Blog

Proper handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent spreading viruses, like the new coronavirus (COVID-19) and the flu . But when you have a skin condition like eczema (atopic dermatitis or dyshidrotic eczema) , washing your hands often can lead to dry and cracked skin, itchiness, pain and possibly infection. So how can people with eczema protect their skin while protecting themselves from the coronavirus? The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) asked Dr. Jonathan Silverberg, a...

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) 2020 Allergy Capitals™ report is now available. This report ranks the top 100 most challenging cities in the continental United States to live in with seasonal allergies. AAFA combines data from both spring and fall to create a ranking of the top 100 cities based on: Pollen counts Allergy medicine use Number of board-certified allergists available The report also includes a breakdown of seasonal rankings of the top cities for both spring...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that it is requiring a boxed warning – the agency’s most prominent warning – for montelukast (sold under the brand name Singulair and in generic form) to strengthen an existing warning about the risk of neuropsychiatric events associated with the drug, which is used to treat asthma and allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

On Feb. 27, 2020, Senator Cory Booker and Representative Katherine Clark introduced the Clean Air, Sharp Minds Act. The proposed act would give schools a three-year grant to help them improve indoor air quality (IAQ) . The grant would allow schools in high pollution areas or that pose a severe health and safety threat to install commercial air filters. This program would be managed by the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These grants aim to: Improve the...

Researchers estimate the number of people with food allergies in the U.S. to be 32 million. It breaks down to 6 million children and 26 million adults – more than previously thought. 1 It is common for food allergies to develop in childhood, but you can develop a food allergy at any age. Adults are more likely to develop allergies to crustacean shellfish (like crabs, lobster or shrimp), peanuts, milk, tree nuts and fin fish. 1 Adult-onset food allergies are generally life-long and are not...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic of ProAir HFA (albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Aerosol for the treatment or prevention of bronchospasm in patients four years of age and older with reversible obstructive airway disease and the prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm in patients four years of age and older.

Pure Zees recently announced the expansion of its innovative asthma & allergy friendly® mattresses into the U.S. market, unveiling a new U.S. website to help roll out multiple related products through 2020. The Irish-based company has secured coveted certification for their signature infant mattress from both Allergy Standards Limited of Ireland (ASL) and The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).

Welcome to your February advocacy update. I’m Jenna Riemenschneider, director of advocacy at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). I am pictured above with AAFA board member Renuka Babu Brown and Senator Ed Markey's (D-MA) policy advisor Adam Axler. Over-the-Counter Drug Access and Cleaner Cars Rollbacks AAFA and other members of the Healthy Choices Coalition met with Representative Judy Chu's office. We asked her to co-sponsor the Restoring Access to Medication Act of 2019...

U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, was joined by 32 Senators in introducing legislation that would put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by no later than 2050.

Flowers, candy, perfume and candles may be common gifts for Valentine’s Day. But if you give them to your loved ones with asthma and allergies, you may give them something you didn’t plan on – triggers that cause symptoms. Instead, give non-traditional asthma and allergy friendly gifts.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Sanofi today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for Priority Review the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Dupixent® (dupilumab) as an add-on maintenance treatment for children aged 6 to 11 years with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis whose disease is not adequately controlled with topical prescription therapies or when those therapies are not advisable.

If you’ve ever benefited from immunotherapy (allergy shots, SLIT or oral immunotherapy), you can thank Dr. Philip Sidney Norman. Dr. Norman put allergy research on the map. He is known as the “father of modern immunotherapy for allergic disease” and even coined the term “allergen immunotherapy.” As an allergist and researcher for more than 50 years, he published 237 research papers and more than 100 book chapters and reviews. And for many decades, he was an important part of AAFA.