Entries by brianmillhollon

There is No Such Thing as an Allergy Test

October 14, 2017 in , /by

I have been teaching medical students in my office for the past several weeks. These first year University of Arizona students have recently completed a block of studies on the immune system and are spending time in an allergy clinic to learn how memorizing a million obscure names and pathways  applies to the real world of […]

What is Blooming in Phoenix?

August 28, 2017 in /by

If you have been sneezing and your eyes and nose stinging and watering you might be asking: “My allergies are driving me crazy, what in the world is blooming this time of year?” And like many, to find out you might google it, put in your zip code and come up with something like this from Pollen.com.   […]

What Is In Allergy Shots?

May 23, 2017 in , , /by

A patient’s father recently asked me an insightful question about allergy immunotherapy. Allergy shots had been recommended for his son to treat his seasonal allergy and asthma symptoms and he wanted to know how we decided what allergens to include in the serum. In some cases, as I explained, the answer is fairly straightforward. If […]

Chickpea Allergy

March 21, 2017 in , /by

In the past few years I have discovered two foods that I really enjoy but did not eat growing up.   One is hummus and the other is falafel. In fact, I learned how much I enjoy both foods eating at the Pita Jungle in Ahwatukee. Their falafel sandwich with pita bread and hummus on the […]

Don’t Let Your Babies Have Allergy Testing

January 19, 2017 in , , /by

This month, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases published new guidelines for when peanut should be given to infants. The hope is that fewer children will develop peanut allergy as a result of these new recommendations The revision of its guidelines for the introduction of allergenic foods was prompted by the startling results […]

Goodbye Pecos Road: Our Lungs Will Miss You

January 11, 2017 in , /by

For many years, residents of the shinny new master-planned communities of Mountain Park Ranch, The Foothills, and Club West in Ahwatukee had only one way in or out of their neighborhood, giving it the distinction of being called (not so fondly) the largest cul-de-sac in America. To get to work you had your choice of using either […]

Iodine and Seafood Allergy: Unconventional Wisdom

December 6, 2016 in /by

I recently evaluated a patient referred for seafood and iodine allergy. As a child she had an episode of vomiting and rash after eating shrimp although the details of the episode were vague since she was only three at the time.  She does recall being told that she was allergic to shellfish and should avoid […]

Pet Dander Allergy

October 11, 2016 in /by

Allergy to a furry pet is a major risk factor for the development of asthma and is the one of the most common causes of allergy and asthma symptoms.  In fact for children, exposure to pet dander causes more asthma and allergy attacks than exposure to pollen. In Arizona, where the dry climate and use […]