Allergy meds linked to obesity, heart disease

This new study shows that allergies might be linked with heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, and this new study shows that antihistamines used to treat allergy symptoms might be linked with putting on extra pounds.

How's that for a double whammy to start your week. Of course I also have another post,"Does Advair cause weight gain," where I explain the concern that inhaled corticosteroids (such as what is in Advair) may also be linked to putting on extra poundage. Plus we all know by now that a nice big black box warning is on Advair linking it with asthma related deaths.

The thing is, though, that allergies cause such miserable symptoms, we asthmatics often have no choice but to take antihistamines like Claratin. Ironically, just prior to writing this post I woke up with the sniffles and popped a Walatin, a generic form of Clariton. What else was I to do, suffer?

If you've ever suffered from allergy symptoms, you'll know it's nothing you want to just take lying down, and sniffling, and wiping, and perhaps even wheezing. Just that downright miserable feeling -- kind of like a bad cold -- pretty much forces your hand at taking some medicine, if available, to ease the suffering.

Likewise, as with any medicine, you have to weight the advantages with the disadvantages, and in the case of antihistamines it's worth it.

However, it must also be noted that allergies/asthma has also been linked with obesity, as you can read here. And obesity itself increases your risk for heart disease, as we all should know by now.

Likewise, obesity is also linked to worsening asthma, as you can read here. Scientists believe that certain chemicals released from fat tissue may trigger bronchospasm.

Plus those with asthma/ allergies may have a lowered self esteem and not adhere to their medicine regime and not take care of their bodies by eating right and exercising as they should.

Yet this also provides us asthmatics/ allergy sufferers another added incentive to eat right and to exercise. Not only will this help us shed the pounds, it will also make our lungs and even our heart stronger.