and doctors to make sure that asthma sufferers are fully aware of the importance of their preventative medication.

His comments came after Joanna suggested that Joshua had come too accustomed to taking his blue reliever inhalers when his symptoms were showing, and had generally ignored the brown preventer. However, this works over time to reduce the inflammation and mucus in the airways. It could be that Joshua had ignored this type of inhaler as its benefits are not immediately obvious.  They are very important inhalers though and should not be overlooked by asthma sufferers. Gradually over time, the low dose of steroid medicine in the inhaler will have an impact and chest tightness, coughing and wheezing should occur less frequently. Some may even notice that they need to use the reliever inhaler less than before.

Joanna commented, “I think Josh had become laid back about his medication and thought that because he had his inhaler to use if he had an attack, he didn’t need to worry about the other inhaler that would prevent it in the first place. Everyone else was reminding him to take it but he was not aware of how important it was. I think children who have asthma need to be better educated about the importance of all their medication. Teachers and parents should be given more advice. Parents need to be made aware that whether you have got the asthma in control or not that this can still happen. They need to educate their children as well. A lot of people are so laid back about it and think that you can just rely on your blue inhaler but once those tubes close that’s it. To other parents with asthmatic children all I can say is don’t take the inhalers for granted and keep on your child’s back about taking the brown preventer. Josh lived life to the full and his illness never stopped him. He was loved by so many people and had a lot of friends.”

The story of Joshua’s death deeply saddens everybody at Medical Specialists Pharmacy and it shows exactly why we are such strong advocates for the promotion of better asthma awareness to help support the 5.4 million sufferers in the UK, and millions more around the world. Back in August we created an article trying to dispel the unnecessary embarrassment or shame that some asthma sufferers still have with the condition. We have also offered advice and stated some warning signs that asthma sufferers need to be aware of in regards to understanding if their symptoms are under control.

At Medical Specialists we have a wide range of medications to help asthma sufferers. If you are suffering from asthma like symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately for a diagnosis. Your doctor is able to prescribe medication if he feels you have asthma. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler or have lost your inhaler or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. We now offer both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone, Qvar Easi-Breathe and Pulvinal Beclomethasone.

There have been occasions when some of our asthma patients have also requested a non-drowsy antihistamine such as Loratadine. Daily use of this medication is particularly helpful for asthma sufferers to reduce season allergies from exposure to pollen, exposure to dust mites, bed mites, pets, etc. or for those who experience severe asthma symptoms after exercise.

Chemicals in fragrances could trigger asthma and skin problems

Next time you overdo it and shower yourself in perfume or aftershave, spray deodorant on, spray air freshener around the home, use scented candles or even scented toilet roll – think about what all these things could be doing to your health.

We warn this as a leading health expert has spoke on the different ways, highlighting that part of the problem could be down to a ‘contact allergy’ that roughly one in 20 of us suffer from, and this number may be increasing. The contact allergy is in reference to when perfumes and other scented products cause eczema outbreaks as well as dermatitis when they touch the skin, and many more problems other than this can arise.

It is believed that molecules in the fragrances trigger an immune response and result in the sufferer experiencing scaly, cracked, dry and itchy skin.

Dr Susannah Baron, consultant dermatologist at Kent & Canterbury hospital, and BMI Chaucer Hospital, warns that more of the population may start to suffer from such problems in the future. She commented, “Allergies are on the increase, and the amount of perfumed products is also on the rise. Fragrance allergy can show up as contact dermatitis in the site a perfumed product is applied, or as a flare-up of existing eczema. It can be a real problem.”

Dr Baron’s comments follow-on from July of this year when the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety requested that perfume manufacturers should state any possible allergens in their product after reports emerged regarding the risks of skin conditions flaring up after usage.

Dr Baron further warns people to be careful regarding over-using fragranced products as it may not be fully obvious you have developed an intolerance or allergy. She continued, “You don’t react immediately; the body notes that it does not like the chemical and develops ‘memory cells’, which cause inflammation when the body is next exposed to this chemical. Gradually, as you are exposed more and more, the body ramps up its reaction, until it becomes more noticeable to you.”

Even those without existing problems or allergies may be at risk of building up to eventually have a fragrance allergy. Dr Baron says, “You can become suddenly allergic to perfumes and personal care products that you have been using for years. You can also have problems with unexpected products such as scented toilet roll and scented wipes which can cause irritation.”

However, it gets worse. People with skin and scalp conditions are not the only people who could suffer. Those who battle with regular migraines could see a more regular occurrence of severe headaches and experts further warn that products like plug-in deodorisers and mild air fresheners have chemicals in them that could induce an asthma attack. The charity Asthma UK claims that perfumes can affect the airways in asthma sufferers and result in breathing difficulties.

Asthma UK are not the only ones to warn about the dangers though. Over in America, Dr Stanley Fineman, of the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma Clinic in the U.S., says he has conducted research that shows a clear alteration to lung function when the lungs come into contact with particular chemical fragrances.

So what can be done then to avoid or manage all these potential problems? Firstly, if you do suffer with eczema, you should always try to only use non-fragranced emollient to wash your hands and body. Migraine sufferers would be advised to keep a diary that documents what particular products trigger a migraine and this will enable them to keep their exposure to an absolute minimum. Dermatitis is another issue that we touched upon earlier, and this can be treated with therapeutic medicated shampoo such as T/Gel which costs just £4.95 from Medical Specialists Pharmacy. In addition, if you have suffering with allergies and/or asthma then we are at hand to help. We have a vast range of medications to help both asthma and allergy sufferers, all at great prices. If you are suffering from asthma-like symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately for a diagnosis.

Your doctor is able to prescribe medication if he feels you have asthma. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler or have lost your inhaler or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. For suitable patients we have both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone and Qvar Easi-Breathe.

If you suffer from hay fever or allergies we have many options for you including Alomide allergy eye drops , Loratadine tablets, Nasonex spray, Prevalin allergy nasal spray and Prevalin allergy kids nasal spray.

New drug Tudorza Pressair is given FDA backing for the treatment of COPD

This week has seen yet another new drug been given a clearance by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), following the recent seal of approval for two new weight loss medications, Qsymia and Belviq, as we reported last week.

On this occasion, the drug to be given an authorisation for public use is a twice-daily inhaled medication named ‘Tudorza Pressair’, which is used to help treat symptoms of bronchospasm. This is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), aka ‘smoker’s cough’.

COPD is a term used for numerous conditions, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and is similar in certain characteristics to asthma. Bronchitis and emphysema are commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs in which the airways become narrowed, thus making it difficult for air to get in or out of the lungs.  Obvious symptoms can include chronic cough, tightness in the chest, and excessive phlegm.

Asthma and COPD can exist in the same person. However, in contrast to asthma, the inflammation of the lungs with COPD is not triggered by allergies and does not respond well to anti-inflammatory medication. In 2005, there were over 3 million deaths worldwide linked to COPD, with the main cause being the damaging effects of cigarette smoking.

On Tuesday, Spain’s biggest pharmaceutical company Almirall, and US drugmaker Forest Laboratories, confirmed they had been given the coveted FDA green light for Tudorza Pressair. This followed a slight hiccup back in March when the FDA demanded that it wanted a three-month extended time period to analyse the review data supporting the New Drug Application for aclidinium bromide (the powder ingredient within Tudorza Pressair).

Despite entering into an already competitive market where highly popular effective medications such as Ventolin can alleviate COPD symptoms, analysts at Sanford Bernstein say that sales of the Forest/Almirall drug could hit $164 million by 2015.

A spokesperson at Forest commented saying, “As the first long-acting inhaled anticholinergic agent approved in over 8 years for COPD, Tudorza will be an important treatment option.”
Curtis Rosebraugh, MD, Office of Drug Evaluation II, FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Rockville, Maryland, said, “COPD is a serious disease that gets worse over time. The availability of long-term maintenance drugs for COPD provides additional treatment options for the millions of people who suffer with this debilitating disease.”

However, the FDA have also warned that the drug may cause some serious side effects such as paradoxical bronchospasm, new or worsened urinary retention, or new or worsened pressure in the eyes (known as acute narrow-angle glaucoma). The FDA also says the medication is not fit to be used as a rescue therapy to help aid sudden breathing difficulties such as acute bronchospasm.

When Medical Specialists Pharmacy know more about this and other medications that are being approved by the FDA to help with asthma or COPD, we will update our patients immediately. In the meantime, Medical Specialists Pharmacy provides a huge range of medications to help asthma sufferers, all at great prices. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms.   After undergoing a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors, if you are suitable they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice. This is all done discretely and within just 24 hours. We offer both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone, Qvar Easi-Breathe, and Pulvinal Beclomethasone.

The New York childhood asthma rate is more than US national average

Statistics released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that an average of one in eight New York City children have been diagnosed with asthma. This means that the prevalence rate is higher than the US national average for childhood asthma, which is currently about one in ten.

Thomas Matte, assistant commissioner for environmental surveillance and policy, commented on the findings and said, “New York City’s rate on average is higher, but then within the city we know the rate varies dramatically. Our rate is really pulled up by the high rates in poor neighbourhoods.”

Matte gives his opinions on why this is so, and says that households with lower income will probably have more possible asthma triggers such as mould, pest infestations, and the chemicals in cigarette smoke can irritate the lungs. The links between tobacco smoke and lung conditions such as asthma is a topic Medical Specialists Pharmacy previously reported earlier this year, and we advise that asthma suffers must have their reliever inhaler in their possession at all times, especially when there is a risk of being in the presence of somebody who smokes.

He further advises that written instructions for children and parents would be an effective method of managing their asthma.  According to the CDC survey, only one in three children using medication for asthma was actually doing this.

It is calculated that children residing in East Harlem are almost 13 times more likely to require asthma-related hospital treatment in comparison to counterparts living in the Upper East Side. The same report claims that 18% of Hispanic children and 17% of black children have been diagnosed with asthma, and just 5% of white children.

Dr Joshua Needleman, a paediatric pulmonologist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, says Doctors are already aware of the trends that the report highlights, saying, “You find asthma all over the place, but the kids in the poor areas is where you see the most burden.”

With soaring temperatures currently gripping the US, child and adult asthma sufferers in both poor and wealthy areas will no doubt see their symptoms worsen, and this will apply to those who have hay fever too. Days with high humidity or pollution can especially cause problems for asthma sufferers and this can be dangerous if left untreated. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) have said, “Although symptoms may not always be severe, summertime allergies and asthma are serious and, in some cases, deadly.”

At Medical Specialists Pharmacy we offer our patients a huge range of medications to help both asthma and allergy sufferers, all at great prices. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. After undergoing a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors, if you are suitable they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice. We have both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol cheaper than the NHS, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone, Qvar Easi-Breathe and Pulvinal Beclomethasone.

An effective treatment for allergic rhinitis (hay fever) is Nasonex nasal spray. Available with or without a prescription, Nasonex is a medication used to help with congestion, sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, and nasal itching due to allergies. It is also prescribed for nasal polyps (small, non-cancerous growths on the lining inside the nose). Prices of this medication are from as little as £9.98 per pack. Our chemist shop has now been expanded to include products such Prevalin allergy nasal spray, Prevalin allergy kids nasal spray and Alomide allergy eye drops, which can all help to ease the symptoms of hay fever.

Asthma inhaler sensor given clearance by FDA

Asthma sufferers all around the world may soon have a revolutionary device in their possession after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted a 510(k) clearance on Tuesday to a Madison based company to start rolling out its asthma inhaler sensor. This kind of clearance means it can be marketed based on the fact there is an existing comparable product in the market already.

Asthmapolis have announced they received the federal clearance required to start offering the sensors to the public, together with mobile and web application software. The sensors are named ‘the Spiroscout’, and will only be available on prescription.

The sensor can be attached to most reliever inhalers such as the widely used Ventolin, and preventive inhalers such as Qvar’s Beclometasone and Easi-Breathe inhalers. It works by transmitting data to the person’s smartphone upon each discharge of their inhaler and satellites can then pinpoint the user’s location and pass all information back to the company’s server.

Asthmapolis boast that their new device is ‘small and lightweight’ and ‘easy to mount securely on the end of most inhalers’. Some advantages to asthmatics will be the generation of weekly reports, providing information on how many times they have used their inhalers, locations of asthma attacks, and they can even receive text messages that remind them to use their asthma medications.
The chances are that not every single person who suffers from asthma or chronic pulmonary obstructive disease will also own a smartphone, so the makers have devised a plan to cater for this. Users can connect their sensor to an access point called ‘2net Hub’, created by the wireless health network company Qualcomm Life.

Inger Couture, Chief Regulatory Officer of Asthmapolis, commented on the new device via a written statement and said, “We are thrilled to have achieved this important milestone to support our mission of providing tools to help patients and their healthcare providers better understand and control their asthma symptoms. Despite all we know about asthma and how to treat it, the majority of patients still do not have the disease under control, and traditional approaches to self-management have been time-consuming and complicated. The Asthmapolis technology makes it much easier to track symptoms and use of metered dose inhalers, allowing patients, their families and their doctors to gain a valuable new perspective on the disease.”

The proportion of asthmatic individuals in the United States increased by nearly 15% from 2001 to 2010, at which point it was thought there were 25.7 million people were affected. So clearly the device will benefit many people. Also in the UK there are approximately 5.4 million people currently receiving treatment for asthma. The lung condition is a worldwide problem, and can be deadly if you are not keeping track of your symptoms and attacks through the use of an asthma diary, or do not have sufficient supplies of your asthma inhalers.

At Medical Specialists Pharmacy we offer a wide range of medications to help asthma sufferers, all at great prices. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms.   After undergoing a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors, if you are suitable they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice. This is all done discretely and within just 24 hours. We offer both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone, Qvar Easi-Breathe, and Pulvinal Beclomethasone.

Hereford teen dies from suspected asthma attack

An 18-year old beauty student from Hereford has tragically passed away after speaking to her mother on the phone and complaining she was short of breath. Bianca Hart was enjoying a socialising drink with friends in Hereford on 27 June to celebrate the end of her exams at Hereford College of Beauty before her asthma symptoms began to develop. After phoning her mother to say ‘I can’t breathe’, she was immediately rushed to the County Hospital in the early hours of Thursday 28 June.

Bianca lost consciousness inside the hospital after suffering a huge asthma attack and whilst awaiting an assessment from doctors. Paramedics then tried their best to save her but unfortunately she died a few hours later. Police have spoken to immediately dispel any notion that her drink may have been spiked. Bianca’s sister released a statement and paid tribute to her sister, saying, “Bianca lived life to the full, loved to be around her friends and socialising around the town. She was a very caring person, trustworthy, lively, beautiful, angelic by nature, fashionable and a confident person.”

Bianca is the third person to die from a suspected asthma attack in Herefordshire in the last two months, following the death of a 14-year old Ross-on-Wye schoolgirl Lauren Hughes and 48-year old Linda Robinson.

These deaths have stressed just how serious asthma can be if not properly treated and managed. Attacks can occur at any time but certain things can trigger an attack such as:

. Smoke from cigarettes. We would advise you stop smoking immediately if you smoke and have asthma, or avoid inhaling the smoke from those around you.
. Pollen from trees and grass.
. Paint fumes.
. House dust mites.
. Changes in air temperature. For example going from a warm room into cold air outside can sometimes trigger an attack.
. Some asthmatics experience an asthma attack during exercise and may need to use their reliever inhaler such as Ventolin prior to beginning the exercise. You can obtain this from Medical Specialists Pharmacy cheaper than on the NHS.

The problems of Asthma are a global issue that Medical Specialists are determined to do something about by offering patients a wide range of asthma reliever and preventer inhalers to best suit your needs. Indeed across the Atlantic, North America is currently experiencing soaring temperatures in the grip of a torturing heat wave. The heat will affect everybody, but those with asthma a lot more.

Lafayette asthma and allergy physician Dr. Ketan Sheth spoke last month about how the heat will have impact on asthmatics and said, “Hot weather increases a lot of pollution that is outside so air pollution is going to cause people with asthma to have trouble and just the heat and the humidity itself is really going to trigger problems.” Americans suffering from asthma have been warned to take the following precautions to stay safe during the heat wave:

. Stay indoors with the windows close. This can help to avoid smoke, dirt and other things that could trigger an attack.
. Keep hydrated.
. Keep up to date with the weather forecast.
. Limit outdoor activity if possible.
. Be careful using fans – These can blow allergens around the air.
. Finally, plan what action to take in case of an attack. Use your asthma medications often and always have rescue medication in your possession.

Health experts predict rise in stomach bugs and STIs during the Olympics

With the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games set to begin in just over three weeks, the capital is bracing itself for thousands of people descending into the city to catch a glimpse of the action. With this is mind, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) have begun steps to ensure people stay safe from such conditions as sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) and stomach problems. The HPA is an organisation set-up by the UK government back in 2003 and they aim to reduce the dangers to health from infections, chemicals and radiation hazards as set out in the HPA Act.

The HPA spoke on Tuesday and said they were ‘Games ready’ in their attempts to control any infections and limit their impact on the event itself. They are expecting a slight increased risk of stomach bugs and chest infections and some reports suggested that the capital could be ‘flooded with prostitutes’.

Justin McCracken, chief executive of the HPA, said in a statement, “We want everyone to enjoy the Games safely and by taking practical steps like ensuring good hand hygiene, being up-to-date with routine vaccinations and practising safe sex, it will help to ensure everyone stays healthy during this worldwide spectacle.”

The core of the HPA’s actions include three systems; rapid laboratory testing, enhanced syndromic surveillance and undiagnosed serious infections illness surveillance. They aim to diagnose infections such as Salmonella in just 24 hours whereas usually it would take 48. Symptom patterns will be analysed from anybody unwell who contacts the NHS direct, goes to an NHS walk-in centre, or simply visits their own GP. In addition, doctors have been informed they must make aware any emerging infections or symptoms of any exotic diseases.

Dr Brian McCloskey the HPA Olympics lead and director for London, explained how the organisation are prepared for the Games, “In preparation for London 2012 we have put in place world class systems to monitor and respond rapidly to any outbreaks of infectious diseases or environmental hazards. These new and enhanced systems will provide the first indication of emerging infections in the community and hospitals if they are to occur. Our experts will analyse surveillance data daily to identify issues of public health significance that could have implications for the Games.”

The HPA have stressed the importance of always carrying with you any medications for existing conditions (such as asthma) and having enough of the medication to span the duration of the Games.  If you do unfortunately suffer from any stomach or bowel problems now, during the Games, or anytime after – Medical Specialists Pharmacy can help you. Visit our brand new ‘stomach and bowel’ section of the website to browse through the huge range of products we have recently added. These include Mebeverine, Buscopan IBS relief, Doxycyline and many more!

We also note that the HPA advise to practice safe sex during the games? We argue you should be doing this all the time anyway! Sexually transmitted infections have shown to be on the increase due to alarming careless behaviour in both teens and even the ‘baby boomers’.

Men should ideally always wear a condom when engaging in sexual intercourse. If you do suspect you may have chlamydia, we now offer the Clamelle chlamydia test kit from just £24.85, which can be used in the privacy of your own home to avoid an embarrassing visit to your doctor. Or, if you have been confirmed as having this or gonorrhoea, the antibiotic Azithromycin can prevent the spread of the bacteria so that your body’s natural defences can fight back and remove the infection from your system. We also have Valtrex which helps to slow the spread of the herpes virus, and many more medications such as asthma inhalers cheaper than the NHS.

Antihistamine and probiotic therapy could treat allergic rhinitis

A study conducted by the Chung Shan Medical University Hospital in Taichung, Taiwan, has found that supplementing the antihistamine ‘levocetirizine’ together with the probiotic ‘Lactobacillus johnsonii EM1 (Lj EM1), helped to lessen the symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis. Antihistamines are a particular group of medicines that aid in alleviating the problems caused by a number of other conditions as well as allergic rhinitis, such as hay fever, eczema, and allergic conjunctivitis.

The Taiwanese study involved the tracking of 63 schoolchildren for a 1 year period. The subjects were aged between 7 and 12 years old, and all were suffering from moderate to severe perennial allergic rhinitis. The study has been published in the July issue of the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, and was carried out by conducting a 2-phase crossover trial that compared how effective levocetirizine was by itself, against the use of the anhistamine together with the probiotic Lj EM1.

All children were chosen at random to receive either just the antihistamine, or that supplemented with the probiotic. After 12 weeks of being on a particular course of treatment, every child was switched over to the other one and were again monitored for a 12-week time period.

Daily activity diaries were kept for each child and a ‘total symptom score’ was adopted to assess the 4 nasal and 5 nonnasal symptoms for the children each day, working on a 4-point scale from 0 to 3, with 0 being no symptoms and 3 being most severe. The TSS was the combined count of all 9 symptoms. How well each child slept every night was also noted, again scoring from 0 to 3.

In the first 12-week period, a TSS improvement was evident in both groups after 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Interestingly though however, a more effective response was seen in the children who were taking both the antihistamine and probiotic at weeks 4, 8 and 12. Those just taking antihistamines were said to have shown improvement ‘continually and progressively’ in the second 12-week stage of the study, whereas the others did not.

Researchers have now come to the conclusion that probiotics may be effective for treating early-stage allergic disease through an alteration of the inflammatory response and immunity. It is still unclear yet if probiotics can help allergic airway diseases such as asthma and hay fever, and experts have called for more studies on this.

One effective treatment for allergic rhinitis is Nasonex nasal spray. Available with or without a prescription, Nasonex is a medication used to help with congestion, sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, and nasal itching due to allergies. It is also prescribed for nasal polyps (small, non-cancerous growths on the lining inside the nose). Prices of this medication are from as little as £9.98 per pack.

We also have a massive range of asthma inhalers, such as Ventolin Evohaler, which we sell cheaper than the NHS. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. We offer both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone, Qvar Easi-Breathe and Pulvinal Beclomethasone. We are constantly looking to increase our vast range of products and treatments, and recently expanded our chemist shop to include Prevalin allergy nasal spray, Prevalin allergy kids nasal spray and Alomide allergy eye drops, which can all help to ease the symptoms of hay fever.

Christmas brings warnings for asthma and allergy sufferers

As the festive period is upon us, an expert allergist at the Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Maywood, Ill, has issued a warning which could dampen the moods of many. Fresh Christmas trees, plants, air fresheners, perfumes, dust and nuts may trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions according to Dr. Joseph Leija.
Dr. Leija has warned that there is a good chance of a trigger being created through things such as:  the dust on old boxes of decorations that have been stored away for probably almost a year, fresh Christmas trees, and the popular holiday houseplant the Poinsetta, which has become almost as widely known at Christmas as holly and ivy.

The allergist commented in a Loyola University Health System news release: “The dust from the boxes and on the decorations that have been packed away in dank basements or dusty attics is triggering reactions in my allergy and asthma patients”. He further went on to suggest methods of avoiding such problems. For instance he advised avoiding scented candles and oils, choosing an artificial tree as apposed to a real and fresh one, staying clear of fresh plants and flowers, be careful with the humidifier and keeping humidity to no more than 48 to 50 percent, and finally to store all decorations in plastic bins to help keep them dust-free.

If you are worried about Dr. Leija’s warnings, why not be prepared and help beat the Christmas blues. At Medical Specialists we offer a wide range of medications to help asthma and allergy sufferers, all at great prices. If you are suffering from asthma like symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately for a diagnosis. Your doctor is able to prescribe medication if he feels you have asthma. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler or have lost your inhaler or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. We now offer both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone, Qvar Easi-Breathe, and Pulvinal Beclomethasone. If you suffer from hay fever or allergies we offer Loratadine tablets and Nasonex spray. Both of the aforementioned are available without the need for a prescription.