Epinephrine Is the Only Effective Treatment for Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can potentially lead to death if not promptly treated. Allergic reactions typically begin suddenly after exposure to an allergen, which may be a food, medication, insect sting, or another trigger. Anaphylaxis can occur in anyone at any time; it can sometimes be triggered by allergens that a person […]
Peanut Free Nation
The rise of food allergies and what researchers are doing to prevent them When I was in grade school, there was no “peanut-free” table. Peanut butter sandwiches were traded freely for chocolate milk and potato chips. Birthdays meant cupcakes in the classroom, with little thought as to whether they were made in a peanut-free facility. […]
Start treatment now to prevent spring allergy symptoms
The Medicine Cabinet: Ask the Harvard Experts Q: I have spring allergies. Every year I think they won’t be too bad. In reality, it’s awful and I have a hard time getting ahead of the symptoms. Suggestions? A: Don’t wait until you get the runny, stuffy nose and itchy eyes. Get started on treatment now, […]
Foods to help relieve allergies
Achoo! Gesundheit! When you suffer from allergies, your body launches an immune response against an irritant — pollen, grass, mold — triggering itchy, watery eyes, congestion, a runny nose and general misery. Here are three foods to help keep the wheezing and sneezing under control, plus your allergy questions answered. Broccoli These little green trees […]
3 immune-boosting myths busted
By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D. It’s that time of year when any sniffle, cough or sneeze is noticed — and if it didn’t come from you, chances are you’re subtly putting a little space between you and whoever it came from. There’s no better time than the present to talk about immune-boosting myths — from […]
The Kid’s Doctor: Rashes from poison ivy, oak and sumac reaching their summer peak
By Sue Hubbard, M.D. www.kidsdr.com Here at the height of summer, with everyone spending more time outside, I’m seeing a rising wave of patients with contact dermatitis (rashes) after coming into contact with poisonous plants. While allergies are slowing down a bit with the hotter weather, hikers, campers and kids just playing in the yard […]
The Kid’s Doctor: Allergy season has arrived!
By Sue Hubbard, M.D., www.kidsdr.com Wow! I just had a very busy week in the office, and while I was on call in the evening. The biggest problem right now seems to be allergies. While some parts of the country are still experiencing cold, many areas are warming up, and trees and grasses are starting […]
Chemical Deal
Chemicals in Our Products are Wreaking Havoc on Our Health By Megy Karydes Most of us blindly buy products sold in major stores, certain that they have been tested for safety. Why would we think the soap we use to bathe our kids or the products we clean our homes with might be slowly killing […]
Options Against the Flu
This season’s flu shots will be more individualized, but immunization can begin in summer By Megy Karydes Patients who have avoided getting the flu shot because of their fear of needles or allergies to eggs (egg protein is among the ingredients of some influenza vaccines) will have other options this season: seven of them. According […]
Camping with Food Allergies
It’s no one’s favorite activity, but some kids have to face food allergies at summer camp By Nancy Maes Summertime is the season for carefree fun at camp, but parents of children with food allergies have to be extra vigilant to make sure that their youngsters will be safe during their time away from home. […]
Allergic Food Groups
Caring for a child with food allergies requires knowledge and avoidance of parental diagnosis Chicago mother Lourdes Craelius isn’t sure whether her 8-year-old son is lactose intolerant because she’s never had him tested. Her suspicions stem from hearing her son complain of bad stomachaches occasionally after consuming dairy products. And quite often, he refuses them […]
A Crash Course in Celiac Disease and Children
In children, the symptoms are many and varied: chronic diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, abdominal bloating, fatigue, growth problems and failure to thrive. Undiagnosed adults might have a completely different set of symptoms including iron-deficiency anemia, infertility or osteoporosis. Or the disease might be asymptomatic, but still dangerously harmful. Those varying symptoms, seemingly disparate, can all […]
Caring for Children with Food Allergies
Renee Frixen had experience with children and food-based allergies. As a teacher of a student with a peanut allergy, she was trained to use an epinephrine autoinjector (the common brand name is EpiPen), just in case of an emergency. But nothing prepared her for taking care of her nephew, who often curled up in pain […]
Sneezing Season
Allergies may be here to stay, but they can be kept in control Following a pretty brutal winter and a slow-to-start summer, Chicago is finally enjoying some nice weather. Warmer temperatures provide an opportunity to get out of the gym and run or bike along Lake Michigan or perhaps a trail in one of Chicagoland’s […]
