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Does Your Child Have Seasonal Allergies or a Cold?
Posted 13 days ago by Drugs.com
SATURDAY, May 12 – It can be difficult during the spring months for parents to determine whether their children have a cold or seasonal allergies, but an expert outlines how to tell the difference. "Runny, stuffy or itchy noses; sneezing; coughing; fatigue; and headaches can all be symptoms of both allergies and colds, but when parents pay close attention to minor details they will be able to tell the difference," Dr. Michelle Lierl, a pediatric allergist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said in a hospital news release. "Children who have spring or fall allergies have much more itching of their noses; they often have fits of sneezing and usually rub their noses in an upward motion," she explained. "They also complain about an itchy, scratchy throat or itchy eyes, whereas with a cold, they don't." When people have allergies, their nasal discharge is usually clear and ... Read more
Related support groups: Allergies, Allergic Rhinitis, Cold Symptoms, Hay Fever
Amish Farm Kids Have Lower Asthma, Allergy Risk: Study
Posted 6 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, March 6 – Children growing up in the Amish culture in Switzerland have significantly less asthma and allergies than Swiss children who didn't grow up on a farm, according to new research. What's more, the Amish youngsters even have less risk of asthma and allergy than Swiss children who grew up on non-Amish farms. The study could support the "hygiene hypothesis" that a too-clean world is causing today's urbanized kids to be more sensitive to allergens than their country cousins. "In Europe, children living on traditional farms seem to have a very low prevalence of asthma and allergy," noted the study's lead author, Dr. Mark Holbreich, an allergist with Allergy and Asthma Consultants, in Indianapolis. In contrast, he said, "in the general population as many as 50 percent will have evidence of allergic sensitivity. They may not have all the symptoms of allergy, but they will ... Read more
Even Homes Without Pets Have Pet Allergens
Posted 6 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
SUNDAY, Nov. 6 – By taking steps to reduce pet allergens in their homes, pet owners can reduce the spread of pet allergens to people who may be allergic, experts say. Pet allergens are found in more than 90 percent of U.S. homes, even though only 52 percent have a pet, said Dr. Dana Wallace, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, in a college news release. That can pose a problem for pet-allergic children at schools, when classmates introduce allergens via their clothes and backpacks. "Studies show that when asthmatic children who are allergic to cats attend classes with many cat owners, they have increased asthma symptoms," Wallace said. "We usually see a spike in asthma episodes at the beginning of the school year when students are reintroduced to the allergen after being away from it over the summer." There are a number of steps pet owners can take to ... Read more
Related support groups: Allergies
Air Fresheners, Scented Candles May Spur Allergic Reactions
Posted 6 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
SUNDAY, Nov. 6 – Pumpkin spice candles and pine-scented air fresheners may evoke the holiday season for some. For others, those airborne fragrances trigger allergy symptoms – from runny, itchy noses and sneezing to asthma attacks. Allergists say as the popularity of scented products has risen, so have complaints from their patients about reactions to them. "We're seeing more patients with the problem," said Dr. Stanley Fineman, president-elect of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). "I've seen patients who say, 'I go into somebody's house who has one of these air fresheners and I just can't stay there. I have increasing nasal symptoms, sneezing and coughing.' There is no allergy skin test for air fresheners, but people can definitely have a physiologic response to it." Dr. J. Allen Meadows, an allergist in Montgomery, Ala., said some of his patients have to ... Read more
Related support groups: Allergies
Alcohol, Asthma and Allergies Don't Mix
Posted 6 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
SUNDAY, Nov. 6 – Alcoholic beverages can trigger allergic reactions or exacerbate existing allergies, experts warn. Though rare, some people have allergies to the alcohol itself, while others are allergic to various substances in alcoholic drinks such as beer and wine, Dr. Sami Bahna, past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) and chief of Allergy and Immunology at Louisiana State University Medical School in Shreveport, La., said in an ACAAI news release. Symptoms may include red, itchy eyes, nasal congestion, upset stomach and difficulty breathing. Triggers can include various ingredients in beer and wine, including barley, ethanol, grapes, malt, hops, wheat and yeast. Other potential allergens are sometimes added during processing, including egg whites, which may be used during the filtering process, and sulfites, which occur naturally in wine ... Read more
Related support groups: Allergies, Asthma, Allergic Asthma
'Food Challenges' Provide Best Allergy Diagnoses: Study
Posted 6 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
SATURDAY, Nov. 5 – Too few American doctors use oral food challenges to diagnose food allergies even though this type of test is considered the gold standard, according to a new study. In an oral food challenge, a patient consumes foods to see if it causes an allergic reaction. This is done under close medical supervision. Researchers surveyed about 40,000 children and identified 3,339 cases of food allergy. However, only 61.5 percent of the cases were formally diagnosed by a doctor and only about 15 percent of those children underwent an oral food challenge. Children with severe symptoms such as anaphylaxis (life-threatening allergic reaction), wheezing, breathing difficulties and low blood pressure were most likely to be diagnosed by a doctor and most likely to undergo an oral food challenge. The findings that many children with food allergy are not diagnosed by a doctor and not ... Read more
Related support groups: Allergies
Improved Allergy Shots Might Be on Horizon
Posted 3 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Nov. 3 – Allergy shots are time-tested treatments that reduce health care costs and can now provide relief to allergy sufferers within weeks instead of months, according to experts. And while allergy shots are currently given under the skin (subcutaneously), new methods of allergy immunotherapy are being investigated, delegates heard at this week's annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Boston. Those potential new techniques include: Intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT), which involves injecting allergens into a lymph node. Initial research shows that this approach provides a longer-lasting and more effective response, suggesting the dose and length of treatment could be shortened. Epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT) involves lightly scraping a patient's skin and then applying a patch that delivers the allergens through ... Read more
Related support groups: Allergies
Black Children May Be More Prone to Peanut Allergy, Study Finds
Posted 8 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Sept. 8 – Black children may be more likely to develop peanut allergy, a new study suggests. U.S. researchers examined the genetic profiles of more than 1,100 urban children of different races, averaging around 3 years of age, and found that black children were more likely to have allergic antibodies to food allergens. The study also found that African ancestry was linked with levels of allergic antibodies to peanut typically associated with clinical peanut allergies. "National studies show there are higher rates of allergic antibodies to food in African American individuals," study leader Dr. Rajesh Kumar, an associate professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a pediatric allergist at Children's Memorial Hospital, said in a hospital news release. "We found similar results but we also found that an individual's genetic ancestry (the ... Read more
Related support groups: Allergies
Switch to Powder-Free Latex Gloves Cuts Health Workers' Allergy Risk
Posted 7 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 – Introducing powder-free latex gloves into health care facilities can cut down on latex allergies among workers, a new study shows. Researchers followed more than 800 health care workers at two hospitals in Wisconsin for 4.5 years. They tested the amount of latex allergen in the air ducts of the worker's main work areas before and after the hospitals switched to powder-free latex gloves. There was a significant link between high levels of airborne latex allergen and health care workers with a latex allergy, or sensitivity, said the researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin. After the switch to powder-free latex gloves the team saw a 16-fold drop in the rate of latex allergy among the health care workers, and 25 percent of those with latex allergy at the start of study lost that sensitivity after the switch. "This study provides the strongest evidence that ... Read more
Related support groups: Allergies
Longer Allergy Season Means More Misery
Posted 3 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Sept. 2 – A trend toward a longer allergy season may mean more sneezing, sniffling and misery for allergy sufferers, experts say. Allergy season used to run from mid-August through September, but in many parts of the country, symptoms such as itchy eyes and stuffiness are starting earlier and extending through October, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). The main culprit behind the seasonal misery: ragweed. One ragweed plant can make up to 1 billion pollen grains, especially bad news for those who suffer from hay fever or allergic rhinitis. Research suggests this prolonged window for allergies is the result of rising temperatures and higher carbon dioxide levels, which help allergen-producing plants grow for a longer period of time, according to an AAAI news release. Getting a proper diagnosis and finding out exactly what patients are ... Read more
Related support groups: Allergies
Children With Food Allergies Often Face Skepticism
Posted 19 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Aug. 19 – When Bela Mehta's toddler son was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy, she carefully explained to her parents and in-laws that ingesting even the tiniest amount of peanut could cause a life-threatening reaction. Yet when the grandparents came over to babysit, Mehta would come home to find that they'd brought over desserts that contained peanuts, or that they were continuing to make dishes containing peanuts using her blender. "I said, 'If it was labeled poison, or cyanide, would you still bring it here?" said Mehta, a mother of two who lives in Chicago. "That's how dangerous it is to him." Despite having a close-knit, involved and loving family, Mehta has struggled to make sure relatives understand just how seriously they need to take her son's food allergy. Her experiences are far from uncommon, according to a new study. British researchers found that families ... Read more
Related support groups: Allergies, Epinephrine, Primatene Mist, EpiPen, Adrenalin, Primatene Mist Inhaler, EpiPen 2-Pak, EpiPen Jr, EpiPen Auto-Injector, Twinject, Asthmahaler, EpiPen JR 2-Pak, Bronitin, Medihaler-Epi, Adrenaclick
Health Tip: Using a Nasal Spray for Allergies
Posted 18 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
-- A nasal spray can help many allergy sufferers find relief from symptoms, but it's important that the spray be used correctly. The American Academy of Family Physicians mentions these suggestions when using a nasal spray: It may take as long as two weeks before you notice the spray's full effect. At least once per week, wash the canister that delivers the spray. Before you spray, sniff air into each nostril to allow the medication to go deep inside the nose. Aim the spray straight toward the back of your head. If used correctly, the spray shouldn't leak from your nose or down your throat. Stop using the spray for a few days if you have a nosebleed or feel pain in the nose. Use the medication as directed by your doctor, and store it out of direct sunlight. Read more
Related support groups: Allergies, Allergic Rhinitis, Hay Fever, Nasonex, Flonase, Omnaris, Astelin, Veramyst, Azelastine, Astepro, Rhinocort, Rhinocort Aqua, Nasal Allergy Control, NasalCrom, Nasarel
Factors Before Birth Can Determine Child's Risk of Allergies: Study
Posted 9 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Aug. 9 – Key factors that affect a child's risk of developing allergies by age 2 include race, a mother's exposure to pets during pregnancy and the method of delivery, a new study suggests. Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit followed 1,187 newborns and measured levels of the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE) in blood samples collected from the babies at birth, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years. IgE is associated with the development of allergies and asthma; higher levels indicate increased risk. The study found that IgE levels during infancy were 28 percent lower in children whose mothers were exposed to indoor pets during pregnancy (indoor prenatal pet exposure) compared to babies from pet-free homes. IgE levels were 16 percent lower in infants who had indoor prenatal pet exposure and were born vaginally compared to infants who had indoor prenatal pet exposure and were ... Read more
Related support groups: Allergies
Contact Allergies Associated With Lower Rates of Some Cancers
Posted 12 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, July 12 – The immune systems of people with contact allergies may be primed to protect against certain types of cancer, including breast and brain cancers, new research suggests. Contact allergies occur due to direct contact with chemicals and common metals such as nickel. In the new study, researchers looked at almost 17,000 Danish adults who were tested for contact allergies between 1984 and 2008. About one-third (35 percent) tested positive for at least one contact allergy. Women were more likely than men to have a contact allergy – 41 percent versus 26 percent. When the study authors examined cancer cases among the participants over the long term, they found that men and women with contact allergies had significantly lower rates of breast and non-melanoma skin cancer, and women with contact allergies also had lower rates of brain cancer compared to those without contact ... Read more
Related support groups: Allergies
Health Tip: Will Allergy Shots Work for Me?
Posted 30 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com
-- Allergy shots can provide much-needed relief from watery eyes, runny nose and other allergy symptoms. But the shots aren't for everyone. The American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology says they're not appropriate for food allergies. Before deciding to begin allergy shots, the academy says you should consider these factors: The severity of your allergy symptoms. How long your allergy season lasts. The effectiveness of antihistamines in treating your allergy symptoms. Your desire and ability to take antihistamines and other medications over the long-term. Your ability to visit an allergist consistently to get allergy shots. Your ability to pay any costs associated with allergy shots. Read more
Related support groups: Allergies
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