Allergy

IRVINE, Calif. — Cobalis on Tuesday began airing 60-second television commercials in support of its PreHistin allergy defense formula across national cable and satellite networks as part of a planned $5 million spend, the company announced.

HORSHAM, Pa. — Patients with seasonal allergies are more likely to experience difficulty sleeping, according to results of a new survey conducted by Teva Respiratory.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Lysol, a Reckitt Benckiser brand, is looking to help allergy sufferers this spring.

The brand announced that it has tapped pediatrician and author Laura Jana, as well as Lysol microbiologist Joe Rubino, to help identify allergen triggers and ways to avoid them. The two star in Lysol's "Allergy-Proofing Your Home" video series, which can be viewed here.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Whoever named the genus to which ragweed plants belong “ambrosia” had a terrific sense of irony. The name, derived from Greek, refers to the food of the gods, but the plant is more like punishment from the gods, considering that it’s the main culprit in seasonal allergies.

(THE NEWS: Allergy season to last longer this year. For the full story, click here)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The 2011 allergy season is expected to be 27 days longer in the northernmost parts of North America, adding almost a month of suffering to the typical pollen allergy season of February through October, a study published Tuesday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences determined.

BELTSVILLE, Md. — A U.S. Department of Agriculture study published in March in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found that ragweed season is almost 16 days longer than it was in 1995 due to changes in the first frost line of the fall in North America. The first frost steadily has been creeping northward and later into the year, lead researcher Lewis Ziska wrote.

IRVINGTON, N.Y. — Prestige Brands on Wednesday announced the launch of a new one-dose-per-day allergy medicine: PediaCare 24-Hour Allergy.

"We listened to what the moms were looking for: a safe and effective allergy product for their children, ages 2 years and up, that works, has only one dose per day and tastes good," stated Sherry Polevoy, PediaCare senior brand manager. "Parents don't have to worry about redosing during the day, it's dye-free and it's a flavor that kids love: grape."

CAMP HILL, Pa. — In a sneeze heard around the world, allergy season is afoot, but the country’s retail pharmacies are on call to help the estimated 60 million Americans whose sneezing, coughing, watery eyes and congestion will drive them to wit’s end this year.