Asthma

Yearly flu shots are recommended for seniors (paid for by US Medicare), healthcare workers, and people with chronic lung diseases. However, there are those for whom it is not recommended: people who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs or who have had a severe reaction to a flu shot in the past; children less than 6 months old; people who have a moderate or severe illness with a fever. (They should wait until their symptoms lessen before they get the flu shot.)

Editor's Note:

"Race" is sometimes mentioned as a risk factor in the development of certain cancers and a number of other diseases. When you read this in a discussion about an illness, note that the explanation seldom refers to anything biological. Instead, it usually refers to behavior, such as eating habits. The kinds of behavior usually mentioned as risk factors are culturally determined. They are not genetic or biological.

Dehydration, heat stroke, heat exhaustion...this is the time to take extreme care. If you have elderly friends, relatives, or neighbors -- especially if there are power outages that might interfere with air conditioning -- check in on them frequently to be sure they are OK. The heat wave is taking a heavy toll:

The Collaborative on Health and Environment reports that recent research suggests some reasons that asthma is increasing:
* Exposures to herbicides and pesticides before birth and during infancy

Reports by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Children's Health Environmental Coalition have been used in this article to educate Americans about the huge quantity of toxic and hazardous chemical products used in homes that find their way into the bodies of humans and wildlife. Unfortunately, only a miniscule number have been tested for safety.

According to new research reported in the online edition of the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the chlorine in indoor swimming pools may be contributing to the rising number of children with asthma.

The USDA's top 10 antioxidant list includes:

• small red beans
• wild blueberries
• red kidney beans
• pinto beans
• blueberries
• cranberries

Pesticide application in the occupied or soon-to-be occupied aircraft cabin and cockpit can be a serious health hazard for crewmembers and passengers. Pesticide exposure can be significant and some crewmembers must work in the sprayed environment regularly and repeatedly.

A new report by the US Surgeon General makes clear that second-hand smoke is more than a nuisance. When inhaled by adult nonsmokers, it increases their risk of heart disease by 25 to 30 percent and lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent. Children and infants are at risk, because second-hand smoke is a known cause of sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory problems, ear infections, and asthma.

Health experts say that the state of Minnesota (and by extension every state in the US) could save millions of dollars by cleaning up lead, mercury, and toxic pesticides and chemicals in the water and air.