Allergies & Asthma

When the seasons change from summer to fall, those with allergies are on alert for ragweed — it can wreak havoc on those who are allergic. But, rarely are people allergic to just one thing, so many times there are other allergens at play when you have a reaction. In the fall, that other allergen

Do you know someone who reacts to apples and can’t take part in the best fall desserts, dishes, and activities? It’s probably due to Oral Allergy Syndrome. Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) happens when the body misinterprets food as bothersome pollen. This is because compounds in certain foods are similar to compounds on the surface of

BARCELONA — Eligible emphysema patients had similar levels of improvement whether treated with lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) or bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) with valve placement, a less-invasive option, the randomized CELEB trial showed. At 12 months, the average improvement from baseline on the 10-point BODE index — the study’s primary endpoint — was

This summer, record-breaking temperatures have been recorded throughout Europe and continue to rise globally. At this very moment, a blistering heat wave is ripping through California. These extremes have led to heat-related injuries, regional fires, severe weather events, and increased morbidity, especially for those with chronic respiratory illnesses. Unfortunately, the extraordinary is becoming ordinary as

BARCELONA — The need for antibiotics in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) seeking treatment for moderate acute COPD exacerbations could not be ruled out in a randomized trial from Germany, except perhaps for one subgroup. In the ABACOPD study of nearly 300 patients, the overall treatment failure rate among those receiving 5 days

Ragweed is one of the most bothersome environmental allergies — and that’s because such a large amount of pollen circulates through the air at one given time. Some people with a ragweed allergy might experience additional symptoms, but only when eating raw produce. Why is that? Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS). What is Oral Allergy Syndrome?

Workers who responded to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 were more likely to report incident asthma within a few years, a cohort study found. Those oil spill response and cleanup workers were 60% more likely to report developing asthma in the 1-3 years after the spill compared with non-workers who had been trained

With summer upon us, unfortunately, pesky mosquitoes come with the beautiful weather and fun. For many of us, mosquito bites are an inconvenience that doesn’t alter our lives. If we can resist the urge to itch and scratch, the bite goes away on its own. But for some, mosquito bites are much more miserable and

TTHealthWatch is a weekly podcast from Texas Tech. In it, Elizabeth Tracey, director of electronic media for Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, and Rick Lange, MD, president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, look at the top medical stories of the week. This week’s topics include the best medications for

When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company’s announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. The affected product is being recalled from the marketplace because it may contain cashew which is not declared on the label. The recalled product

When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company’s announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. The affected products are being recalled from the marketplace because they may contain milk which is not declared on the label. The recalled products

For many parents, sending their allergic or asthmatic children back to school can be a nightmare. It can trigger worry of your child’s safety as they are exposed to an environment with many different substances that could potentially harm them. That’s why we put together a list of essential school supplies your allergic child should

Smaller airways in women may explain their worse respiratory outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a large cohort study suggested. For never-smokers and ever-smokers alike, CT imaging revealed that men had thicker airway walls than women, who also had smaller airway lumen dimensions after accounting for height and total lung capacity. “It is plausible

When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company’s announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confections of Freeport, Maine is recalling its 8 oz resealable package of milk chocolate covered blueberries because they may contain

Presentation A 52-year-old man presented to the ED appearing ill and with complaints of cough, dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain, and fever. On physical examination, the patient had a temperature of 104°F (40°C). No recent travel history. The patient worked as a commercial plumber and recently completed a plumbing job for a large facility that had

When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company’s announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company. Nature’s Sunshine Products Inc. of Spanish Fork, UT is announcing that it initiated a voluntarily recall of two AIVIA Whey Protein & Power Herbs

Sending your child with food allergies anywhere without you can cause worry. Will they eat something that contains their allergen? What if they’re accidentally exposed? When you go into new situations, like back to school, with a plan — it can help relieve some of that anxiety. For your child’s safety, there are a few

At what point do you move from temporarily managing your allergy symptoms with over-the-counter solutions, to treating the cause — often for good — with immunotherapy? And what are the benefits? This blog dives into the four major reasons people consider sublingual immunotherapy (also known as allergy drops), and why it’s beneficial for those with

TTHealthWatch is a weekly podcast from Texas Tech. In it, Elizabeth Tracey, director of electronic media for Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, and Rick Lange, MD, president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso, look at the top medical stories of the week. This week’s topics include computer-based therapy for PTSD,

Since 2000, Allergychoices has supported providers from every corner of the country with offering sublingual immunotherapy — a disease modifying allergy treatment. Each provider has their own story about offering this treatment, with personal anecdotes of how it has ultimately impacted both practice and patients. Amber Beckenhauer, DO, added allergy testing and sublingual immunotherapy to

There is a familiar, tropical, smell that comes to mind when you think back on beach days or soccer games in the middle of the summer — the sweet smell of sunscreen. Are you using allergy-safe sunscreen? For those with allergies and eczema, sunscreen is just another product that should be thoroughly examined and tested

The difference between a food intolerance and food allergies can be confusing. Find out what causes symptoms, what symptoms look like, diagnosis processes, and how allergy drop immunotherapy can treat the cause of food allergy. What is a food intolerance? A food intolerance can occur from a variety of causes including a missing enzyme needed to digest food,

Presentation A 72-year-old man presented to the doctor with complaints of hip pain and groin pain affecting his left lower extremities that gradually began over the last couple of months. The patient denied recent trauma. He had COPD and had received high-dose injections of triamcinolone as intermittent treatment over the course of his adult life.

SAN FRANCISCO — Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who changed treatment from so-called triple therapy to a two-drug product omitting the inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) component tended to see improved symptom control, as well as fewer adverse effects, a researcher said here. In a German registry study, it took about 14 months for half

SAN FRANCISCO — A plant-centric diet in early adulthood was associated with less risk of emphysema in middle age, results of a long-running cohort study indicated. Participants whose diets at enrollment were in the top quintile on the A Priori Diet Quality Score (APDQS) system had 60% lower odds of developing emphysema over 30 years

The COVID-19 pandemic was a double-edged sword for patient engagement. For some, the inability to access traditional, brick-and-mortar healthcare opened their minds to virtual solutions and helped them get more acutely involved with their health. For others, the past 2 years magnified feelings of isolation and helplessness, which perpetuated a sense of overwhelm about their

SAN FRANCISCO — Ordinary adolescents showed higher levels of a biomarker for airway inflammation in the days following rain or snow, researchers reported here. For every 2 mm/day of precipitation averaged over the previous week, Massachusetts teens showed a 3.64% increase (95% CI 0.72-6.65) in fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), according to a group led

SAN FRANCISCO — For neighborhoods near a major coking operation in Pittsburgh, its shutdown at the end of 2015 was followed by markedly lower rates of respiratory disease hospitalizations, researchers reported here. Inpatient admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among area residents were steadily increasing during 2013 to 2015. But from 2016 onward, they