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| an ''air conditioning odor treatment" that eliminates and prevents the growth of molds, yeast, bacteria and viruses in air conditioners. Check with your dealer or service center for solutions to the car air conditioning problem. |
| One overlooked producer of household allergens is the cockroach. The December 1993 medical journal Insights in Allergy published an extensive review of the role of cockroach allergens and the incidence of asthma, concluding, "It is possible that 20 percent to 30 percent of hospital admissions associated with indoor allergens in urban areas could be attributable to cockroach sensitization. Patients who have asthma caused by indoor allergens should be routinely evaluated for cockroach sensitivity." |
| A similar source of irritation is the dust mite. The January 1994 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reviewed 22 patients whose asthma symptoms worsened in one building and disappeared in another. Researchers measured a higher level of dust mite in the first building. Environmental control is one of the most overlooked means of reducing any allergic symptom, especially asthma. For specific dust mite prevention strategies, see pages 5 and 6. |
| Medical research has linked asthma to a variety of food additives. The May 1993 edition of the medical journal Canadian Family Physician concluded that the most prevalent type of additives that induce problems are sulfites and monosodium glutamate. "Sulfites have been known to cause asthma, anaphylaxis, abdominal pain, hives, seizures, and even death," said the report. "Monosodium glutamate [a flavor enhancer] is most noted in Chinese Restaurant Syndrome and can cause immediate or late triggering of asthma. Tartrazine [an orange food coloring] can cause asthma and hives. Tartrazine is found in jams, some butter, candies, cakes and tablets." |
| A Japanese physician at the National Children's Hospital in Tokyo has discovered that cold water may cure some asthmas. As David Williams, M.D. reported in the May 1994 edition of his newsletter Alternatives, Dr. Toshio Katsunuma described an ongoing study involving 25 asthmatic children |
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