Sneezes & Pumpkins: Tackling October Allergies
Fall has arrived in Waco, and we’re all looking forward to football games, pumpkin patches, and Halloween fun. But we also know this season can bring along allergies like sneezes and sniffles. In this newsletter, we’ll share easy tips to help you enjoy autumn without the discomfort. Plus, don’t miss our “Guess the Weight of the Teal Pumpkin” contest—you could win a gift card to Sip City, the new drink spot everyone’s excited about!
Oak Pollen Alert: 4 Practical Tips for a Sneeze-Free Allergy Season
The spring season brings warmth, blooming flowers, and, for many, the onset of oak pollen. If you find yourself dreading the arrival of spring because of sneezing, itchy, runny nose and other symptoms that come with oak pollen allergies, you're not alone. Millions of people, or 30% of Americans, share your plight.
The Difference Between Food Allergies and Food Intolerances
Being uncomfortable is never a good feeling, regardless of what it's caused by. When you feel that type of unease, your body may feel tired or itchy, or a million other ways. If it's caused by allergies or intolerances, it's something you can pinpoint and avoid as needed. Additionally and fortunately, those uncomfortable feelings are acting as little alerts to let you know that something isn't right.
Environmental Allergies in Children
Many children are excited because the school year is about to start up again and these next few weeks will be their best days of summer. With the free time coming to a close, families are eager to spend time outside, away from computers and other electronics. But for anyone dealing with seasonal environmental allergies, being outdoors can lead to sneezing, asthma attacks, and even rashes.
6 Skin Allergy Conditions and Their Treatments
Allergies come in many different forms, ranging from mild reactions treatable with some quick over-the-counter medications, to others that can be severe and even lethal. While the worst case scenario is scary, there are ways to monitor and prevent potentially life-threatening reactions. Most commonly, you'll be facing much lighter, more treatable allergens. These can often be painful to deal with but won't necessarily result in risking your life.
Food Allergy Key Concepts
Even as the prevalence of food allergy is increasing (up to 8% of kids in the US have a food allergy), it seems that the myths surrounding food allergy are also increasing. One of the things I love about my job as an allergy fellow is helping patients and their families work through these myths and establish true allergy versus intolerance.
Skin Care: part two
Last time, we discussed the importance of eliminating the likely triggers to flare you and your little’s skin and the most crucial step to treating your sensitive skin. So, it’s time for a pop quiz! What ARE those 2 biggest triggers to flare sensitive skin? And what is the first step to treating your sensitive skin? (Don’t worry, answers will be below!)
Skin Care: part one
As promised, I wanted to take a few moments to address something we see in the Allergy clinic on a daily basis — sensitive skin. Almost all our patients, especially those who also have asthma and allergies, have some degree of sensitive skin. The severity of each patient’s skin sensitivity varies, and many of our patients struggle with the most severe form of sensitive skin — eczema.
