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14 August 2012 11:09
Days when there is a high pollen count see a clear increase in the number of asthmatics visiting hospital
Days when there is a high pollen count see a clear increase in the number of asthmatics visiting hospital emergency rooms, according to a new study.
Travellers with asthma should make sure they have medical travel insurance, especially if they're planning on a countryside retreat.
The pollens believed to be responsible for the spike in hospital visits come from oak trees and grasses, both of which increase during springtime.
The link between hayfever and asthma has been established, but there has been very little study of the relationship on a national scale.
Lyndsey Darrow, assistant professor at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health was lead author of the new study, which analysed pollen count data collected from 1993 to 2004 from a monitoring site in Atlanta.
The study looked for links between daily pollen counts and the number of visits to the ER at 41 hospitals across Atlanta.
Extremely high pollen counts happened around six times per year, and saw a 10% increase in emergency room visitors, while days in the top 5% of oak pollen levels were linked to an increase of almost 15% in visits to the ER.
17 August 2018
People living with HIV could be offered a long-lasting injection that controls the virus and protects patients from developing AIDS.
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16 August 2018
Holidaymakers in the UK will be hit by more train price hikes from next year, after the Government announced ticket prices will increase by 3.2% in January.
15 August 2018
A simple blood test could help GPs detect a rare form of bone marrow cancer much earlier, a new study suggests.
14 August 2018
Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport last month faced queues of over two and a half hours at passport control, new figures have revealed.
11 August 2018
Hundreds of Ryanair flights will not take off as planned on Friday due to pilot strikes in five countries.
10 August 2018
Fad diets that cut out carbs while increasing fat consumption could lead to an increased risk of diabetes, according to new research.
09 August 2018
HIV testing has become even more accessible after a self-testing kit was made available from a High Street retailer.
08 August 2018
Women patients are more likely to survive a heart attack if they are treated by a female doctor, a new US study has revealed.
07 August 2018
The head of British Airways has branded two-hour queues facing travellers at Heathrow's passport control as a "border farce."
04 August 2018
Simple factors such as gender and body mass can help doctors to personalise care for patients with type 2 diabetes and avoid harmful side effects, according to a study.
03 August 2018
Gatwick Express must no longer claim it runs "non-stop to Victoria station in half an hour" and "in just 30 minutes" unless it can achieve the time in most cases, a watchdog has ruled.
02 August 2018
A charity is calling for greater access to respite support after it emerged that 72% of Britain's 700,000 young carers feel lonely and isolated during the summer holidays.