Allergy-Associates – Page 51 – 6294 1st Ave N., St Petersburg, FL 33710 (727)345-1900

Shingles: changes, incidence and new vaccine

April 5, 2011 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Dear Dr. K: I had shingles three years ago and now I have it again. I thought you were only supposed to get shingles once. Your impression and what I was taught in medical school are identical, but, unfortunately, are now incorrect. There are probably two reasons for this change. One reason is that until a disease state is subjected to critical analysis, misjudgments of incidence and frequency can be made. The other is that due to modern antiviral drugs…

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Quick Tips – Oak pollen defenses

February 25, 2011 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Oak season is rapidly approaching. To reduce indoor pollen, keep windows closed. Leave your shoes outside. Wash your dog’s paws with a damp cloth on returning indoors.

Quick Tips – Natural killer cells

February 25, 2011 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Recent research on natural killer cells (NK cells) has discovered that these provide not only innate immunity, but also adaptive immunity. Innate immunity is a primitive, non-discriminatory resistance against all foreign invaders. Adaptive immunity is a learned behavior requiring inter-cellular communication.

Quick Tips – Second-hand smoke

February 25, 2011 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Scientists in Sweden who did a study on second-hand smoke exposure worldwide found that 40 percent of children, 33 percent of non-smoking males and 35 percent of non-smoking females got second-hand smoke exposure to a degree that it shortens life spans, and adversely affects their health.

Phototherapy vs. nasal allergy

February 25, 2011 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Dear Dr. K: I read a report that said sunlight can help nasal allergies. Is that true? Yes, it is true. It has been known for years that sunlight can exert beneficial immune effects. The report you read was probably one about recent research using intra-nasal phototherapy. The most recently published article in this regard is from the journal, “Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Diseases,” and was a well-done, placebo-controlled, randomized study. Before discussing that research, let’s look at phototherapy in…

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New guidelines can help diagnose food allergies

February 25, 2011 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) has just released guidelines for diagnosing and managing food allergies. These guidelines were conceived because of a lack of uniformity among physicians in testing and treating food allergy. Frequently, pediatricians, family physicians and internists will order tests for food allergy. It is especially important that non-allergist physicians – as well as allergists – have a standard guideline for handling food allergy issues. The AAAAI starts by pointing out that food allergy…

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Stinging Insect Pain Index – This hurts to read!

February 25, 2011 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Not infrequently, allergists are faced with a patient who has had an allergic reaction to an insect but has not been able to identify the culprit. Allergy testing can help identify the cause of the allergy. In cases where the allergy was mild and testing was therefore not warranted, another way to identify the elusive critter is the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. Justin O. Schmidt subjected himself to the stings of 78 species and 41 genera of hymenoptera. He developed…

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Allergy vs. lactose intolerance

January 21, 2011 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Dear Dr. K: I’m pretty sure I’m allergic to milk because it always gives me gas and diarrhea, but my allergy test to milk was negative. What gives? In all likelihood you have lactose intolerance due to lactase deficiency. Lactose is the carbohydrate milk sugar which is a disaccharide “two-sugar”. It consists of the monosaccharide glucose bound to the mono-saccharide galactose. Unlike the bovine intestinal track which can absorb disaccharides, the human intestines can only absorb monosaccharides. Lactase is the…

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Probiotics can also help the healthy

January 21, 2011 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Dear Dr. K: You’ve written about using probiotics to help eczema. Is there any value for a completely healthy person to take probiotics? The simple answer to your question is yes. There are many reasons why the answer is yes, as research on human gut flora is one of the hottest fields in academia right now. First, a few simple statistics: The adult human body is composed of about 10-trillion cells, but is colonized by some 100-trillion bacterial cells. There…

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Quick Tips – Sleep Apnea

January 21, 2011 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Researchers in Brazil studied the benefit of oropharyngeal exercises for patients with sleep apnea. The exercises were taught by a sleep pathologist. They consisted of exercises for the soft palate, tongue, and facial muscles. The treated patients reportedly experienced a 50 percent improvement in their sleep disorder.