The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a nasal antihistamine for nonprescription use through a process called a partial prescription to nonprescription switch. The FDA approved Astepro (azelastine hydrochloride nasal spray, 0.15%) for seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis—commonly known as allergies—for adults and children six years of age and older.

Grasses are one of the most common causes of allergy. Each year, plants (including grasses) release tiny pollen grains to fertilize other plants of the same species. Unfortunately for people with grass allergies, this pollen triggers allergic reactions.

We thank Omron Healthcare, Inc. for their sponsorship of this blog post to help us share information about asthma in children. This is a sponsored post and is not an endorsement of any company or its products, nor is it a guarantee of the products’ safety. The funding we received for this advertisement helps support our free asthma and allergy programs. Asthma affects 5.1 million American children. 1 It is the most common serious chronic disease in kids. The burden of asthma is even higher...

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air. Too much or too little humidity can contribute to asthma , allergies , skin conditions , infections, and general discomfort. When there is a lot of water vapor in the air (high humidity), it feels hot and sticky. Sweat has trouble evaporating. When humidity is low, the air feels dry and cool. Sweat evaporates easily. The amount of actual water vapor in the air is called relative humidity. It is stated as a percentage. The Environmental...

Update – June 10, 2021 We updated this blog post to include updated face mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Face masks are an essential tool in our fight against COVID-19 (the coronavirus) . But wearing a face mask raises many questions for people with asthma . Do We Still Need to Wear Face Masks to Prevent the Spread of the Coronavirus? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their mask guidance. Anyone who is fully vaccinated...

Updates as of June 10, 2021: Who can get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Guidance for people who are not fully vaccinated Information on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine review As more information becomes available, we will continue to update our community. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized three COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use from Pfizer-BioNTech , Moderna , and Johnson & Johnson (made by Janssen) . Other vaccines also are being tested and reviewed. Following the...

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has launched our new Ask the Allergist knowledge base . For more than 20 years, our board-certified allergists have answered your asthma and allergy questions through our Ask the Allergist service. Now we have compiled the most common questions people have submitted, along with their responses, into a searchable knowledge base. VISIT THE KNOWLEDGE BASE Here’s a sample of the questions and answers you’ll find in the knowledge base: What do I...

This is the time of year when you start hearing a lot about health insurance enrollment for 2017. Here is a review of what you need to know in order to buy a plan, whether you are buying insurance for the first time or switching plans.