As a reminder, allergies come in many forms. The most common allergens are pollen, dust mites, mold, animal dander, insect stings, latex, and certain food and medications. For this post we are going to focus on animal dander otherwise known as pet allergies. Fido is causing your allergy symptoms The most common way patients find out about this… Read more »

Keratosis Pilaris What is it? Keratin is a protective protein found in you skin barrier. In individuals with keratotis pilaris (KP), a keratin plug (and sometimes a twisted hair) causes plugging of the hair follicle and creates a bump on the skin’s surface. Many people with KP also experience redness around their hair follicles. Very… Read more »

Are you dealing with old allergies in this new year and want to find some relief? You aren’t alone. That said, allergy testing can be daunting, and coming to see an allergist in an office is not always convenient. Searching Google, one might come across a variety of alternate testing methods, including food IgG testing,… Read more »

Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is a condition where the vocal cords “close” when they should be opening, specifically with inspiration.  When this occurs, a person may experience shortness of breath, throat and chest tightness, coughing, intermittent hoarseness, and a wheezing sound from the throat called stridor.  These symptoms can lead to a person feeling anxious,… Read more »

Sometimes, despite seemingly good medical treatment for your asthma, your airway function just isn’t up to par. Or how about the opposite:  Maybe you feel your breathing is actually pretty good, but your breathing test reads like that of someone who is decades older.  Perhaps you don’t smoke but your health care providers keep telling… Read more »

As of the writing of this article (October 2018), there is approximately a 400% increase in incidence of infants with severe food allergy in the past decade. Concerning as that is, there has been much advancement in food allergy research and education. In the past, the recommendation was to delay introduction to peanut until after… Read more »

  Halloween is typically a time for kids to dress up in their favorite costume, trick-or-treat, and eat way too much candy.  However, for others it is a time of increased stress and anxiety.  Many of the candies we come to love during the Halloween season contain the top allergens:  milk, egg, peanut and tree… Read more »

With Influenza season just around the corner, let’s revisit some of the VACCINE MYTHS that still exist today. MYTH #1: Vaccines Cause Autism This myth came about in 1998 after a study was published in a reputable medical journal by British surgeon, Andrew Wakefield. The study suggested that the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella)… Read more »

Asthma and allergies often go hand-in-hand and there can be a clear relationship between these two conditions. Asthma-The Low Down Asthma is a disease of the branches of the windpipe (bronchial tubes), which carry air in and out of the lungs. Asthma is a chronic disease involving the airways in the lungs and affects up… Read more »