Windom Allergy, Asthma, Sinus

Need ideas for Halloween Treats? What about treats that are food allergy friendly, that won’t melt, and most importantly, not break the bank! Available at dollar stores, party supply stores, or online shops, these low-cost items can be purchased and handed out to all trick-or-treaters, or made available in a separate bowl from candy if you choose to hand out both options. Glow sticks, bracelets, or necklacesPencils, pens, crayons or markersBubblesHalloween erasers or pencil toppersMini SlinkiesWhistles, kazoos, or noisemakersBouncy ballsFinger puppets or novelty toysCoinsSpider ringsVampire fangsMini notepadsPlaying cardsBookmarksStickersStencils https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/ideas-non-food-treats

2020 Has been a time of rethinking and reinvention, which is what food allergy families excel at. In fact, as we think about how to minimize risk of germs, some of these food allergy tips are perfect for a “Social Distanc-een Halloween”.  Besides most of the candy melts in Florida anyway ; ) Here are some tips for a safe trick-or-treating experience: Enforce a “no eating while trick-or-treating” rule, so that you have time to review all food labels, (and you guessed it) wash your hands.Keep the emphasis on the fun, rather than the candy.Consider skipping trick-or-treating, and have a Halloween...

We can all do our part and have a fun and safe Halloween. Here are some easy tips from the gurus at the CDC. Make trick-or-treating safer Avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters.Give out treats outdoors, if possible.Set up a station with individually bagged treats for kids to take.Wash hands before handling treats.Wear a mask. Wear a mask Make your cloth mask part of your costume.A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask.Do NOT wear a costume mask over a cloth mask. It can make breathing more difficult.Masks should NOT be worn by children under the age of 2...

Hello Windom Allergy Family! As you know, Windom Allergy always strives to be cutting edge in the realm of food allergy, so we are constantly reading up on the newest literature. We believe sharing these studies with you is very important as well. Below is a summary of a recent article published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology examining whether or not peanut-allergic patients should truly be avoiding tree nuts. The authors acknowledge that if peanut-allergic children are proven to have tree nut allergies already (i.e. previous history of a reaction or positive food challenge) then these should obviously...

People always ask, “my nose is running and I’m sneezing, what’s in the air?” The answer depends on where you live. Up north, the middle of August is the start of ragweed season, lasting until the first frost in the fall. Down here, we have ragweed as well, just not the high seasonal peak, but also other weeds, grasses, and the ever-present mold spores. And without a frost, we have most of these pollens year-round. Our only true seasonal allergen in Florida is tree pollen, mainly oak tree, that has an intense pollination period from February to April. Keep in mind,...

Thank goodness the dreaded virus is beginning to fade. Unfortunately, the allergy season continues to afflict us, as we drift from the February to April oak tree pollen to the grass and weed pollen seasons. If you’ve let your regular allergy shot visits lag because of the pandemic distraction, come on in and get caught up. For those of you on food oral immunotherapy (OIT), we’re open, safe, and ready for your dosing visits as well. We’re doing our best to make you feel normal again at Windom Allergy.

For all of our patients who have the EpiPen: FDA alerts patients and health care professionals of EpiPen auto-injector errors related to device malfunctions and user administration EpiPen 0.3 mg and EpiPen Jr 0.15 mg auto-injectors, and the authorized generic versions, may potentially have delayed injection or be prevented from properly injecting due to: Device failure from spontaneous activation caused by using sideways force to remove the blue safety release.Device failure from inadvertent or spontaneous activation due to a raised blue safety release.Difficulty removing the device from the carrier tube. For more information: FDA alerts patients and health care professionals of EpiPen...

The peanut pill, Palforzia, has been approved by the FDA, so what are food allergy patients supposed to think? Here is what we know. Palforzia (peanut flour in a capsule) is to be used as oral immunotherapy (OIT) for 4 to 17 year-olds with a confirmed diagnosis of peanut allergy. It should help mitigate allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, that may occur with accidental exposure to peanuts. Those who take Palforzia must continue to avoid peanuts in their diets. The goal is to be slowly desensitized to 300 mg of peanut protein, or approximately one peanut, with the help of an allergist. Studies...

Dr. Windom attended the American College of Allergy Asthma & Immunology annual meeting in Houston in November. He lectured on ‘Food Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) in Clinical Practice’ to the Association of Allergists of Indian-Origin. Many in the audience expressed interest in offering this life-changing therapy to their patients based on the aspirational words of Dr. Windom. The results of our first 180 peanut allergy patients treated with OIT, compiled with the help of pre-med student Lara Gasich, were presented as a poster at the national meeting.

This month Dr. Fergeson led our emergency room training review. During these sessions our physicians, nurses and office staff discuss how to safely and efficiently manage a patient who is having an allergic reaction. We also had the opportunity to review our airway and IV placement skills, as well as apply these skills in our mock patient clinical scenarios. We are constantly learning here at Windom Allergy and always strive to provide the best care to our patients.