The US FDA has recently unanimously recommended Nucala (Mepolizumab) for add on maintenance treatment in patients 18 years older with severe eosinophilic asthma. The panel recommended against Nucala (mepolizumab) for children aged 12 to 17 years old. Severe eosinophilic asthma is defined as a blood eosinophil count greater than 150 cells/microliters at the start of […]
Food Allergy Prevention
Food allergy prevention has been in the news recently with the recent release of the LEAP study (Learning Early About Peanut). As we have discussed in recent blog posts, children who were under one year of age who were given peanut products had less peanut allergies than children who were not given it. This is […]
When can you stop bee allergy shots?
When can you stop your bee allergy shots? That is a question that is posed to allergy doctors on a regular basis for those who are getting venom immunotherapy (VIT). Stings by insects can cause systemic allergic reactions due to allergy antibodies to the venom injected. Some of these reactions can be severe and fatal. […]
Can you outgrow peanut allergy?
A question frequently asked of an allergist is whether a child can outgrow peanut allergy? Peanut allergy affects 1.5-3% of the pediatric population. Only a minority of children will outgrow peanut allergy compared to milk or egg allergy. It is common for an allergy doctor to monitor the skin prick response or peanut specific IgE […]
Asthma and Peanut Allergy
A recent abstract promoted at the American Thoracic Society meeting on the topic of children with asthma being prone to peanut sensitization. The authors suggest children who do have asthma are more likely to be sensitive to peanuts and therefore kids with asthma should be tested for peanut allergy. This abstract was received with a […]
Peanut Component Testing
Peanut component testing is a new method of allergy testing to help diagnose peanut allergy. Approximately 1% of school aged children in North America are diagnosed with peanut allergy and this number is on the rise. This can be a lifelong allergy condition with only 20% of children diagnosed with peanut allergy outgrowing it. It […]
Are Hypoallergenic Products Really Hypoallergenic?
Hypoallergenic products are advised to the parents of children with eczema or atopic dermatitis. So-called hypoallergenic products are recommended because patients with eczema have an elevated risk of allergy to fragrances, surfactants and preservatives. This is explained by more frequent allergen exposure via topical products combined with an impaired skin barrier. Chronic exposure to allergens […]
Does an expired Epipen work?
An expired Epipen may be a fact of life in some households. Whether it is due to difficulty in refilling it because of cost or because household members forget, allergic patients may be in a situation where they have an expired Epipen and they are in an anaphylaxis situation. If you are reading this and […]
Elevated IgE Levels
IgE is an antibody found in the blood that is a marker for allergy diseases. People who have elevated IgE levels can have environmental or food allergies. If you get a blood test and it shows that you have an elevated IgE that could mean you are an allergic patient. A total elevated IgE just […]
Los Angeles Asthma Rates
Los Angeles asthma rates has been a growing concern in our population especially amongst children. Asthma is the most prevalent chronic disease of childhood. Symptoms are wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Various exposures such as mold, pests, tobacco smoke and outdoor air pollution may exacerbate asthma. There is no known cure for […]