Health Expert Fred Little shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/55/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/55/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/55/index http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/55/121509/allergen-medications Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:16:00 -0400 Fred Little Allergy to sulfa-containing medications is very common; these are typically antibiotics. However, not all antibiotics are pills. Doctors will sometimes prescribe antibiotic eye drops or ointments for ‘pink eye’. Several eye drop preparations contain sulfa antibiotics, and it may not occur to the patient to answer that they have any drug allergies when they are getting an eye drop prescription.   For more information on the... http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/55/121509/allergen-medications http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/55/115925/allergen-month-latex Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:41:00 -0400 Fred Little Latex is a natural rubber from the rubber tree, and can be found in gloves, condoms, balloons, and rubber bands. Most latex reactions cause a contact dermatitis similar to that found with nickel on exposed areas. Some individuals with latex allergy can have a life-threatening reaction to latex exposure, especially if they are undergoing surgery and latex gloves are used. What is less well known is that individuals with latex allergy can also be... http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/55/115925/allergen-month-latex http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/68485/rescue-inhaler Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:33:00 -0400 Fred Little In this entry, I would like to discuss the implications of some recently published basic science research on the function of beta agonists -- the most common class of quick-relief inhalers that includes albuterol. While the research was done with mice, it has implications on human asthma treatment, particularly in light of recent controversies of the risks of long acting beta agonists (LABAs) in asthma treatment.   How beta agonists work... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/68485/rescue-inhaler http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/55484/pneumonia-vaccine Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:25:00 -0500 Fred Little In this entry, I would like to review the impact that severe infections from a common pneumonia bacterium can have on asthmatics and discuss some recent research on how this has changed immunization schedules for asthmatics.   This new research has changed recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the federal agency that monitors disease outbreaks... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/55484/pneumonia-vaccine http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/55483/isn-causing-shortness Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:24:00 -0500 Fred Little In this entry, I would like to comment on how the fact that asthma is such a common disease can in some cases lead to individuals being told they have "asthma," yet on detailed review with specialized tests, are found not to have asthma. I know that this can sound a little confusing: "My doctor told me I have asthma and I am taking asthma medicines." So what's up? Common symptoms, common diagnosisI recently heard from a friend about his... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/55483/isn-causing-shortness http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/50101/economic-asthmatics Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:24:00 -0500 Fred Little How will asthma care and health be affected by the economy?It is clear that we are in the midst of difficult economic times. Some of us can no longer bear to even pay attention to the changes in the stock market and the effect it is having on our savings. More importantly, the economic slowdown will cause job losses, and with them, loss of health insurance coverage. For many asthma sufferers, this will have an impact on being able to keep asthma... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/50101/economic-asthmatics http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/50099/children-increase-risk Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:21:00 -0500 Fred Little Will the time of year when my child is born affect asthma risk? In this entry, I would like to discuss some very recent research that has grabbed media attention: the effect of birth during the time of year on the development of asthma in infants. There has been a well-known association between viral infection (typically from cold viruses and related viruses) in infancy and the risk of developing asthma in childhood. Until now, we haven't known... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/50099/children-increase-risk http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/47074/asthma-triggers-winter Mon, 03 Nov 2008 03:57:00 -0500 Fred Little In this entry, I would like to discuss how individuals with asthma are affected in the cold months of the year. While most of this applies to those who live in temperate climates with cold winters, the indoor triggers that can lead to more asthma symptoms will affect asthmatics in tropical climates as well.   Main indoor asthma triggersIn northern climates, we spend much more time indoors in fall and winter than in the spring and summer.... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/47074/asthma-triggers-winter http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/45666/benefits-medications Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:21:00 -0400 Fred Little In this entry, I would like to discuss some recent findings on two similar medications that have significantly changed the landscape of asthma treatment (both from the clinician and patient perspectives). Salmeterol (brand name: Serevent) and formoterol (brand name: Foradil) are long acting bronchodilators in the beta-2 agonist class. They help open narrowed breathing tubes by relaxing the smooth muscle around the breathing tubes, reducing... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/45666/benefits-medications http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/42985/swimming-childhood Sat, 18 Oct 2008 04:02:00 -0400 Fred Little In this entry, I would like to provide a little background and updated information on the association between swimming in chlorinated pools and asthma in childhood. Compared to the attention that allergies, exercise, and other environmental factors have received regarding their association with asthma, pool chlorine has not been in the "forefront" of this discussion. However, the idea that chlorinated pool exposure may be associated with the... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/55/42985/swimming-childhood