The Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee just announced they are recommending changing the name of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID). Why the name change and what does it mean for patients suffering from this condition? Essentially, experts caring for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients felt their patients were being labeled as malingerers […]
A New Study finds High Rate of ER visits for Food Allergies
A medical article published by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology on December 17th, 2010 reported that food allergies are sending more Americans to the Emergency room than before. The researchers estimated that between 2001 and 2005, just over one million visits were made to the ER for a food allergy. Dr.Clark at Children’s […]
Dead Leaves and Mold Allergies: New Study
Dead Leaves Can Cause Mold Allergies This fall on the east coast has been a classic mold season. We’ve had unusual amounts of warm weather, mixed with heavy rains. If you see the beautiful colored leaves that have fallen to the ground, you can be sure lots of molds is spewing off those dead leaves. […]
The Most Challenging Places to Live with Allergies
Two reports were published this week proclaiming the worst cities to live in for people with allergies, but their lists differ greatly. I wondered why and did some detective work to discover how they made their determinations. USA Today, using data collected from Quest Diagnostics, reported the worst cities for ragweed pollen (the late summer […]
A Candida Passover Story
This Friday marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday Passover. The Passover Seder is the ritual of the last meal the Israelites ate in Egypt before the Exodus. One of the main symbols of Passover is matzo – the unleavened bread the Israelites took with them in their rush to leave Egypt. What Does Passover […]
Chronic Cough: Please DON’T Pass the Lozenges!
Cough Drops: How Effective Are They for a Cough? Along with many travelers this holiday season, I passed through busy airports. There was no shortage of Kleenex packets being bought at the convenient shops, and many travelers had their stash of cough drops. In my opinion, the “cough drop” is one of the least effective […]
Gelatin: Mmm…Mmm…Not So Good for Food Allergies
I remember as a kid watching actor/comedian Bill Cosby use his funny smirk to show how delicious and nutritious Jello-O pudding was to eat. Cosby’s famous line: “What does your mouth say when you eat it?” The kids answered, “Mmm, mmm, good, Jell-O pudding!” Well, as we came to realize Jell-O (with all its sugar) […]
Cold Weather Sinus Disease Prevention: Part 1
Over Thanksgiving, the weather certainly took a quick turn towards winter. The sudden drop in the temperature into the 30″s requires winter precautions. The main conditions I see in the winter in my allergy/immunology practice are respiratory, sinus and skin related. Today, I will discuss the respiratory conditions that are more prevalent in the cold […]
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation for Fibromyalgia
Conventional Medicine Conventional medical training tends to follow a set route, typically shying away from practices such as mindfulness meditation: first, you start with a hospital residency, and then, you follow up with an additional fellowship. Personally, my hospital residency focused on internal medicine. I trained in immunology for my fellowship. Once my training was […]
Allergic Eczema: Treatment That Goes More Than Skin Deep
Winter Skin Winter can be an eczema sufferer’s worst nightmare. The harsh weather that hits most of the country can cause our skin to become dry and chafed, and patients that suffer from eczema are especially at risk for skin flares. In the past, typical treatments have relied on lathering on sticky creams to try […]