The answer might surprise you. It’s allergy season again. Noses are dripping, eyes are watering, skin is itching, and lungs are wheezing all across America. And many people have the misconception that allergies are primarily controlled by these body parts where the reactions occur. Yet, allergies and allergic disorders are much more complex than that, and […]
At present there are no medical tests for food allergies that are more accurate than the detective work of a parent who is a keen observer and accurate recorder. In most cases, a carefully done elimination diet will uncover what the allergy is to. Your doctor or allergist can help by performing one or both […]
5 Common Situations That Are Probably Not Allergies The following are common situations that parents often feel are due to allergies, but may be due to other non-serious causes and are not allergies: “Doctor, my child had a bad cold with fevers 4 weeks ago, and STILL has a stuffy nose and a cough at […]
5 Steps to Track and Prevent Allergies Now we’re ready to really get down to business. The following 5 steps will help you determine what’s causing the allergies and how to prevent exposure to the allergens. Step 1 – Determine When and Where the Allergy Symptoms are Occurring Nighttime and upon waking – if your child […]
Treating Allergies Techniques Dr. Sears advises for treating allergies: a daily “nose hose” and “steam clean” is a must for clearing stuffy nasal passages. A “nose hose” and “steam clean” – flushing the nose two or three times a day with nasal saline spray and gently blow the nose. Facial steamers are a good alternative […]
I worry about allergies. We have a lot of allergies in our family and I’m concerned that my child may develop milk allergies. How common are these and how do I recognize them? Milk allergies are over-diagnosed by the general population and under-diagnosed by doctors. The real incidence of milk allergies lies somewhere between the […]
Food Allergies Approximately three to seven percent of children and adults have food allergies or food intolerance. Food allergies have been called the great masqueraders because they are a hidden cause of so many problems, ranging from mere annoyances to downright disease. Food allergies tend to be underdiagnosed by physicians and overdiagnosed by everyone else. […]
If one parent has food allergies, the risk of the children having food allergies may double; the risks are even higher if both parents are allergic. Yet, a child may have a completely different food allergy than that of the parent. If you and your spouse are passing along genes that will place your children […]
Here are some facts you should know about the subtleties of food allergies: 1. Food allergy symptoms vary in severity. While one mother may have to rush a wheezing child to the nearest emergency room within minutes after he eats a peanutbutter sandwich, another child may develop only a nuisance-like rash around the mouth. 2. […]
Discovering Hidden Food Allergies If you suspect you or a family member has a food allergy, or if your family has a history of food sensitivities and/or allergies, here are some steps you can do at home to track down the hidden food allergies and ease bothersome symptoms. Culprits of hidden food allergies may […]
Research shows mixed results about whether maternal food restrictions during breastfeeding will lessen the risk of food allergies in babies. In fact, a study presented at the 1996 meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology showed a surprising result: The children of breastfeeding mothers who withheld allergenic foods from their diet later […]
Some food allergies, especially to nuts and shellfish, can be life-threatening in very sensitive people. The windpipe may go into spasms or the cardiovascular system may go into shock (called anaphylaxis) within minutes after eating a particular food. If you or your child has had a serious reaction to a food, even severe hives or […]
