Windom Allergy, Asthma, Sinus

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...

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...