Tag: Respiratory Disorders

  • The Overlooked Link Between Obesity and Allergies

    The Overlooked Link Between Obesity and Allergies

    When people talk about obesity, the conversation almost always stops at diet and exercise.  Calories in, calories out. Move more, eat less. But here’s what almost no one mentions: obesity throws your immune system into overdrive. Every 5-point increase in BMI raises asthma risk by about 30%, and obese patients report worse control, more flare-ups,…

  • This Can’t Be Right

    This Can’t Be Right

    So what is going on with persistent allergy symptoms when the pollens are NOT very high? This patient is using the term “allergies” to describe “symptoms” of allergy that may not be IgE-mediated allergy at all. Doesn’t mention skin testing, but this testing can be completely negative in this scenario. How frustrating! In fact, often…

  • Myth is, after all, the never ending story Part 2

    When it comes to asthma, it’s not easy fighting the myths of Facebook, Google, or e-mail campaigns. And why are we so resistant to the diagnosis of asthma for our kids and ourselves? For asthma, if you don’t make the correct diagnosis, you’ll never implement the proper treatment. By that I mean, you’re not likely to…

  • I lie and so do you

    I was in my doctor’s office today (yes, I go to the doctor as well) and she asked me if I was taking my #medications.  Of course, I said “yes, the ones that are in my chart”, not really having that photogenic list in my head.  As we talked, I realized my confession of what…

  • Tulsa is the Allergy Capital of the Nation

    Tulsa is the #allergy capital of the nation.  You wouldn’t believe how many times in a day I hear that!  and it makes sense…countless numbers of patients return to Tulsa and find their #allergies are now out of control. But is this really true?  Does anyone even keep track of which city in America has the…

  • Wacky Oklahoma Weather

    I love  weather! Growing up on a farm in Kansas brought a variety of weather right to my front doorstep, and that must be one reason I became an allergist. You have to be part botanist to do this job anyway, with monitoring pollen counts, making allergy recipes for allergy shots, and knowing what is…

  • Happy Thanksgiving message

    If you’re anything like me, waking up on Thanksgiving morning brings to mind a flood of memories to truly appreciate.  Maybe its the intoxicating smell of turkey (and the tryptophan will make you want a nap)  mixed with pumpkin pie, or the anticipation of Christmas that entices us to slow down and reflect on what is truly…

  • Are We Overreacting?

    The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Volume 129, Issue 5 , Pages 1280-1281, May 2012 Thanks Dr Pedersen for your insight!  The bottom line: maybe combination Advair, Symbicort, or Dulera aren’t as bad as they are put out to be.  Over the last decade, the aims of asthma management have altered to focus on…

  • The More You Know, the Less You Know

    The practice of medicine is just that….I advise the recommended treatment based on the information available at the time.  If I look back to the time during my fellowship in the early 90’s, much of what we thought was true and now 20 years later, been disproven.  As an example, the following study from a respected…

  • Usefulness of Omalizumab for treatment of asthma

    Insurance is now a part of our lives, especially health care providers.  Expensive medications such as omalizumab (Xolair™) are rarely approved for use unless patients and physicians complete an extensive application for benefits.  Here is a list of medical articles that support the use of Omalizumab in the treatment of asthma: 1.  Storms, W, et al. …