Dr. Paula J. Busse's SharePosts

Living Life With Allergies and Without Limits

Dr. Paula J. Busse — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:40:00 -0400

May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. Over 35 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. Although allergies can cause many bothersome symptoms including runny or stuffy nose, itchy eyes and throat irritation, we are lucky that we have several medications that can be used to treat and prevent these symptoms. Therefore, people with allergies should not feel that they are limited in the outdoor activities that...

Sublingual Immunotherapy May Be Safer Than Allergy Shots

Dr. Paula J. Busse — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:37:00 -0400

Although allergy pills such as anti-histamines treat the usual symptoms of allergies such as a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing, they do not "cure" the disease. In another blog, I wrote about allergy shots (allergen immunotherapy). Allergy shots work for some, but not all patients, to change their immune systems so that they may not need to take anti-allergy pills, or to perhaps take less of them. The theory behind...

It's cold outside, so is this a cold or an allergy?

Dr. Paula J. Busse — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:38:00 -0500

Hi, I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday. As it is the cold and flu season, I am frequently asked how you can tell the difference between having a cold and having allergies. Colds and allergies often have many of the same symptoms, such as a runny nose and a cough. However, there are several differences between them, which can help you figure out which you have. Common Cold Symptoms develop over days Fever Body...

Itchy Skin and Daily Hives -- Causes and Treatment

Dr. Paula J. Busse — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:39:00 -0500

Frequently I see patients who develop rashes or hives for unclear reasons. Unfortunately when people experience hives on nearly a daily basis, finding the cause is even harder than if the patient experienced them only infrequently. Even so, it is still important to visit the doctor to have an evaluation. During the doctor visit What I usually do when a patient comes in with hives is to first ask the patient if they...

Hereditary Angioedema

Dr. Paula J. Busse — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:36:00 -0400

As an allergist/immunologist, I am frequently asked to see patients with angioedema or swelling. Although many times the source of angioedema is due to exposure to a protein (antigen) to which that person is allergic, in some cases this is not true. One such instance is with Hereditary Angioedema or HAE. HAE presents with episodes of swelling, usually of the extremities, face, trunk, genitals or swelling of the abdomen which can...

When is it safe to give an infant or a young child peanut butter?

Dr. Paula J. Busse — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Unfortunately, the prevalence of allergic diseases (such as food allergy, asthma, eczema, hay fever) appears to be increasing. In particular, it seems that the number of people diagnosed with food allergy is increasing. About 6 percent of young children have food allergies, along with nearly 4 percent of adults. Whether this increase in incidence is due to a better understanding of the disease, better methods to make a diagnosis or a...

Allergy-Smart Traveling

Dr. Paula J. Busse — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:53:01 -0400

Hi, I hope that everyone is enjoying the warmer weather. Along with the warmer weather also comes much-needed vacation time. However, if you suffer from environmental or food allergies, there are several things which you may need to do prior to travel to make sure that your trip is safe and enjoyable in regards to your allergies. For environmental allergies (outdoor such as pollens or indoor such as mold, furry...

Late-Onset Allergies

Dr. Paula J. Busse — Mon, 28 May 2007 17:30:01 -0400

Hi, I am asked many times by my patients if one can develop allergies later in life. Yes, it is true, that allergies tend to affect most people beginning in childhood, but it is not uncommon for people to develop allergies later in life. There are several instances where people can develop allergic symptoms later in life. The first instance is that like asthma, allergies, can develop early in life and then go through a stage...

Allergy Pills vs. Nasal Sprays

Dr. Paula J. Busse — Wed, 09 May 2007 17:18:01 -0400

Hi, I hope that everyone is doing ok with his or her spring-time allergies. Frequently I am asked which is better to treat allergies: pills (oral anti-histamines) or nose sprays. For many people, putting medication in the nose may not be very appealing and they would rather take oral medications. However, several well-done studies have suggested that the first medication one should use to treat allergies to environmental...

Treating Allergies With Allergy Shots

Dr. Paula J. Busse — Tue, 01 May 2007 15:28:01 -0400

Hi, I hope everyone is having a good spring. Last time I wrote about being tested for allergies. This time I will discuss a common question that I receive-treating allergies with allergy shots. Allergy shots are typically given to patients whose allergies are not controlled by prescription medications for allergies. We usually like to...