Allergy-Associates – Page 43 – 6294 1st Ave N., St Petersburg, FL 33710 (727)345-1900

MRSA Precautions

February 19, 2013 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Taking precautions in known MRSA environments worth it From football locker rooms to ALF patient rooms, there is a surge in the number of otherwise healthy people developing Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, better known as MRSA. The dreaded MRSA is a difficult- to-treat, multi-drug-resistant staph infection. One way to protect yourself if your school or your mother’s nursing home is having an outbreak is to practice good hand-washing, and to use Mupirocin (Bactroban), anintranasal prescription topical antibiotic that kills MRSA.

Water Damage related Illness

February 19, 2013 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Dear Dr. K: With the massive damage still being shown on TV from the flooding by Hurricane Sandy, what illnesses are those residents facing? A timely study recently released by the medical College of Wisconsin recently reported on a study of patients developing Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD), a mimic of asthma, due to environmental exposure in water-damaged work environments. Water-damaged environments have long been recognized as a cause for a variety of respiratory illnesses, including infections, rhinitis, sinusitis and asthma….

Q – Tips: Perfume allergy

February 19, 2013 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

• Bothered by scents or perfumes when at church or the theater? Try using the over-the-counter nasal spray NasalCrom. It works by stabilizing the mast cells in your nose that are stimulated by the scent exposure.

Q – Tips: Sinuses and flying

February 19, 2013 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

• If your ears and sinuses block while flying, try pre-medicating with oral Mucinex and nasal Afrin decongestant spray. Also keep yourself well-hydrated (water, not alcohol) during the flight.

Q – Tips: Vaccines

February 19, 2013 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

• Updating your international vaccination record? Recommended adult vaccines: Flu, pneumonia, shingles and whooping cough.

Q – Tips: Oak Season

February 19, 2013 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

• This is oak season, so these are timely reminders: keep windows and doors shut. Leave your shoes outside. Wipe off pets’ paws before they return inside.

Asthmatics more at risk for related diseases

February 19, 2013 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

The Mayo Clinic recently completed a long-term study of asthma and other inflammatory illnesses, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and coronary heart disease. They found that asthmatics had a greater incidence of these other four inflammatory conditions than non-asthmatics in their study. There was roughly a 20 percent greater likelihood for these other four illnesses in asthmatics. This is a very strong association that had only previously been suspected. The Mayo study done in thousands of people…

Q Tips – Allergy Friendly Toys

December 17, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

• Toys that bear the asthma- and allergy-friendly certification have actually undergone scientific tests to demonstrate their safety for children with asthma and allergic rhinitis. Most of these toys are either washable (to remove offending allergens) or constructed of allergy-free materials.

Q Tips – Breastfeeding and IQ

December 17, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

• Apparently it “pays” to breastfeed your infant. A recent analysis by the Environmental Protection Agency found that breastfeeding leads to an increase in IQ by six points. They then correlated this with a known ratio between lifetime earnings and IQ and determined that a breastfed child should earn $65,000 more than a bottle-fed companion.

Q Tips – Mistletoe

December 17, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

• Mistletoe has potential to cause contact dermatitis akin to poison ivy. It generally requires repeated skin contact to elicit this response. Note: Kissing underneath it is still medically safe.