Tag: Allergy
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Tell Me Which Pain Meds I’m Allergic To!
It’s not unusual for a doctor to refer a patient to our allergy clinic to answer the question, “what pain medications am I allergic to?” Surgery of any kind is a bit frightening, but add to that an adverse reaction to one of your pain medications and you know what hits the fan! Reactions can…
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How You Can Be an Expert
I want to be an expert. Always have and always will, but now it’s a little easier than 30 years ago. In fact, all you need now to become an expert is a little fame, a published book or memoir, and Shazam! you’re an authority on any subject you want to write on. So where’s…
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A Penny for your Thoughts!
Nickel allergy can result in both cutaneous and systemic manifestations, and can range from mild to severe symptoms. A severe form of this allergy is the Systemic nickel allergy syndrome, clinically characterized by cutaneous manifestations (contact dermatitis, pompholyx, hand dermatitis dyshydrosis, urticaria) with a chronic course and systemic symptoms (headache, asthenia, itching, and gastrointestinal disorders related…
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Shots Aren’t the Only Choice for Treating Your Allergies
Novel Routes for Allergen Immunotherapy Safety, Efficacy and Mode of Action Philippe Moingeon; Laurent Mascarell Immunotherapy. 2012;4(2):201-212. © 2012 Future Medicine Ltd. I DON’T like shots! And who does? But alas, if you have to get shots for your allergies, they better be worth the fuss. Allergen immunotherapy is the only curative treatment of IgE-mediated type I respiratory allergies.…
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Pork-Cat connection
Pork-cat syndrome a rare (but real!) allergy By Cari Nierenberg Allergic to cats? Then beware of pigs — or at least, the meat that comes from these sty-dwelling swine. A small number of people who are sensitive to felines may also get allergic reactions to eating pork.
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How Can You Resist?
Our environment is so important for treating and controlling allergy. The holiday season lets many triggers into our homes that normally wouldn’t be allowed. Does your doctor ever make you mad by suggesting you remove a pet from your home because of allergy? Granted, it doesn’t matter what clinical research says when your pet is…
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Stay Up to Date with Food Allergy
I always enjoy National Medical Meetings….good food, meeting old friends, and yes, even learning something! The College of Allergy annual meeting was held in California just one week ago……and what are the hot topics this year? Here’s an article and interview from Medscape about this year’s meeting. Why am I interested? Dr. Portnoy was my mentor…
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Have We Lost our CommonSense?
Schools are quite paranoid about giving any medication on their watch. The liability for giving sunscreen when you don’t need it? Zero. This is very similar to the use of epinephrine in a school aged child with food allergy. You certainly don’t want to withhold epi and risk anaphylaxis or death, when the risk of…
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Are We Beating a Dead Horse?
Ok, another study about the dangers of food allergy (yesterday in USA Today). You would think the occurrence of food allergy to KNOWN allergens (peanut & milk) would decrease given all the attention given to accidental ingestion. Evidently, this is not the case. Explanations? Maybe we’re afraid of giving epinephrine. In my personal experience, giving epinephrine is…
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Wedding Ring allergy
Think you can be allergic to your spouse? Just this week in the clinic, a middle-aged woman presents with a rash found only when she wears her wedding ring. No other jewellery gives her problems except for the ring when worn > 2-3 days. Although nickel allergy can cause this scenario, this woman probably has…
