Video: What the New Food Allergy Guidelines Offer

Although the exact prevalence of food allergy in the United States is not known, it is estimated that 10-12 million Americans are affected. To address this growing public health problem, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in conjunction with professional organizations including the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), federal agencies, and patient advocacy groups worked together to develop clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals on the diagnosis and management of food allergy. The Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in the United States were released in December 2010.

The video here is a discussion between Matthew J. Fenton, PhD, from NIAID, and Hugh A. Sampson, MD, past president of AAAAI, both of whom were involved in the guideline development process. . see the video here.

New Treatment May Desensitize Kids With Milk Allergies, Study Suggests

Some 3 million children in the United States have some form of food allergy, ranging in severity from mild to life-threatening. Milk allergy is the most common, affecting 2.5 percent of children under age 3. In a small clinical study, immunologists and allergists at Children's Hospital Boston and the Stanford University School of Medicine report effectively desensitizing milk-allergic patients by increasing their exposure to milk in tandem with an allergy drug called omalizumab (Xolair), allowing children to build up resistance quickly with limited allergic reactions. . read more.

NIH Study Finds Xolair Relieves Seasonal Asthma Attacks in Youth - Symptoms Reduced in Children and Young People with Moderate to Severe Disease

A drug that targets the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE), a key player in asthma, nearly eliminated seasonal increases in asthma attacks and decreased asthma symptoms among young people living in inner city environments, a clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health has found. The findings appear in the March 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. This investigational use of the drug omalizumab, sold under the brand name Xolair, was conducted in eight U.S. cities. “We know that treatment based on NIH asthma guidelines is generally effective in managing the disease, but many patients still experience asthma attacks requiring visits to emergency rooms and hospitalizations,” says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “The results of this study are extremely promising because they show that the addition of omalizumab to the NIH guidelines-based therapy for asthma offers improved asthma control and the potential to decrease the burden of this chronic disease in children and adolescents.” In the United States, asthma affects approximately 18 million adults and 7 million children under the age of 18. . read more.

Sulfa allergy: Which medications should I avoid?

I have a sulfa allergy. How can I tell if a medicine contains sulfa? Antibiotics containing chemicals called sulfonamides can trigger a reaction if you have a sulfa allergy. Examples of sulfonamide antibiotics include the combination drug trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Septra, Bactrim). Other types of sulfa medications may trigger a reaction in some people who have a sulfa allergy. . read more.

Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Allergies in Kids

A study of more than 3,000 children shows that low vitamin D levels are associated with increased likelihood that children will develop allergies, according to a paper published in the February 17 online edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University headed the study. . read more.

Greater Germ Exposure Cuts Asthma Risk

Children living on farms have a lower risk of asthma than children who don't because they are surrounded by a greater variety of germs, according to two recent large-scale studies. The prevalence of asthma in the U.S. has doubled over the past 30 years, and one theory for the increase blames urban and suburban living environments that are too clean. The latest findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, bolster what is often known as the hygiene theory, which says that contact with bacteria and other microbes is necessary to building a normal immune system. . read more.