• CDC Releases Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Schools

    31 October 2013

    Food allergies are a growing food safety and public health concern that affect an estimated 4%–6% of children in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed The Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies, which provide practical information and planning steps to develop or strengthen plans for food allergy management and prevention.

  • Egg Allergic Children Now Have No Barriers To Flu Shot

    Egg Allergic Children Now Have No Barriers To Flu Shot

    12 October 2013

    All children should have flu shots, even if they have an egg allergy, and it’s now safe to get them without special precautions. This finding is from the latest update on the safety of the flu vaccine for allergic patients, published in the October issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

    The current recommendation from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is to observe children allergic to eggs for 30 minutes after a flu shot. Also to have the shot under the care of a primary care provider, if the reaction to eating eggs is only hives, or an allergist, if the reaction to eating eggs is more serious.

  • Are You Ready For Halloween? Avoid The Danger Of Anaphylaxis.

    Are You Ready For Halloween? Avoid The Danger Of Anaphylaxis.

    12 October 2013

    Ghosts and goblins aren’t the only scary things your children might encounter this Halloween. For parents of kids with food allergies, Halloween treats—from candy to cookies—can be frightening too.

    Common allergens such as peanuts, tree nuts, milk and egg are often ingredients in Halloween treats. Some kids may experience a rash or red, itchy skin, vomiting, a stuffy, itchy nose, or diarrhea or stomach cramps if they eat a food to which they are allergic. For children who are severely allergic, a single bite of these foods may cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis.

  • Ready or Not, Fall Allergies are Popping Up this Summer: Ragweed Begins to Bloom

    Ready or Not, Fall Allergies are Popping Up this Summer: Ragweed Begins to Bloom

    17 August 2013

    Before you shrug off your sneezing and runny nose to a summer cold, you may want to think twice. Even though it’s only August, hay fever season is here, causing misery for some of the 50 million Americans with allergies. One of the main culprits is ragweed, which starts to bloom in August.

  • New Animation Helps Explain Food Allergy

    07 August 2013

    The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has developed a three-minute animation that shows how the immune system responds to a food allergen and what you should do to avoid potential exposures.

  • The Rise of Deadly Insect Sting Allergies: Is There a Cure? Venom immunotherapy can make sufferers less allergic.

    The Rise of Deadly Insect Sting Allergies: Is There a Cure? Venom immunotherapy can make sufferers less allergic.

    07 August 2013

    If you think summer insects are done setting their sights on ruining your outdoor gathering, think again. August’s hot and dry climate is the perfect breeding ground for insects, especially yellow jackets. And for the millions of Americans allergic to insect stings, these late summer bugs can be deadly.

  • Quality of life in older adults with asthma.

    Quality of life in older adults with asthma.

    18 July 2013

    In the United States, patients older than sixty-five years have the highest asthma mortality rate of any age group, accounting for more than 50% of all asthma deaths. Unfortunately, little research has focused on optimal treatment and diagnostic strategies in this population. Studies have shown that older adults with a diagnosis of asthma have poorer quality of life than do healthy controls.

  • Summer Allergies: When a Summer Cold is Much More

    Summer Allergies: When a Summer Cold is Much More

    29 June 2013

    The last thing anyone wants is a runny nose and constant sneezing putting a damper on summer vacation plans and outdoor activities. Symptoms that might be labeled a “summer cold” could be something much more. We often think of allergies during the spring and fall months, but they are also common in the summer and, for some individuals, are year-round.

  • Ticks That Spread Red-Meat Allergy

    Ticks That Spread Red-Meat Allergy

    16 June 2013

    If Lyme disease isn’t reason enough to avoid ticks, here’s another: the inability to enjoy a burger. Odd as it seems, researchers say that bites from the voracious lone star tick are making some people allergic to red meat—even if they’ve never had a problem eating it before.

  • Discovered: The Molecule Responsible for Itchiness

    Discovered: The Molecule Responsible for Itchiness

    26 May 2013

    The journal Science reports new information about the mechanism of itching. Many allergy patients are all too familiar with skin itching, sometimes as a problem in itself and, for others, as a major symptom of hives and eczema. As described in the report, the molecules and receptors involved in itching are now better understood, but translating these findings into treatments for affected patients will require more study.

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