May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.  Over 35 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies.  Although allergies can cause many bothersome symptoms including runny or stuffy nose, itchy eyes and throat irritation, we are lucky that we have several medications that can be used to treat and prevent these symptoms.  Therefore, people with allergies should not feel that they are limited in the outdoor activities that...

Although allergy pills such as anti-histamines treat the usual symptoms of allergies such as a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing, they do not "cure" the disease. In another blog, I wrote about allergy shots (allergen immunotherapy). Allergy shots work for some, but not all patients, to change their immune systems so that they may not need to take anti-allergy pills, or to perhaps take less of them. The theory behind...

Hi, I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday.   As it is the cold and flu season, I am frequently asked how you can tell the difference between having a cold and having allergies. Colds and allergies often have many of the same symptoms, such as a runny nose and a cough. However, there are several differences between them, which can help you figure out which you have.   Common Cold Symptoms develop over days Fever Body...

Frequently I see patients who develop rashes or hives for unclear reasons.   Unfortunately when people experience hives on nearly a daily basis, finding the cause is even harder than if the patient experienced them only infrequently. Even so, it is still important to visit the doctor to have an evaluation.    During the doctor visit What I usually do when a patient comes in with hives is to first ask the patient if they...

As an allergist/immunologist, I am frequently asked to see patients with angioedema or swelling. Although many times the source of angioedema is due to exposure to a protein (antigen) to which that person is allergic, in some cases this is not true. One such instance is with Hereditary Angioedema or HAE.  HAE presents with episodes of swelling, usually of the extremities, face, trunk, genitals or swelling of the abdomen which can...