Sinus Headache or Migraine?

Sinus headaches are headaches that may accompany sinusitis, a condition in which the membranes lining your sinuses become swollen and inflamed. You may feel pressure around your eyes, cheeks and forehead. Perhaps your head throbs. Many people who assume they have sinus headaches, including many who have received a diagnosis of sinus headaches, actually have migraines or tension headaches. When sinus headaches caused by sinusitis do occur, proper diagnosis and treatment are the keys to relief. . read more.

Pregnancy and Asthma: Managing Your Symptoms

Asthma during pregnancy can pose health risks for you and your baby. Know how to avoid triggers and use medication safely. If you're pregnant, asthma can have an impact on your health and your baby's health. If you started a course of allergy shots before pregnancy, you can continue the shots during pregnancy. However, beginning a course of allergy shots during pregnancy isn't recommended. Find out what you need to know about asthma and pregnancy. . read more.

Ask the Allergist - Prevention of Peanut Allergy?

My daughter gets hives and has trouble breathing with even the slightest amount of peanut. Her allergy was recently confirmed by allergy testing. I am pregnant and am avoiding eating all peanut products as I've been told this can decrease the chance of my newborn developing this allergy. Is this true? What other foods should I avoid during pregnancy? . . read the answer

An Early Start to Allergy Season

A mild winter that ended with a flourish of warm weather was a welcome surprise for many Americans. But for the 25 to 35 percent of people who suffer from hay fever, the early arrival of warm weather meant an unusually early start to allergy season. In some parts of the country, allergists say they have been seeing a rush of patients as far back as February experiencing sneezing, sniffling and stuffed sinuses brought on by a weak winter and unexpectedly balmy weather. Trees release their pollen as the weather turns warm, and in parts of the country where spring seemed to arrive a month or two early, so, too, did high pollen counts. . read more.

Are You Making Your Spring Allergies Worse? Five Things That Can Aggravate Your Suffering

Fruits and veggies, air filters, spring breezes, procrastination and self-medication -- each can delay relief from a stuffy nose, sneezing, sniffling or other symptoms if you're one of the more than 35 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies. "People with spring allergies often don't realize how many things can aggravate their allergy symptoms so they just muddle along and hope for an early end to the season," said Myron Zitt, M.D., past president of the ACAAI. "But there's no reason to suffer. A few simple adjustments in habits and treatment can make springtime much more enjoyable." The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) and its allergist members alert people with spring allergies to be on the lookout for these five things that can aggravate suffering. . read more.

Most Parents Don’t Fill Their Kids’ Asthma Meds — Study

The majority of parents simply don’t fill their kids’ asthma prescriptions. That’s the take-home point in a study aimed at figuring out whether out-of-pocket costs for medications influenced parents’ willingness to fill prescriptions for their children’s asthma. Analyses from insurance claims for nearly 9,000 U.S. children between 1997 and 2007 showed that an increase in out-of-pocket costs for daily asthma-control drugs was associated with slightly lower medication adherence (41.7% vs. 40.3%) and higher rates of hospitalizations (1.7 hospital visits per 100 kids vs. 2.4 visits) in kids 5- to 18-years old. These are statistically significant differences. . read more.

Peak flow meter

A peak flow meter is a portable, easy-to-use device that measures how well your lungs are working. If you have asthma, your doctor may recommend that you use a peak flow meter to help track your asthma control. In addition to watching for worsening signs and symptoms, such as wheezing or coughing, you can use a peak flow meter to help you decide when you need to act to keep your asthma under control. Regular use of your peak flow meter can give you time to adjust your medication or take other steps before your symptoms get worse. A peak flow meter can be useful for adults and children as young as preschool age. . read more.

Finding Food Allergy Allies: Schools, States, Restaurants Take Steps; Beyond the Peanut-Free Table

Many parents of children with life-threatening allergies say they are seeing changes at schools, day-care centers and restaurants. This comes after years of being dismissed as overbearing or overprotective in their efforts to insure school lunches and play-date snacks didn't expose their kids to danger. Parents used to address this issue preschool by preschool and classroom by classroom. Now school districts and state legislatures are stepping in as the general public has become more aware of the issue. The new awareness is partly because the number of children with severe food allergies has increased sharply.. read more.

New Molecule Discovered in Fight Against Allergy

Scientists have discovered a new molecule that could offer the hope of new treatments for people allergic to the house dust mite. A team of immunologists have identified the molecule DC-SIGN which appears to play a role in damping down the body's allergic response to the house dust mite. The molecule can be found on the surface of the immune cells which play a key role in the recognition of a major allergen from house dust mites called Der p 1, a leading cause of asthma. The recognition of the allergen by the immune system is thought to lead to on-going sensitization and the development of allergic symptoms. . read more.

Anaphylaxis: First aid

A life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) can cause shock, a sudden drop in blood pressure and trouble breathing. In people who have an allergy, anaphylaxis can occur minutes after exposure to a specific allergy-causing substance (allergen). In some cases, there may be a delayed reaction or anaphylaxis may occur without an apparent trigger. If you're with someone having an allergic reaction with signs of anaphylaxis. . read more.

Cold or allergy: Which is it?

If you tend to get "colds" that develop suddenly and occur at the same time every year, it's possible that you actually have seasonal allergies. Although colds and seasonal allergies may share some of the same symptoms, they are very different diseases. Common colds are caused by viruses, while seasonal allergies are immune system responses triggered by exposure to an allergen. . read more.

New Guide to Who Really Shouldn't Eat Gluten

You've got abdominal pains, bloating, fatigue and foggy thinking. You feel worse after eating wheat or other foods with gluten, and better when you avoid them. A report is calling for a new classification system for gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease; dermatitis herpetiformis; gluten ataxia; wheat allergy and gluten sensitivity. Is it a wheat allergy, celiac disease or the power of suggestion, given all the buzz around gluten-free diets? Or might it be an ailment medicine doesn't officially recognize yet? Aiming to clarify the situation, a group of 15 experts from seven countries is proposing a new classification system for the gluten-related disorders plaguing a growing number of people around the world for unknown reasons. . read more.

Anaphylaxis: First aid

A life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) can cause shock, a sudden drop in blood pressure and trouble breathing. In people who have an allergy, anaphylaxis can occur minutes after exposure to a specific allergy-causing substance (allergen). In some cases, there may be a delayed reaction or anaphylaxis may occur without an apparent trigger. If you're with someone having an allergic reaction with signs of anaphylaxis. . read more.

Allergic rhinitis is associated with poor asthma control in children with asthma

Asthma and allergic rhinitis are the two most common chronic disorders in childhood and adolescence. To date, no study has examined the impact of the presence of allergic rhinitis on asthma control in children. This study examines the prevalence of allergic rhinitis in children with asthma, and the impact of the disease and its treatment on asthma control. . read more.