Living with Asthma

More than 50 million Americans suffer from asthma each year. This chronic disease of the lungs causes airways to become restricted and inflamed, leading to breathing difficulties. Baylor offers education and support for asthma sufferers, as well as advanced treatment options.

Asthma attacks can be triggered by cold air, exercise, tobacco smoke, mold and chemicals, but there are steps you can take to avoid attacks:

• Cover beds and pillows with "allergy proof" casings
• Use unscented detergents
• Keep areas clean and free of dust
• Avoid irritating fumes as much as possible

Asthma can be treated with two types of medication. Long-term control medicines help reduce airway inflammation and prevent asthma symptoms. Quick-relief medicines (such as inhalers) relieve asthma symptoms that may flare up suddenly.

If you think you may have asthma, search for a pulmonologist online or by calling 1.800.4BAYLOR. Find more information on asthma in our Health Encyclopedia.

Minority Donor Awareness

National Minority Donor Awareness Month was established to promote awareness about organ and soft tissue donations, as well as provide education about preventable diseases. Minorities make up more than half of the nation’s organ transplant waiting list; however only 25 percent of registered donors are minorities.

But that donor trend is changing. Over the last few years, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) reported increased donations among minorities, especially among African-Americans and Hispanics. Still, the need for organs continues to exist.

Organ donations offer patients with organ failure the chance to live a full, healthy life. See how one Baylor patient, Aaron Wiley, got a second chance at life through a kidney transplant. For more information about our transplant program, call 1.800.774.2487.  

Get on Schedule with Vaccinations

Before you know it, school will be starting again–which means it’s time to make sure you and your children are up to date on all of your immunizations. Vaccines offer protection from infectious diseases—and by keeping up with recommended vaccine schedules; you can protect yourself, friends and family members from potentially dangerous diseases, including influenza.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) anywhere from 5 to 20 percent of the population in the United States are diagnosed with human strains of the flu every year. Scientists at Baylor Institute for Immunology Research (BIIR) in Dallas, part of Baylor Research Institute (BRI) and the Baylor Health Care System, received a renewal of a multi-million dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to design new vaccines to prevent influenza—including swine flu (H1N1).

Managing Psoriasis

Psoriasis affects 7.5 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Baylor has been a pioneer in the field of psoriasis research since 1994, having played a major role in the discovery of the first gene which causes psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an example of an autoimmune disorder in which the body mistakes its own healthy cells as disease-causing invaders and tries to destroy them. Most often, psoriasis is characterized by red, itchy, scaly skin in patches or on the entire body and/or as dandruff. Relief from mild symptoms can be found with:

• Oatmeal baths
• Cortisone cream
• Dandruff shampoos

If your symptoms are more severe, your doctor may prescribe certain medications, such as retinoid creams, prescription shampoos, immune-suppressing medication or antibiotics for infections. To learn more about psoriasis, visit our online Health Encyclopedia.

Spotlight on Tanning Beds

According to the World Health Organization, one in every three cancers diagnosed worldwide is some form of skin cancer. Last week, WHO announced that UV tanning beds have been moved to its highest cancer risk category, “carcinogenic to humans.”

Tanning beds emit mostly UVA rays at 10 times the sun’s UVA levels; however, in recent years, more beds are being made to produce UVB rays, to mimic the sun’s rays and speed up tanning. The National Institutes for Health has also reported that melanoma rates have tripled over the last 20 years.

It’s important to conduct monthly skin exams, even if you don’t use tanning beds. Here are some things to be aware of during a self-exam:

To find a dermatologist on the medical staff at Baylor, search online or call 1.800.4BAYLOR.