Windom Allergy, Asthma, Sinus

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...

Allergy shots for hay fever and allergic asthma has been around since 1911 (the 1 st published medical article).  The same concept of gradually desensitizing the allergic person to an airborne allergen is now being tried through an oral disintegrating tablet placed under the tongue, called sublingual immunotherapy.  A house dust mite tablet, Odacta, is coming out in 2018.  People with dust mite allergy will take the tablet daily to make them less allergic to household dust.  Our Expert opinion:  dust mite allergy shots are still the gold standard of successful treatment, but for those crazy-busy high school students or business...

2017 marks the five-year anniversary of Mylan's EpiPen4Schools® program. Schools interested in having a non-student specific EpiPen in their health room may request one from Mylan, the manufacturer of this life-saving device. New data presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting showed that more than 1,500 anaphylactic events were reported in the 2015-2016 school year, and nearly 60% of the time an epinephrine auto-injector was used, it was an EpiPen® (epinephrine injection, USP) Auto-Injector donated by the EpiPen4Schools program. Nearly one-third (30%) of individuals experiencing anaphylaxis had no previously known allergies, emphasizing the need...

2017 has been an exciting year for eczema treatment in all eczema types and severities. Eucrisa is a steroid free ointment for people as young as two years old with mild to moderate eczema. It also be used on all skin tones and areas of the body. We have also seen excellent results in our adult patients with moderate to severe eczema using an injectable medication called Dupixent. If you are interested in learning more about eczema and current treatments please visit us at Windom Allergy.

People often think that allergy problems are year round in Florida since we lack the four seasons common to life up north. Well, that is partially correct. We do have much longer periods of plant pollination, such that in nearly every month of the year something is putting off airborne pollen. And with the high year round humidity we always have mold spores in the air. But that doesn’t mean we lack a seasonal peak of pollen production. If your family is fortunate to be free of allergies you may not be able to guess when that seasonal peak is here...

INSECT ALLERGIES: Entomology is the field of science that studies insects. The insects important to the allergist represent only a few of the over 16,000 species in North America, making up the order  Hymenoptera . These stinging  Hymenoptera  insects do have some positive features, being effective pollinators of plant life and predators of a wide variety of pest species. Insects with the capacity to elicit an allergic reaction include yellow jacket, yellow hornet, white-faced hornet, paper wasp and honeybee. The yellow jacket is the most aggressive of the flying insects, scavenging for meats and sweets, and nests in and around homes....

INSECT ALLERGIES: The fire ant is a year-round threat here in Florida. Fire ants build subterranean nests with as many as 230,000 insects in residence. When the nest is disturbed, the ants attack in mass and repeatedly sting their victim. Allergic reactions are the result of a specific immune response to the venom injected into the skin. Previous venom exposure is necessary for one to become sensitized, therefore, people can almost always recall a well tolerated sting in the past. Large local swelling and discomfort at the site of a sting is a normal response to the toxins within the venom...

Once you have reached the highest dose, or maintenance shot, you will receive allergy injections every 2 to 4 weeks depending upon your symptom response. You will be re-evaluated by Dr. Windom 6 months after starting treatment and annually after that time. You should notice improvement in your symptoms by 18 months or shots will be discontinued. After obtaining good results over a period of 5 years, most patients are able to stop the injections with long-lasting benefit. Some patients require starting back on allergy injections. Changes in the allergy vaccine (stronger concentration) or injection schedule (more frequently than monthly) may...

IMMUNOTHERAPY (ALLERGY SHOTS): Hyposensitization or “ allergy shots ” are given to certain selected patients to immunize them against allergens that account for their symptoms. Many allergic patients do not need allergy shots for resolution or treatment of their symptoms. Medications and/or environmental changes are frequently sufficient to control symptoms in these individuals. The only patients who are placed on shots are those in whom other types of therapy have failed or in whom additional therapy is needed. Allergy shots are very effective, but it takes TIME! Hyposensitization means “turning down” the patients allergic recognition of common allergens (pollens, molds, dust,...