inicio

Antifungal pills could help treat asthma: study

LONDON (Reuters) - Pills used to treat common skin infections caused by fungi also appear to help some people with severe asthma, according to a British study published on Monday.

Volunteers with an allergic reaction to one or more fungi showed significant improvements in their asthma after taking antifungal itraconazole pills, David Denning at University Hospital of South Manchester and colleagues reported.

Airborne fungi can worsen asthma but the study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine is the first to show that antifungal therapy can actually improve severe asthma symptoms, the researchers said.

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Probiotics No Help in Childhood Eczema

- New research shows that the use of probiotics to treat eczema in children is not effective and may carry a risk of bowel damage and infection.

Probiotics are naturally occurring microorganisms. In most cases they are bacteria and are similar to the friendly bacteria found in the gut or skin. Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium are common probiotics that are found in many foods such as yogurt, unpasteurized milk, fermented soy and yeast, and infant formula.

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