Q – Tips: Milk allergy
• Harvard researchers studied the tolerance of baked milk in highly allergic children with cow milk allergy. Fourteen of the fifteen children tolerated milk if it was baked in a product such as a muffin, cake or bread.
Q – Tips: Probiotics and pregnancy
Research at the University of Turkey in Finland demonstrates that if expectant mothers take probiotics during the pregnancy, their infants have a significant reduction in the risk for eczema. And at another Norse medical center, Glostrup University in Copenhagen, scientists have finished a multi-year study looking at individuals on allergy shots and the frequency of autoimmune disease. They discovered a marked reduction in autoimmune disease in those receiving allergy shots.
Q – Tips: Silver Ingestion
Argyria is a blue-gray discoloration of the skin caused by ingestion of silver. Colloidal silver is available in a variety of OTC tonics and has been used for centuries as an antimicrobial. Unfortunately, chronic use of silver can cause a permanent Tin Man appearance (and The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1999 issued a final rule establishing that all over-the-counter (OTC) drug products containing colloidal silver ingredients or silver salts for internal or external use are not generally recognized…
New antihistamine: less congestion, fewer side effects
Researchers at Creighton University have developed a new antihistamine that blocks the H3 histamine receptor. The new drug that blocks H3 is called by its research name – PF-03654746. It’s an exciting discovery because it appears to be the first antihistamine that reduces congestion. Up until now the only way to reduce nasal congestion was to take an antihistamine/decongestant combination such as Allegra-D or Zyrtec-D. These drugs contain Sudafed, which works, but brings the potential issues of causing insomnia and…
Internal medical devices: Reactions spotlight metal allergy
Dear Dr. K: Do you have anything to share from your recent trip to the Southeastern Allergy meeting? The meeting was excellent. The presentation I found most provocative was on allergy to medical devices. Unfortunately, this is becoming a more common source of allergic difficulty. The spectrum of reactions has included allergy to joint replacements, fracture-stabilizing metals, spine-straightening rods, cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators and their wires, coronary and other arterial stents and dental products, including implants and orthodontic materials. Although some…
Congratulations to our very own world-class paddleboard team!
Bucking waves, currents and winds made a really tough task for the athletes competing in the 2013 World Paddleboard Championship in Hawaii even tougher. But our favorite relay team of Dr. Patrick and Dr. Steve Klemawesch beat the elements and finished the 32-mile, open-ocean stand-up paddleboard competition in July. The crossing in open Pacific waters begins on Kaluakoi Beach on the north shore of Molokai and finishes in Maunalua Bay on the south shore of Oahu. Competing as a team…
Q – Tips: Elemental Silver
• Elemental silver has been used for centuries for its antimicrobial properties. In the Middle Ages it was successfully used to treat syphilis, TB and other infections. It is still available today, but caution should be used because excessive doses of silver tonics available over the counter can be toxic to internal organs.
Nice scents are great, unless they’re not tolerated
Reprinted and updated from Allergic Reaction, Vol. 1, No. 1, July, 1990 Dear Docs: Your staff asks patients and visitors not to wear perfume or other scented products while visiting the office. Why is that? “The reason we ask people visiting our office not to wear them is because some of our patients are extremely sensitive to certain scents, including those in some perfumes and colognes, or to the petrochemical base used in these compounds to control their slow evaporation….
Q – Tips: reactions
• When trying to analyze what triggered an allergic reaction keep in mind that many reactions are “biphasic.” That is, after exposure to an airborne allergen or a food, many people have not only an immediate reaction, but also a second, delayed reaction (delayed up to 8 to 12 hours) after a single exposure.
Q – Tips: Ragweed
• This is ragweed season. Keep in mind that rainfall releases more ragweed pollen from the plants. Certain foods augment ragweed allergy, especially melons and chamomile.