Windom Allergy, Asthma, Sinus

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...

Drs. Windom and Ly helped organize and run the 3rd Annual Food Allergy Support Team meeting in Dallas on June 29, 2019.  As early pioneers in the treatment of food allergy with oral immunotherapy (OIT), our doctors were instrumental in creating this North American organization of Allergists offering this breakthrough therapy that allows patients with life threatening food allergies to safely eat the food they had been avoiding so vigilantly.  Find out more at www.windomallergy.com/food-allergy-center.   Doctor's from around the country gathered to discuss oral immunotherapy. (Left to Right) Dr. Thomas Chacko, Dr. Hugh Windom, Dr. Doug Jones, Dr. Chad Mayer, Dr....

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 riskOnce 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 productRisk of contamination is the same for all foods. Food at the highest risk of contamination are thought to include chocolate...

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 flightOnly nut-free flights are safe. Use a commercial wipe to clean the seating area, in particular the tray wellOnce...

This week we will highlight on clinical pearls and evidence-based advice on what to do if a peanut allergic patient has casual exposure to peanut. Being near peanut butter can trigger a reaction. Ingestion is the primary trigger for significant reactions and peanut protein does not aerosolize in significant amounts from peanut butter or undisturbed peanut.Being touched by peanut can trigger a reaction. Again, ingestion as the primary trigger of significant reactions. Contact reactions may lead to no symptoms or localized ones such as a rash that often resolves when the area is washed off (exception may be direct eye exposure...

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 ingredientsDesserts, 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, instead of saying:...

One of the best parts about preparing for my OIT presentation at the University of South Florida was learning about the history of OIT. I hope you are as amazed as I was at this timeline. – Dr. Ly 500 AD- the ancient Babylonian Talmud has instructions for treating egg sensitivity with egg white.1905- Finkelstein conceptualizes OIT – He successfully desensitizes nurslings with “milk idiosyncrasy” by gradually administering increasing drops of milk.1908- Schofield treats a 13-year-old patient with egg allergy over an 8-month period by incrementally increasing small amounts of raw egg disguised in pill form.1911- Noon & Freeman start Allergy...

So, you don’t get hives or wheezy when you eat certain foods, but you don’t feel well after eating them. What’s going on? You may have a food intolerance, which is difficulty digesting certain foods and having an unpleasant physical reaction to them. Common symptoms include bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, skin rashes, and itching usually a few hours after eating the food. Is there a food intolerance test? Unfortunately, there are no validated tests for food intolerances.  And please don’t be fooled into paying the low, low price of $500-1000 for ANY test that claims otherwise. Seeking advice from your doctor...

We just said goodbye to our 8 year-old milk allergic Australian who came to Sarasota for milk oral immunotherapy (OIT). She has returned to Brisbane drinking a small amount of milk daily. On the research front, Dr. Panida Sriaroon from All Children’s Hospital in St. Pete presented a poster of our first 72 peanut OIT patients in California at Stanford’s Gordon Research Conference. Dr. Shiaroon spent several days in Sarasota combing our records to prepare her awesome scientific presentation.

Holiday treats. Volunteer to provide the allergen free snacks for holiday parties at school or provide the teacher with a box of allergen free snacks for your child so they don’t feel left out.Letting guests know. Inform your guests that your child has a food allergy. Instead of food, guests may consider bringing holiday themed plates, cups or napkins.Planning ahead. Let your host know that you or your child has a food allergy. Offer to bring allergen free foods for you and others to enjoy.Food labels. If you are the host of a holiday feast, keep the ingredient labels from the food you are serving...