Allergies May Boost Severity of Lung Disease

Study finds hay fever increases frequency of respiratory problems in COPD patients

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Hay fever and similar allergies increase the frequency and severity of respiratory problems in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study shows.

COPD is a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe.

In this study, researchers looked at more than 1,400 patients with COPD, and found that those with allergies were much more likely than those without allergies to wheeze, to have chronic cough and chronic phlegm, to awake during the night because of cough, and to have a worsening of COPD symptoms that required antibiotics or a visit to the doctor.

The study by the Johns Hopkins University researchers was published online May 10 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The findings suggest that treating allergies or avoiding allergy triggers may help reduce the number and severity of respiratory problems in people with COPD, Dr. Nadia Hansel, an associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center in Baltimore, said in a journal news release.

She added that current COPD treatment guidelines do not deal with the management of allergies and said additional research of the link between allergies and COPD is needed.

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Kids' Concussion Recovery Varies by Symptom Severity: Study

Identifying which factors lead to longer recoveries may improve treatment

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) -- Children with more severe concussion symptoms take longer to recover from their head injury than those with milder symptoms, a new study finds.

Most children recover from sports-related concussions within a few days, but some continue to have symptoms for a month or longer. The reasons for this have been unclear. The authors of this study sought to identify risk factors that might be associated with longer recovery times.

The researchers analyzed data from 182 children who were seen at a sports concussion clinic within three weeks of their injury. The patients completed the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS), which uses a 0-6 scale to assess the severity of 22 symptoms. The higher the number, the more severe the symptoms.

The investigators found that the total score on the PCSS was independently associated with the length of time that patients had concussion symptoms. The higher the score, the more likely a child would have symptoms for longer than 28 days, according to the study published April 25 in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Identifying risk factors for prolonged recovery from concussion will enable doctors to provide the best treatment for patients, said the researchers from Boston Children's Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Some of the symptoms included on the PCSS questionnaire include headache, vomiting, balance problems, sleeping more or less than usual, sensitivity to light or noise, fatigue, numbness, problems with memory or concentration, and visual problems.

"Parents, physicians and caregivers of athletes who suffer from a high-degree of symptoms after a sports-related concussion should start preparing for the possibility of a prolonged recovery," study author Dr. William Meehan said in a journal news release.

Some previous studies found that younger patients and those with memory loss had longer recovery times after suffering a concussion. But this study did not find that age or amnesia are risk factors for prolonged recovery time, the investigators pointed out in the news release.

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