Allergy-Associates

Dear Dr. K: My brother has vernal conjunctivitis and I have perennial allergic conjunctivitis. We both use the same eye drops but I seem to do a lot better than he does. What gives? What gives is that you have a less severe condition than your brother. Let me explain. Allergic eye problems fall into four general types: seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC), perennial allergic conjunctivitis (PAC), allergic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) and vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). IgE (the allergic protein), plays a role…

Read More Read More

“Spoiler” alert! Between 5 and 10% of the human population has an allergy to cat. The major cat allergen is a protein called “Fel-D-1,” which is a protein in the cat’s saliva, sebaceous glands and genitourinary tract. Dried skin particles (dander) contain the protein, even though the protein is not part of the coat itself. Female cats produce less Fel-D-1 than male cats. Light-colored cats make less than dark-colored cats. Long-haired cats give off less allergen into the environment than…

Read More Read More

Because of the burgeoning of allergic disorders, more and more children are requiring auto- injectors of epinephrine. These devices are used to stop severe allergic reactions or anaphylaxis. If the device is required it is obviously at a time of crisis for both the child and the parent, which makes it more likely for mis-adventures to occur. Because it is life-critical that the medication be properly administered, it usually requires some form of child restraint. Thus has evolved the concept…

Read More Read More

Food additives are often suspected as a possible culprit for allergic reactions. A recent study done at LSU proves otherwise; that is, they are rarely a cause. Most food additives fall into one of seven categories: antioxidants, coloring, emulsifiers, flavorings, taste enhancers, preservatives or stabilizers. The three most common allergy troublemakers are two preservatives (sulfites and nitrites), and one taste enhancer (MSG – monosodium glutamate). Next most common are the dyes: carmine (red) and tartrazine (yellow). Other culprits include the…

Read More Read More

Doesn’t take much: people who only smoke one cigarette a day still incur 48% increased risk for heart disease, according to a recent British study.

Certain antihistamines such as Benadryl can worsen ocular allergy because of their drying effect on the eyes.

Another  recent study from that publication found that people with the chronic allergic “triad” of rhinitis, asthma and eczema have a much greater risk of developing Sjogren’s Syndrome (an auto-immune condition causing dry eyes and mouth) than the general population.

Twenty percent of children with milk allergy will also be allergic to beef, according to Allergy and Asthma Proceedings.