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.