Tree Pollen: The answer is blowing in the wind. If you are new to the South Carolina Midlands, you are about to experience a phenomenon the rest of us have seen each year: the beginning of the spring tree pollen season. When that happens, you will notice that pine and cedar pollen turn everything a … Continued
Causing eye inflammation, allergic conjunctivitis is a prominent condition that often affects patients with seasonal allergies. A recent report suggests that as many as 70% of individuals who have allergic rhinitis also suffer with eye symptoms, and nearly 30% of children, as well. The eye, being open to the outside world, frequently comes into contact … Continued
Atopic dermatitis is the most common form of eczema treated by allergists. Often when we ask the parents of children what they know about atopic dermatitis, they respond that it is “just really bad dry skin.” The reality is much more complex. This disease is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder that is genetically transmitted in … Continued
But it doesn’t have to be. The recent death of child Broadway actress Laurel Griggs from asthma made the news this past week. Many do not realize that asthma can be a fatal disease despite the fact that 3,500 to 5,000 Americans die each year from acute asthma attacks and countless others go to the … Continued
“My Kingdom for Epinephrine” Anaphylaxis is a severe, sometimes fatal, systemic (generalized) allergic reaction that is estimated to affect up to 2% of the general population. Causes of anaphylaxis include foods, particularly peanuts, followed by tree nuts, shellfish & freshwater fish, among others. Less frequent causes of anaphylaxis include medications and insect stings, such as … Continued
Recent research has found that there are different types of asthma either with or without allergic cells in the lung. People with asthma caused by allergic cells (called eosinophils or “eos”) respond much better to inhaled steroids than patients who have low levels of these allergic cells. Furthermore, patients with mild asthma who do not … Continued
Allergies occur when the body’s immune system sees a substance, like pollen, dust mites or animal danders, as harmful and overreacts to it. More than 50 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies each year; it is the 6th leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S. Though allergies can develop at any age, they typically … Continued
