Tylenol linked to asthma

September 7, 2010
Here’s another case of a treatment worse than the condition.

For generations now, parents have turned to acetaminophen for every childhood ache and fever… despite the fact the in most cases, fevers are actually necessary to help the body fight off infection.

Well, it turns out there’s a price for all that drug use– because the latest research finds that kids given this overused med have a dramatically higher risk of asthma, wheezing, and even skin problems.

One new study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine blames the drug for up to 40 percent of all asthma symptoms–including severe cases where kids awaken at least once a week gasping for air.

Researchers looked at data on more than 320,000 teens from 50 countries, and found that those who took Tylenol at least once a month had double the risk of wheezing, as well as higher odds of allergic nasal congestion and eczema.

A second study out of Ethiopia tracked more than 1,000 babies for three years. Overall, 8 percent of the babies developed wheezing problems between the ages of one and three years old.

And the babies who had been given Tylenol in their first year were seven times more likely to be among those wheezing tots, according to the study published in the same journal.

Of course, children aren’t the only ones overusing acetaminophen. Plenty of adults hit the Tylenol bottle for every ache and pain. Some people take it nearly every day.

But make no mistake about it: No matter how comforting the commercials are, no matter how safe they make acetaminophen appear, no matter how long it’s been a part of your life, there are well-known risks to popping these pills– including liver damage, liver failure, and even death.

So whether you’re taking Tylenol yourself or giving it to your child, do your family a favor and take a look at how often all of you are using it.

If you’re like most families, odds are high you can find ways to significantly cut back on your use and even cut it out completely… without affecting your health or your comfort.