Sinus infections often follow a cold and cause pain and pressure in your head and face. Sinusitis can be either acute (sudden) or chronic (long-term). With chronic sinusitis, the infection or inflammation does not completely go away for 12 weeks or more.
Source: Sinusitis-Topic Overview
Winter Allergy Triggers
It hardly seems fair, but if you’re prone to summer allergies, chances are you’re at risk for allergies when the weather turns cold, too.
The reason is simple: Many of those warm weather irritants are around all year, like pet dander, mold, and mildew. And once you settle indoors for the chilly holiday season — the windows closed, the heater on — your exposure to these allergens spikes, says Asriani Chiu, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and medicine (allergy/immunology), at the College of Wisconsin.
The best way to handle winter allergies is to understand what’s triggering them and why.
Some parents are frustrated, but experts say the new guidelines are based on convincing results of clinical trials that studied children at risk for peanut allergies. How will this impact the introduction of other foods to infants?
Source: Parents View New Peanut Guidelines With Guilt and Skepticism – The New York Times
There’s been a major shift in strategy for preventing potentially deadly peanut allergies. After a decade and a half of being told to keep peanuts away from small children, parents now are being told the opposite. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division within the National Institutes of Health, now recommends exposing infants to peanut protein when they’re only a few months old – ideally between the age of 4 to 6 months.
Source: Mayo Clinic Minute: Peanut allergy prevention
Top Tips for celebrating with family if you have some dietary restrictions.
Sources: 5 Tips to Safely Celebrate the Holidays with Food Allergies , All-American Allergy Alternatives, LLC
Searching for gifts for friends or family members with allergies or food sensitivities? Check out our patients’ and doctors’ ideas, from the practical to the creative, with some that are very tasty!
Still not sure? Try gift cards or certificates for movie, theater or concert tickets, adventure lessons, art classes, or even professional cleaning services for their home or apartment.
Let us know if you have other ideas, suggestions or have found useful site that you would like to share with others by commenting below.
Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays from All-American Allergy Alternatives, LLC
Liam began taking allergy shots when he was 3, but the shots were hard on both Liam and Kayle. Now, a new allergy treatment offered at University of Missouri Health Care is helping Liam literally brush off his allergies.
Source: New Treatment Lets You Brush Off Your Allergies – MU Health
Christmas Tree Allergy
Oh, Charlie Brown, we love your Christmas tree!
Christmas trees are tradition for many families this time of year, they are festive, look great and have that wonderful pine scent. But some allergy sufferers have long suspected that the trees can trigger symptoms.
A recent study showed that the trees can carry mold spores. The mold begins to produce mold spores in the warm and moist home environment. Researchers found that mold spore counts in homes increased tenfold after two weeks.
Best practices for limiting exposure to Christmas tree allergens include washing the tree and its branches with plenty of water prior to bringing it into your home. After a good cleaning, let your tree sufficiently dry to prevent the growth of new mold.
For families with allergies, it recommended to only have the tree in your home for a maximum of seven days.
With artificial trees, store your tree after the season in a cool, dry place and wrap it securely to keep dust from accumulating for next year.
Happy Holidays!
Source: All-American Allergy Alternatives, LLC
When and how to introduce peanut-containing foods to reduce allergy risk
New guidelines from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology on how to approach this topic without going ‘nuts.’
Source: American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).
Research underscores the benefits of using the ancient method that’s recommended by doctors today.
In a recent study, participants who used nasal irrigation to treat recurrent or chronic sinusitis saw more symptom improvement over a six-month period than those who didn’t use the technique. Nasal irrigation also reduced headaches and decreased study participants’ use of over-the-counter medications.
