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 According to HULIQ.com, new research shows that some children are likely being misdiagnosed with asthma.
Asthma is, without a doubt, the most common chronic condition facing children, but many children who are diagnosed with asthma in emergency room settings may actually have Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD). The symptoms are very similar (such as difficulty breathing because of a closed throat, or constricted airway), but the treatments are very different.
Children with asthma need medicine, whereas children with VCD need to learn breathing exercises.
(Certain breathing exercises may help reduce asthma symptoms, too.)
Giving asthma medication to a child who does not have asthma could produce serious side effects.
A simple spirometry breathing test can tell doctors if a child has asthma or VCD.
Posted by Scott on Friday, August 31, 2007
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In an ironic twist, Atlanta-based company Bella Cucina has recalled its "Death by Chocolate" cookies because of undelcared walnuts. People who have an allergy to walnuts are at-risk for life-threatening allergic reactions if they eat these products.
According to the FDA, the Death by Chocolate cookies come in a 6 ounce bag with a sleeve label. The UPC code for this product is 19193 00020. These cookies have a three-month shelf life.
The cookies being recalled were made on June 14, 2007 and also July 5, 2007. No illnesses have been reported thus far. The cookies were distributed to several cities, including Atlanta. For a refund or replacement, you may contact Bella Cucina directly at 678-539-8400.
Posted by Scott on Friday, August 31, 2007
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 Scientific American reports that penicillin allergy is more common in women than men, according to the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
The study found than penicillin allergy is more likely to develop in women, even after factoring in the effects of other allergy risk factors.
Dr. Miguel A. Park of the Mayo Clinic notes that one to 10 percent of the population reports having penicillin allergy, while the rate of life-threatening reactions to this antibiotic is estimated to be 0.01 percent to 0.05 percent.
"Females were also 2.6 times more likely than males to report multiple drug allergies," reports Park's research team. Other studies have also found that being female is a risk factor for adverse drug reactions in general.
Posted by Scott on Tuesday, August 28, 2007
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 The Open Press reports that common moths can be just as damaging as dust mites when it comes to allergic skin conditions.
One study found that 60 percent of people who react to dust mites are also sensitive to moth allergen.
Moth allergen doesn't come from flying moths; rather, it comes from moth larvae, hatched from eggs that are often buried in upholstery, bedding, and clothing.
To prevent moth eggs and larvae in your favorite sweater, wash clothes frequently in hot water, and keep stored clothing in plastic bags.
In addition, you should regularly vacuum not only your carpet, but also your upholstery and under your furniture.
A good lotion also helps protect your skin from allergens and toxins.
Posted by Scott on Thursday, August 23, 2007
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 The Indoor Air Quality Commission Newsletter reports that some laser printers can generate the same amount of ultra-fine particles as tobacco smoke! Breathing in these tiny particles can irritate the lungs and, over time, lead to more severe conditions like heart disease and cancer. The recent study also found that the indoor air pollution from laser printers increases fivefold during work hours.
Here at the achoo! ALLERGY Headquarters, there is a large laser printer in my office space. Fortunately, there are also five or six air purifiers in the same room (it's a large, open space with several employee work stations). An Austin Air Health Mate Jr. sits right beside me, blowing clean air into my breathing zone all day. Additionally, our office is well ventilated, and we change our Allergy Zone furnace filters frequently, so I don't feel very threatened by the particulate pollution from the laser printer. achoo! ALLERGY CEO Cade McDonald has worked hard and invested extra money to create a clean, allergy-proof work space for us employees. Stay tuned for more news about our allergy-proof office building and showroom. In the coming weeks, we'll be sending out a press release about how we allergy-proofed our headquarters.
Posted by Scott on Friday, August 17, 2007
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 Don't let your allergies ruin your big day! To make sure you say, "I do" instead of "achoo," follow these wedding planning tips from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI):
- If you are still in the planning stages, don't pick a wedding date in the peak of the allergy season. Ragweed, which some say is the most offending plant for people with allergies, begins to pollinate in the middle of August in the Eastern and Midwestern USA. Springtime allergies are also troublesome for many people.
- For floral decorations, use large, bright colored flowers such as roses, daffodils or daisies, as these usually do not trigger allergies. Their large, waxy pollens are too heavy to be carried about in the air. You can also use dried flowers or silk flowers as an alternative.
- If you know you have allergies, visit an allergist ahead of time to find out what you are allergic to so that you can receive proper treatment. Take your medication the morning of your wedding, not later in the day when symptoms may already have started.
- If you or any of your guests have food allergies, make sure the caterers know the offending foods and all ingredients. If you have a food allergy to eggs, you may want to consider a non-traditional dessert instead of traditional wedding cake. Some food allergy reactions can be very severe and even life threatening if they cause a condition known as anaphylaxis. See the Anaphlyaxis Solution Guide for more information.
Posted by Scott on Tuesday, August 14, 2007
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 For the third day in a row, the city of Atlanta (home of achoo! ALLERGY) faces a Code Red smog alert, which means that the air is unhealthy for everyone.
With temperatures in the high 90s and heat indexes over 100, ozone levels have soared. Ozone, the main component of smog, is classified as a health hazard by the Environmental Protection Agency. The formation of ozone requires dry heat, and more heat means more ozone. A 10-degree rise in temperature doubles the number chemical reactions that produce ozone.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the air also contains high amounts of soot, dust, and other particulate pollutants.
This is the smoggiest summer Atlanta has seen in four years, and the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic has witnessed an increase in respiratory problems. Children, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions are most vulnerable to problems caused by air pollution. Everyone should limit outdoor activity during Code Red smog alerts.
A 1999 ScienceDaily article describes Atlanta as an "urban heat island," based on a NASA study. Due to the removal of trees and paving of land, heat-absorbing materials (like roofs and roads) hold onto the heat and keep the city hotter than surrounding rural areas.
Posted by Scott on Thursday, August 09, 2007
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According to Daily Express and ScienceDaily, researchers have discovered a ground-breaking drug - a protein that blocks the inflammatory action of mast cells and has the potential to cure all allergic diseases.
 Mast cells are found in the eye, nose, airways, skin, and gut. As part of the immune system, they protect us from invasion against bacteria and parasites; however, for allergy sufferers, mast cells react to substances like dust mites, pollen, and food, releasing histamine and other inflammatory chemicals that initiate and sustain allergic reactions.
Hebrew University Researcher Ido Bachelet found a specific receptor protein on mast cells that prevents them from unleashing allergic responses. However, the protein, known as CD300a, is found throughout the immune system on other types of cells, too - which means that simply targeting CD300a would produce undesirable immune system suppression.
To overcome this problem, Bachelet designed a synthetic antibody fragment that can recognize two targets at the same time: the CD300a receptor as well as a certain mast-cell-specific marker. Therefore, the antibody only affects CD300a receptors on mast cells.
The research project is known as Receptra, and Bachelet predicts that his discovery will be the first line of allergy treatment in the future. In lab tests with mice, the antibody eliminated four types of allergic diseases, including asthma, with virtually no side effects. Mice with severe chronic asthma reverted to normal, health mice within two months of treatment. Tests with humans are planned within the next year.
Posted by Scott on Wednesday, August 08, 2007
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 Piedmont Ear, Nose, Throat & Related Allergy is currently offering FREE ALLERGY SCREENINGS for a limited time!
The free screenings include allergy testing for grass (Bermuda, Bahia, Fescue, Johnson), weeds (Short Ragweed, English Plantain, Red-Root Pigweed, Sorrel, Lamb’s Quarter), trees (Oak, Elm, Pecan, Maple, Birch), molds (Penicillium, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Alternaria), cat, dog, dust and cockroach..
If you're in the Atlanta area and have never been tested for allergies, this is your chance to get tested for free!
Even though the August issue of Allergy Consumer Report does not go out until tomorrow (and we're actually still working on it), I'd like to offer you a special sneak peak at one of the articles:
Allergy Relief 101 with Dr. Kingsley Chin
Dr. Chin is one of the friendly allergy specialists at Piedmont Ear, Nose, Throat & Related Allergy, and he provided us with an excellent overview of allergies and different treatment options.
Posted by Scott on Tuesday, August 07, 2007
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 I've blogged about temporary tattoos that could bring on allergies, and now, according to the CourierPost Online, the popularity of body piercing has led to a rise in nickel allergies.
Nickel is often one of the metals present in piercing jewelry, and it can cause severe allergic contact dermatitis, or eczema.
If you have nickel allergy, use the Nickel Solution kit to test for nickel content; the kit also allows you to wear jewelry that would otherwise cause a reaction.
Posted by Scott on Monday, August 06, 2007
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 The Non-Toxic Times Newsletter reports that some people in the scientific community think that the startling, inexplicable rise in food allergies in recent years can be traced to genetically modified foods.
Thirty years ago, food allergies were rare, but now they affect more than 11 million Americans. Rates of peanut allergies in the U.S. doubled between 1997 and 2002.
Genetically modified (GM) foods entered the U.S. market in 1994 without any special labeling. Now, experts estimate that 60-70% of processed foods contain genetically modified ingredients. The most common GM foods are soybeans, corn, and cotton. (Cottonseed oil is a common ingredient in many processed foods!)
GM foods contain foreign genes from different species. These foreign genes are inserted to create desirable traits for farmers and increase profits. Many GM foods, for instance, have been modified to resist a particular disease or pest.
Here are just a few pieces of evidence that GM foods may be fueling the increase in food allergies:
- In 1999, an annual study of food allergens in the U.K. found that soy allergies had increased 50% over the previous year. This trend coincided with the first imports of GM soy from the U.S., which led scientists to strongly suspect a connection.
- A Monsanto company study on GM Bt corn (which the company was forced to reveal through legal action) showed that rats who ate it experienced a significant increase in three types of immune system blood cells.
- Mice fed a diet rich in GM soy had significantly lower levels of pancreatic enzymes, which are needed to break down proteins in the digestive tract. When proteins last longer in the body, they’re more likely to provoke an allergic response.
- A type of GM potato has been found to damage the immune systems of rats.
If you'd like to learn more about GM foods, I suggest that you watch the documentary The Future of Food, which you can watch in its entirety on Google Video.
Posted by Scott on Wednesday, August 01, 2007
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