Eczema

Eczema is a general term used to describe a variety of conditions that cause an itchy, inflamed skin rash. Atopic dermatitis, a form of eczema, is a non-contagious disorder characterized by chronically inflamed skin and sometimes intolerable itching.

Food allergies rate higher in young children

Severe reactions to food more common than thought in young children — Study identifies causes for high rates of allergic reactions in children with food allergies – Young children with allergies to milk and egg experience reactions to these and other foods more often than researchers had expected. A new study found that severe and potentially life-threatening reactions in a significant number of these children occur and that some caregivers are hesitant to give such children epinephrine, a medication that reverses the symptoms of such reactions and can save lives.

New blood test to detect allergy risk

New blood test for newborns to detect allergy risk – A simple blood test can now predict whether newborn babies are at high risk of developing allergies as they grow older, thanks to research involving the University of Adelaide.

Germs on skin are good for us

Surface bacteria maintain skin’s healthy balance — Germs on skin are good for us. – On the skin’s surface, bacteria are abundant, diverse and constant, but inflammation is undesirable. Research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine now shows that the normal bacteria living on the skin surface trigger a pathway that prevents excessive inflammation after injury.

New genomic approaches for treating skin diseases

Study finds unexpected bacterial diversity on human skin – Genomic research lays groundwork for new approaches for treating, preventing skin diseases. – The health of our skin – one of the body’s first lines of defense against illness and injury – depends upon the delicate balance between our own cells and the millions of bacteria and other one-celled microbes that live on its surface.

Bleach bath a surprising new treatment for kids’ eczema

Whiter laundry and a surprising new treatment for kids’ eczema. Bleach baths clear the rash and banish flare-ups of miserable skin disease. – It’s best known for whitening a load of laundry. But now simple household bleach has a surprising new role: an effective treatment for kids’ chronic eczema.

3 million US children have food or digestive allergies

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study finds 3 million u.s. children have food or digestive allergies. – The number of young people who had a food or digestive allergy increased 18 percent between 1997 and 2007, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Paracetamol use raises childhood asthma risk

This study provides further worldwide evidence that the use of paracetamol in childhood can increase the risk of developing asthma and related allergic disorders. – A strong association between paracetamol use in infancy and increased risk of asthma by age 6-7 years, suggested by researchers in a new study published in the Lancet.

Traffic pollution raises childhood allergies

German researchers discovered the risk of developing asthma, hay fever or oth er allergies is about 50-percent higher for children living near a busy road. – Traffic pollution may increase risk of allergies in children. In a German study, researchers have confirmed that they found a link between traffic pollution and childhood allergies.