About.com

Pine Pollen as a Cause of Spring Hay Fever

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:19:19 +0000

In many parts of the country, trees are beginning to pollinate. Pine trees are one of the most obvious trees pollinating this time of year, because they make quite a mess. Pine trees emit copious amounts of the yellow, powdery stuff, coating cars and driveways, and making a mess in general. But what about allergies? Are people really allergic to pine pollen, or is it just a colorful masquerader that pollinates at the same time as more allergenic trees?

...

Read Full Post

New Hampshire State Employees May Be Banned From Wearing Scented Products

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:55:40 +0000

We've all been in the situation where we're exposed to a person wearing way too much perfume. It may be at the grocery store, the coffee shop, or even at work. If the scent is strong enough, it may make your eyes water, nose tingle and may even cause a cough. If a person has asthma or nasal allergies, exposure to strong odors or perfumes may make these underlying medical problems worse. For these reasons, the state of New Hampshire is considering legislation to forbid state employees who interact with the public from using scented or fragrant soaps.

...

Read Full Post

Valentine's Day Allergies

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:52:30 +0000

The concept of Valentine's Day allergies doesn't make much sense to most people -- until you think about it. This Tuesday, February 14, is Valentine's Day, when we give flowers, candy and other presents to the special people in our lives. But if these people have food allergies or nasal allergies, you may also be giving them something you didn't intend -- an allergic reaction.

...

Read Full Post

How to Tackle Hay Fever Symptoms this Spring

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:18:56 +0000

Believe it or not, spring pollen season is already here in many parts of the country. Here in Northern California, the trees are beginning to pollinate. In other parts of the country, spring pollen season may only be weeks away. If you suffer from springtime hay fever, do you have a plan on how to tackle your symptoms this season? Hopefully your plan includes something more than buying extra boxes of nasal tissue. A better plan would be to assess the types of symptoms that you typically experience, choose therapies based on those symptoms, decide on over-the-counter versus prescription medications, and to see an allergist to explore other treatment options such as immunotherapy.

...

Read Full Post

Aveeno Baby Lotion Recalled

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:21:04 +0000

Johnson and Johnson, the makers of Aveeno products, initiated a voluntary recall of certain lots of Aveeno Baby Calming Comfort Lotion. The recall affects lot number 0161LK which was distributed to the Southeastern United States. This lot of Aveeno Baby Calming Lotion may contain higher amounts of a bacteria, called coagulase-negative Staphylococci, which typically does not represent a danger to most people. People who have purchased Aveeno Baby Calming Comfort Lotion with the above mentioned lot number should refer to the Aveeno website for more information about whether or not to use the recalled product and how to receive a refund.

...

Read Full Post

Can People Be Allergic to Money?

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:11:47 +0000

I'm sure you heard that old superstition about when you have itchy palms, you will soon receive some money. While this superstition is most likely false, some people actually have itchy palms after handling money. It is actually possible to be allergic to money -- not the act of making it -- but from coming into contact with the physical form. People can be allergic to both coins, typically as a result of the nickel contained in certain denominations of United States and Euro coins, as well as to paper bills, as a result of the ink in printing. Certain rashes are also seen on the hands of people who count large numbers of paper bills, such as bank tellers. Find out more about the different forms of money allergy, including how to avoid and treat this type of allergy.

...

Read Full Post

Pepper Spray to Treat Nasal Allergies?!

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:26:17 +0000

We all have a pretty good idea about what pepper spray is -- the self-defense weapon that is carried by police and can be found at most sporting goods stores. And, what it does -- remember that video of the UC Davis police department pepper spraying the Occupy Wall Street protestors who were staging a sit-in on campus property -- resulting in stinging and burning of the eyes, nose, skin and lungs. Now, imagine actually squirting pepper spray, in a diluted form, in your nose in an attempt to reduce the symptoms of nasal allergies. Sounds crazy, right? Well, capsaicin nasal sprays are available over-the-counter for the treatment of nasal allergy symptoms, and they work pretty well.

...

Read Full Post

Could Your Cold Actually Be A Sinus Infection?

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:16:28 +0000

January is cold and flu season, and many of us are walking around with stuffy noses and a box of Kleenex right now. Some of us have allergies, some have the common cold, and others may even have sinus infections. Symptoms of a cold that don't get better after a week or two could represent a allergies or a sinus infection. A sinus infection may simply cause nasal congestion, runny nose, post nasal drip, coughing and/or a headache -- and may not necessarily cause facial pain/pressure, green nasal discharge and fevers.

...

Read Full Post

Girl Dies at School From Peanut Allergy

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:53:13 +0000

A 7-year-old Virginia girl died last week as a result of a severe allergic reaction to peanuts. Apparently, the girl had been given a peanut (or peanut-containing food) from another child while on the playground. The girl developed shortness of breath and hives and sought help, although apparently no treatment was given at the school. When emergency medical services arrived at the school, the girl was already in cardiac arrest. She was taken to a local hospital where she was declared dead.

...

Read Full Post

Natural Allergy Relief

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:04:01 +0000

More and more of my patients are asking for non-drug options for the treatment of their allergies. Whether this is an attempt to cut costs, reduce medication side effects, or to thumb their nose at the pharmaceutical industry, this trend is becoming more common. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to treat allergies without medications. I often caution my patients, however, that herbal supplements and non-traditional approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of allergies are unproven and often even more expensive than that of pharmaceutical treatments.

...

Read Full Post