While walking my dog several weeks ago, I noticed something unexpected; a number of ash trees in full bloom. This was unexpected because it was the first week of February and ash trees usually pollinate later in the month. It was also unexpected because this was near a school in the Foothills of Ahwatukee […]
When we think of allergy season, fall and spring comes to mind, but not so much winter. Yet this December, January, and now into February, patients have been coming into our allergy clinic in the suburbs of Phoenix complaining of some of the worst allergy symptoms all year. Typical complaints include sneezing, itchy nose, and […]
This week the Lancet reported results of an oral desensitization study in children with peanut allergy. Peanut allergic children age 7-16 were gradually exposed to increasing oral doses of peanut over a six month period. The goal of the study was to achieve a level of desensitization that would allow the children to safely […]
Last month, the Allergenic Products Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted to approve two sublingual allergy immunotherapy products. The FDA will need to give final approval, but this typically follows the advice of its advisory committees. Both products contain a mixture of pollen from several different grasses commonly found in […]
Immunotherapy is a form of treatment in which small amounts an allergen (pollen, mold, or animal dander) is given to an allergic patient in slowly increasing doses to induce long-lasting tolerance to that allergen. Immunotherapy is very effective in reducing allergy symptoms and is the closest treatment that we have to a cure. The trick […]
For the past decade, pediatricians have recommended avoiding peanuts and tree nuts during pregnancy because of the concern that exposure to an allergen at this time might increase the likelihood of the baby having a food allergy, particularly if there is a strong family history of nut allergy. In spite of these recommendations, not only […]
It’s winter and the season for runny, stuffy noses, coughing and hacking, and scratchy, sore throats – but not necessarily from allergies. A question that comes up a lot this time of year is how to tell the difference between allergies, a sinus infection, and a cold? This is, of course a trick question because […]
Although residents of central Arizona are just now beginning to enjoy cooler fall temperatures, fall allergy season started a bit earlier, sometime around mid to late September. At this time, following a (hopefully) rainy monsoon season, weeds begin to proliferate and then pollinate in response to the shorter days and cooler nights. As the monsoon […]
Alternaria is a ubiquitous mold found almost everywhere in the country and is a normal agent of decay and decomposition as well as plant associated disease.
It’s an unusual name for a weed: Rabbit Bush. And although it is not clear where the name for this Arizona native variety of ragweed comes from, one thing is clear: there is a lot of it and it’s a major cause of allergy problems in the spring. In fact, Rabbit Bush is one of […]