Successful asthma management includes knowing the warning signs of an attack, avoiding things that may trigger an attack, and following the advice of your healthcare provider. Using what you know about managing your asthma can give you control over this chronic disease. When you control your asthma, you will breathe easier, be as active as you would like, sleep well, stay out of the hospital, and be free from coughing and wheezing. To learn more about how you can control your asthma, visit CDC’s asthma site.

Asthma affects people of all ages and backgrounds. In most cases, we don’t know what causes asthma, and we don’t know how to cure it. Certain factors may make it more likely for one person to have asthma than another. If someone in your family has asthma, you are more likely to have it. Regular physical exams that include checking your lung function and checking for allergies can help your healthcare provider make the right diagnosis.

With your healthcare provider’s help, you can make your own asthma management plan so that you know what to do based on your own symptoms. Use your asthma medicine as prescribed and be aware of common triggers in the environment known to bring on asthma symptoms, including smoke (including second-hand and third-hand cigarette smoke), household pets, dust mites, and pollen. Limit or avoid exposure to these and other triggers whenever possible. The important thing to remember is that you can control your asthma.

NIAID supports and conducts research on each of the five known hepatitis viruses—A, B, C, D and E. During the past 60 years, NIAID-supported investigators have been involved in many important breakthroughs in hepatitis research, including the discovery of the hepatitis A and E viruses, the development of one of the first diagnostic tests for hepatitis A, and studies that led to the creation of the hepatitis A vaccine and laid the foundation for advanced development of a hepatitis E vaccine. In addition to basic research to understand the molecular processes of hepatitis infection, our research involves significant focus on the development of new treatments and vaccines to prevent acute and chronic hepatitis infection.
Hepatitis B

Although vaccine-preventable, hepatitis B-induced liver cirrhosis and liver cancer kill about 3,000 people in the United States and roughly 620,000 people worldwide each year. The virus can be spread from mother to child during childbirth; through sex with an infected partner; through contact with the blood of an infected person and by sharing needles, syringes, razors or toothbrushes with an infected person. Co-infection with hepatitis B and HIV is common.

NIAID is working with researchers in academia and the pharmaceutical industry to screen hundreds of new drug compounds for potential antiviral activity against hepatitis B. The goal is to find new treatments that will work alone or in combination with current drugs to reduce or resolve chronic infections. For example, one candidate drug has shown promise in transgenic mice and is now being evaluated in rats.
Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is primarily spread through contact with the blood of an infected individual, such as through needle-sharing practices of injection drug users, unsafe injection practices in healthcare facilities, mother-to-child transmission during childbirth, and infrequently, through sexual contact with an infected partner. Currently available drugs cure only a proportion of treated individuals, but new drugs in trials may significantly improve treatment success rates. There is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C.

In March, NIAID-supported researchers began a Phase I/II clinical trial of a promising candidate vaccine to evaluate its safety, tolerability and protective ability against hepatitis C. NIAID is supporting several studies, including research at five Hepatitis C Cooperative Research Centers across the country, that focus on the immune response to infection and how treatment might strengthen this response. Additionally, NIAID researchers have conducted preclinical work on several candidate antivirals targeting hepatitis C and are developing biomarkers for predicting progression to hepatitis C-associated liver cancer and HIV co-infection.
Hepatitis E

Spread via contact with contaminated water or food, hepatitis E is rare in the United States but prevalent in south and central Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.

Studies have found that in certain regions, when pregnant women are infected with hepatitis E virus during the second or third trimester, their babies are at increased risk of poor health and birth defects. NIAID-funded researchers are testing the hypothesis that mothers with micronutrient deficiencies are more likely to experience this effect and what potentially could be done to prevent it. Other NIAID-supported scientists are studying whether hepatitis E virus can become reactivated after a bout of acute disease. Successful trials of hepatitis E vaccines have also taken place, but none have yet been licensed for use in the United States. In March, NIAID co-hosted a research workshop, “Hepatitis E in the United States,” with the goal of increasing awareness of the virus among clinicians.

For additional information, visit NIAID’s Hepatitis website.

These days, pollen from plants and flowers typically are released earlier in the year than in the past, causing longer allergy seasons according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, which noted that 2012 was one of the worst such seasons on record.

While there is no cure-all for seasonal allergies, popular over-the-counter (OTC) medications can provide relief for the most common symptoms. These guidelines can help you better manage your seasonal allergies:

Season for Sneezing

Popular OTC antihistamines can provide relief from sneezing, runny noses and irritated, watery eyes by blocking the action of histamine, a chemical in the body that triggers congestion and upper respiratory discomfort.

All Stuffed Up?

Decongestants like pseudoephedrine (PSE) relieve a stuffy nose by actually narrowing the blood vessels in nasal passages so you can breathe more easily. PSEs are now located behind the pharmacy counter because they are an ingredient that can be used to make the illegal drug methamphetamine (meth). Rest assured though, PSE has been safely used for decades.

If you’re congested, consider treating your symptoms and doing your part to keep your community safer at the same time. Ask your pharmacist about new Nexafed 30mg pseudoephedrine HCl tablets, the next-generation PSE that provides the same effective relief from nasal congestion as standard PSEs, but with technology that disrupts the extraction and conversion of pseudoephedrine into meth.

Itchy, Watery Eyes

Over-the-counter eye drops that are specifically designed to treat allergy symptoms can be found in any drug store and can be very effective at reliving redness and washing away allergens.

Also consider using an air purifier or humidifier in your house to help clear the air of possible irritants.

Eat for Allergy Relief

According to experts, certain foods you may already be enjoying have allergy-fighting properties. For example, quercetin, found in oranges, broccoli and sweet potatoes, can help reduce your body’s reaction to pollen. Or, try loading up on salmon and walnuts, as omega-3 fatty acids are thought to alleviate itchy eyes and a runny nose.

If you have questions or doubts about which medications may be best for you, talk with your pharmacist. And if symptoms worsen or last for more than two weeks, be sure to see your doctor.

Rest assured, relief for seasonal allergy symptoms does exist! Visit your local drugstore or the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s website for more information on how to treat seasonal allergies. You can check the daily pollen level in your area at National Allergy Bureau online.

There’s no reason to miss out on the warm weather and all fun outdoor activities this time of year has to offer.

If you didn’t figure out where Becca was from the last picture, she was in Amsterdam. Where is she now?

For those of you who didn’t figure out where Becca was in the last picture…She was in Israel for Passover, hence the 4 questions. The picture was the beach in Tel Aviv. Look at the picture in this post and guess where Becca is now.