Monthly Archives: December 2011

Quick Tips – Mistletoe

Mistletoe can be a contact allergen for some people, much like poison ivy.

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Dear Doc: One-time flu shot in the pipeline?

Dear Dr. K: I heard there is work being done on a one-time flu shot. Is this true? Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and with any luck, there may also be a one-time flu vaccine. Before I discuss … Continue reading

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Indoor plants: Put ‘em to work

Household HVAC (heating and air conditioning) systems use filters that are good for removing particles such as dust, mold and pollen, but have no benefit for removing volatile pollutants. There are chemical filters that are produced, but they are extremely … Continue reading

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Even in food families: we get along with some relatives better than others

Food families have similar proteins and this can lead to cross-reactive allergy. That having been said, not all families have the same degree of cross-reactivity. Peanut allergy is often severe but, luckily, has one of the lowest levels of cross-reactivity … Continue reading

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Add one to the OK list for coffee and tea drinkers

 Coffee and tea have long been known to have antimicrobial benefit. Because of this knowledge, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina decided to study whether drinking these beverages impacted the carrier rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the multi-drug-resistant … Continue reading

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For millions of asthmatics, hopeful gene therapy studies

The lead article in The New England Journal of Medicine in September discussed novel research on genetic variation in asthma. More than 300-million people worldwide have asthma, and up to 20 percent of these show poor or no response to … Continue reading

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