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Sharp rise in peanut allergy emerges in study;

October 23, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Sharp rise in peanut allergy emerges in study; strict preventive protections said justified The recent Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology had a research paper from the University of Minnesota looking at peanut allergy. By means of a long-term study these scientists found a tripling of peanut allergy in children since 1999. More than three-quarters of the peanut-allergic children in their study were under the age of 2. Also, 70 percent of the peanut allergy was in boys. The scientists…

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Pertussis – nothing to whoop at

October 23, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, also known as the 100-day cough, is on the rise. Many new cases are seen in young and older adults. The reason for the recurrence of this disease is rapidly waning immunity from the new acellular vaccine. About 25 years ago a new form of pertussis vaccine was developed because the old vaccine on occasion could cause side effects due to minuscule remnants of the tissue culture cells used to make the vaccine. This…

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Quick – Tips: Vitamin D levels and inhalers

August 28, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Harvard researchers have found a link in children between low vitamin D levels and poor response to asthma inhalers. They found significant improvement in lung function from inhalers when children with low vitamin D levels received vitamin D replacement.

Quick – Tips: Air Fresheners

August 28, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Keep in mind that air-fresheners are an oxymoron. They don’t freshen the air; they pollute it with chemicals and scents that have an adverse effect on people with respiratory allergies.

Flu shot value supercedes fear of many;

August 28, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Dear Dr.K: I’ve never taken the flu shot because my father got Guillian-Barré syndrome from the 1976 swine flue vaccine. Now that I’m 50, I worry about getting really sick from influenza. Do you think I can take the flue shot? In a word, “yes.” For those readers who don’t know about Guillian-Barré, let me explain. Now that polio is almost non-existent, Guillian-Barré is the most common cause for acute paralysis worldwide. Even though fewer than 5 percent of affected…

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Egg Desensitization

August 28, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Researchers at Duke University recently have completed a multi-year study of oral desensitization for egg allergy. They studied 55 children between five and eleven years of age with severe egg allergy. Forty children were randomized to receive the oral vaccine while 15 received a placebo vaccine. After 22 months of daily vaccine intake, all 55 children underwent a food challenge with egg. One-hundred percent of the placebo-treated children had an allergic reaction to the egg challenge; only 25 percent of…

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Don’t despair at urgent, post-meal, ‘uh-oh’ moments

August 28, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Postprandial Diarrhea Syndrome (PPDS) – the unexpected and urgent bowel movement shortly after eating a meal – was the topic of a recently review article in The American Journal of Medicine. The authors of this review (from the Mayo Clinic) commented that this condition is often given the all-embarrassing moniker of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But they go on to say that unlike IBS, where no cause is known, PPDS can have a treatable cause. The most common of these…

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White blood cell type counts

August 28, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

An article in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine discussed recent research of the heterogeneity or diversity of asthma. The thrust of the research project was to try to explain the variable benefit that asthmatics receive from inhaled corticosteroids. It has been observed for quite some time that while many asthmatics show a marked improvement in their breathing with the use of inhaled steroids, there are others whose response to steroids is modest or nonexistent. Inhaled steroids…

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Dear Doc: Frustrating research reports can be latest steps toward goals of wisdom and scientific truth

June 15, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Dear Dr. K: It seems as if medical research often countermands itself. First we hear niacin improves lipid health, then that it doesn’t affect health outcomes. Medicine for osteoporosis is deemed good; then we learn it might make brittle bones. Is there any research we can believe? I understand your concern and confusion and will try to provide practical answers. First you have to realize we live in an informational society grounded in instant dissemination of ideas through a variety…

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Quick Tips – Saline Nasal Gel

June 15, 2012 Stephen J. Klemawesch, MD

Topical saline nasal gel can be beneficial for many special needs. Because it is a gel, it has more staying power than simple mists. It is beneficial for people using CPAP or nasal oxygen canulas. It also helps prevent nasal dessication with air travel or visiting climes found in a dry desert or the mountains.