Windom Allergy, Asthma, Sinus

Because of the amazing success of food oral immunotherapy (OIT) at  Windom Allergy  and other clinics around the world, a pharmaceutical company is close to having their peanut capsule, Palforzia, approved by the FDA.  Obtaining FDA approval for the same OIT protocol we’ve been using for years, legitimizes this life changing therapy for all of those doctors and patients who felt the need for this ultimate FDA stamp before pursuing peanut desensitization. Yes, the commercial capsule has been checked for purity and full peanut composition, a requirement to make peanut a drug, but we remain comfortable using regular peanuts to desensitize...

Guess what??? Dr. Ly made a youtube video that is silly and fun for her food allergy kiddos! Please watch as Dr. Ly explains food allergies to kids with the help of science and toys! Learn about allergy soldiers and how they cause food allergies. Most importantly, you will learn how to make yourself feel better if you have an allergic reaction. If you like the video please share the message and help other food allergy families! A special thanks to Jim McCampbell who edited the video and added the sound effects! You made the video so fun friend!

Windom Allergy,  and Sarasota in general, is very fortunate to have Dr. Tara Saco in our presence! Dr. Saco spent a portion of her Allergy/Immunology medical training with the nation’s leading drug allergy ‘guru’, Dr. Mariana Castells at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston , learning cutting edge methods of helping patients with reactions to chemotherapy drugs and the many new biologic agents (the ones you see on all the commercials).  Dr. Saco has been seeing patients with us since early July and would be happy to help solve your allergies at an appointment soon!  

We said goodbye to two patients from the UK and one from Trinidad this week! We wish them the very best as they return home, safely eating small amounts of peanut and cashew.  These kids came over with their parents for 5-6 weeks in Sarasota to start the oral immunotherapy (OIT) process for their severe food allergy. They will continue daily OIT dosing in their home country until they can return to the Florida gulf coast to complete ‘updosing’ to our goal of three nuts daily. We loved spending time with Michael, Rosa, and River! Thinking about coming to see us...

The less hectic pace of summer could be just the right time to consider taking a definitive step to control your allergies.  If you have allergic asthma, runny nose/hay fever, or sinus problems, you probably have a medicine cabinet full of antihistamines, inhalers, and nose sprays to help you limp through the various allergy seasons.  Is there a better answer?  Yes, there is, and it’s called desensitization. Allergen desensitization has been around for over 100 years, often referred to as allergen immunotherapy or allergy shots.  This remains the most effective way to ‘turn off’ your airborne allergies.  Another option, for those...

We are VERY excited to introduce a new, amazing physician to our Windom Allergy family, Dr. Tara Saco.  Dr. Saco is finishing her Allergy/Immunology fellowship at the University of South Florida (USF), where she has been under the watchful eyes of Drs. Windom, Fergeson and Ly for the past two years in their role as clinical faculty.  Like Duke’s Zion Williamson or a Heisman Trophy winner, everyone knew Dr. Saco would be a top pick coming out of USF.  We’re thrilled we got her. Besides being an overall brilliant physician, Dr. Saco has a unique interest in mast cell disease.  She...

But also shop with a healthy dose of common sense and evidence based advice! Common Misconceptions: Risk of contamination can be stratified based on the Precautionary Allergy Labeling (PAL) terminology used, such as “made in a facility” or “shared lines”. FALSE! The exact PAL term on the food label CANNOT be used to stratify risk Once a food with PAL is tolerated, it is always safe to eat. There may be batch-to-batch differences in the level of contamination of the same product Risk of contamination is the same for all foods. Food at the highest risk of contamination are thought to...

Are you nervous about traveling with a food allergy? Be prepared and get educated! Common Misconceptions : There is a risk of inhaling peanut on an airplane and reacting to it . Studies have shown that peanut does not circulate in the air and this is not a likely route of exposure. Peanut dust on unwashed surfaces that becomes inadvertently ingested, or false presumption that a food is safe that actually contains peanuts are the 2 most likely sources of potential peanut exposure in flight Only nut-free flights are safe . Use a commercial wipe to clean the seating area, in...

Recently the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology published a great article with common sense, evidence-based advice that all allergists should be discussing with their food allergy patients. This week we will highlight improving safety at restaurants/food establishments. High-risk establishments include ice cream parlors, bakeries, and Asian restaurants . Avoid these places or use additional instructions to staff to reduce risk. Have food prepared specifically for the patient, taking into consideration cross-contact and hidden ingredients Desserts, sauces are higher risk. Avoid these unless safety can be confirmed. Restaurant personnel are often not educated about food allergy. Educate while informing. For example,...

There is a down side to living in the beautiful subtropics of Sarasota. We rarely get freezing temperatures that stop the grasses, trees, and weeds from pollinating. In fact, our grass pollen season is about ten months long! But if you're still sneezing and blowing your nose when we get some frost, you might have indoor allergies. Common causes of winter, indoor allergies are dust mites, pets and molds. The Sarasota humidity allows dust mites and mold to flourish. If you have allergy symptoms that are severe enough to require medical treatment, it’s likely time to see an allergist. Once you...