The hygiene hypothesis is a theory used to explain why there has been an increase in allergies around the world. What exactly is hygiene? The World Health Organization (WHO) describes hygiene as conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases, which means the things that you do to keep …
Those who suffer from grass or ragweed allergies and could benefit from immunotherapy treatment now have another option, one that doesn’t involve shots or regular trips to the allergy office. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) been used in Europe for more than a decade with success. Last spring, the FDA approved its use in the United States. …
New treatments may soon be available for patients with peanut allergy. For decades, our best therapy was identification, avoidance and treatment of reactions with epinephrine and antihistamine. But this could change with a new procedure called oral peanut desensitization. While attending an allergy conference, I listened to a debate about peanut desensitization and whether it is …
Babies and children with eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, often have a family history of eczema, asthma or allergies. They also have a much higher chance of developing environmental and food allergies, as well as asthma. In fact, a 2003 study published in the journal Pediatrics showed up to 80 percent of children with eczema go on …
Some people who are allergic to pollen develop itchiness or swelling of the mouth, face and throat when they eat certain fruits and vegetables. This is known as oral allergy syndrome. Symptoms usually occur within minutes of eating the food. Oral allergy syndrome is caused by a cross-reaction between various pollens and certain proteins in fruits, …
A patient recently asked me how to tell whether her EpiPen® was still usable. Knowing that other patients may have the same question, I’d be happy to provide some answers. An EpiPen® allows a person to inject epinephrine (adrenaline) into the body when a severe anaphylactic reaction takes place, often caused by a bee sting or food allergies. …
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the lungs, causing coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Here are 10 reasons why Asthma Awareness Month is so important: More than 25 million Americans have asthma. Asthma is the most common chronic condition among children. Asthma is more common among children (7-10%) than adults …
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