GI Tract – gut flora’s humble abode

GI Tract – gut flora’s humble abode

  A recent review article in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology addressed the role of gut microbiota in health and illness. The author pointed out that the GI tract serves two main functions: 1. Digestion and absorption of foods and nutrients; 2. Immune function. He also pointed out that these don’t operate independently, but rather, are fully intertwined. The GI tract is the home for the majority of our immune system cells and proteins. This is so because…

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Q – Tips: Exercise as important as medication

Q – Tips: Exercise as important as medication

An editorial in the American Journal of Medicine was titled “Exercise is Just as Important as Your Medication.” The article was very detailed in extolling the numerous health benefits of exercise, but one comment struck me most of all: The editorialist pointed out that unfortunately, physicians or patients themselves set too high a benchmark for the activities. He recommended an approach that was moderate in nature and stylized for each person’s health constraints and abilities.

Q – Tips: broccoli

Q – Tips: broccoli

Broccoli is a natural source of glucoraphanin, a compound that generates sulforaphone. The latter is an excellent mechanism to remove and detoxify air pollution that we breathe into our bodies. Hence it has been shown to reduce cancer risk, especially in heavily polluted industrial environments.

Possible summertime peril: Be aware

Possible summertime peril: Be aware

Bathing in warm sulfur spring water has been practiced for centuries for its potential health benefits, but a newly recognized cause for a sudden skin rash is exposure to this water. Unfortunately, it can cause a severe rash in some susceptible individuals. This is especially true in allergic people who may tend to have dry skin or eczema. Typically the rash appears suddenly about 24 hours after the water exposure. The rash is red with “punched out” ulcers and pits….

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Allergy ties to additives studied

Allergy ties to additives studied

The University of Maryland recently published data about increased incidence of allergy in children correlating with the amount of residues of triclosan and paraben found in their urine. Triclosan is a chemical that has been added to many personal care and medical products, including soap and toothpaste. It is added for its antimicrobial properties. Paraben is added to food, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, also for its antimicrobial properties. Both have been previously shown to have immune-modulating properties (in addition…

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Promising asthma drug in pipeline

Promising asthma drug in pipeline

A research study of a new drug given to steroid-dependent asthmatics has produced exciting results. Reported in a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine, the new asthma drug, Mepolizamab, was tested at various medical centers around the globe, including the University of Pittsburgh. Mepolizamab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that inactivates interleukin– 5. Interleukin– 5 is a cell communicator that recruits eosinophils (allergic cells) into the lungs. The eosinophil is a form of white blood cell that…

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Dear Doc: Explain sprue/celiac disease immune reactions

Dear Doc: Explain sprue/celiac disease immune reactions

Dear Dr. K: My gastroenterologist said that my blood pressure pill, Benicar, caused me to develop sprue. Can this be true? To answer your question in a broad sense: “Yes;” but in a strict sense, “No.” To better understand this yes/no scenario a few definitions would be helpful. Sprue (also known as celiac disease) is a form of GI upset with diarrhea caused by an immune reaction to gluten. The immune reaction leads to inflammation in the intestinal wall, with…

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Even tiny whiff enough to trigger allergic reaction

Even tiny whiff enough to trigger allergic reaction

A review of food reactions in children from inhalation was recently published in an issue of Allergy and Asthma Proceedings. As an introduction, the authors remind readers we are able to smell foods because of tiny aerosolized particles of food. In some children, even this tiny amount of exposure can lead to allergic symptoms. The foods most commonly implicated in this mischief are: fish, nuts, legumes, grains and cow milk. Up to 10 percent of children allergic to fish will…

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Many ways for mold to catch hold

Many ways for mold to catch hold

The Tampa Bay Times recently featured an article detailing the closure of a city building due to mold contamination. The Madeira Beach building was more than 60 years old and had been flooded several times over the years. The message here is that any Florida building can have unhealthy mold issues. The most common causes are water incursion, and heating and cooling system (HVAC) issues. Water incursion can be due to flooding, broken pipes and roof leaks. HVAC issues include…

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Q-Tips: Streptomycin Allergy

Q-Tips: Streptomycin Allergy

The recent Annals of Allergy published an article about a 10-year-old girl who suffered anaphylaxis from antibiotic residue on blueberries. The child was not known to be allergic to blueberries and later tests proved this fact. The blueberry orchard was treated with streptomycin and the child did show a positive allergy test to this antibiotic.