May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and as asthma affects 25 million Americans, 7 million of them children, it is important to know what triggers asthma. Asthma is a respiratory disease that can be anywhere from mild to life threatening. Asthma attacks are brought on by triggers, which can be anything that causes inflammation of airways. Triggers can vary from person to person, and what might affect one person with asthma might not affect another person. Triggers are often things that impact allergies, such as: dust mites animals cockroaches mold pollen viral infections air pollutants Other non-allergy related triggers include: smoke chemical fumes exercise cold air intense emotions Asthma attacks account for about two million emergency room visits each year, but experts say this number can be reduced if you take some precautions to prevent being exposed to triggers. One big step is to "de-trigger" your home. Keep it clean and free of clutter to avoid pests and dust. Keep a low humidity in the home and maintain a consistent temperature. Use mattress covers and pillowcases to put a layer between you and dust mites. Keep in mind air quality reports for outdoor air pollutants. Stay healthy by not smoking and keep in touch with your doctor about medications and...

During Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month, it's key to identify and avoid asthma triggers like dust, smoke, and pollen to reduce attacks.

What Triggers Asthma?

 May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and as asthma affects 25 million Americans, 7 million of them children, it is important to know what triggers asthma.   Asthma is a respiratory disease that can be anywhere from mild to life threatening. Asthma attacks are brought on by triggers, which can be anything that causes inflammation of airways.   Triggers can vary from person to person, and what might affect one person with asthma might not affect another person. Triggers are often things that impact allergies, such as:    dust mites   animals   cockroaches   mold   pollen   viral infections   air pollutants    Other non-allergy related triggers include:    smoke   chemical fumes   exercise   cold air   intense emotions    Asthma attacks account for about two million emergency room visits each year, but experts say this number can be reduced if you take some precautions to prevent being exposed to triggers.   One big step is to "de-trigger" your home. Keep it clean and free of clutter to avoid pests and dust. Keep a low humidity in the home and maintain a consistent temperature. Use mattress covers and pillowcases to put a layer between you and dust mites. Keep in mind air quality reports for outdoor air pollutants. Stay healthy by not smoking and keep in touch with your doctor about medications and...

During Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month, it's key to identify and avoid asthma triggers like dust, smoke, and pollen to reduce attacks.

What Triggers Asthma?

'What? Gluten intolerance? Wheat allergy? Not me!' Gluten-Free has become a fad. Many doctors, dieticians, and nutritionists today may suspect and diagnose Celiac Disease, (CD), yet are mystified about what diet to recommend. Some doctors don't know that wheat is allergy-related and gluten is intolerance, not an allergy. Many people are sensitive to both. Some doctors tell gluten intolerant patients to avoid wheat, barley, and rye. Very few doctors and nutritionists know about cross-links that occur in many foods and especially in many gluten-free products, such as tapioca and corn. Wheat allergy should not be confused with gluten intolerance. Celiac Disease, (Celiac Sprue), affects the small intestine, and is caused by an abnormal immune reaction to gluten. Usually diagnosed by a gastroenterologist, it is an auto-immune related digestive disease that causes serious complications such as malnutrition and intestinal damage if left untreated. Wheat, a grain, contains four major proteins that can cause an allergy Gluten is found in wheat as well as barley, rye, and many other grains oats. Europeans in general are more informed about Celiac Disease than most North Americans. Italian children are tested for CD before they are allowed to go to school, and Celiacs receive a discount from the government for their special diets. It is interesting to know that Italians have the highest degree of CD on the planet. Approximately 20% of wheat-allergic children in the world also are allergic to other grains. Friends and family commiserate, unaware they, too, may be afflicted with...

Gluten intolerance and wheat allergy are distinct; many unaware of proper diet for Celiac Disease, which is hereditary and serious.

Gluten-free? Why Me?

'What? Gluten intolerance? Wheat allergy? Not me!' Gluten-Free has become a fad. Many doctors, dieticians, and nutritionists today may suspect and diagnose Celiac Disease, (CD), yet are mystified about what diet to recommend. Some doctors don't know that wheat is allergy-related and gluten is intolerance, not an allergy. Many people are sensitive to both. Some doctors tell gluten intolerant patients to avoid wheat, barley, and rye. Very few doctors and nutritionists know about cross-links that occur in many foods and especially in many gluten-free products, such as tapioca and corn. Wheat allergy should not be confused with gluten intolerance. Celiac Disease, (Celiac Sprue), affects the small intestine, and is caused by an abnormal immune reaction to gluten. Usually diagnosed by a gastroenterologist, it is an auto-immune related digestive disease that causes serious complications such as malnutrition and intestinal damage if left untreated. Wheat, a grain, contains four major proteins that can cause an allergy Gluten is found in wheat as well as barley, rye, and many other grains oats. Europeans in general are more informed about Celiac Disease than most North Americans. Italian children are tested for CD before they are allowed to go to school, and Celiacs receive a discount from the government for their special diets. It is interesting to know that Italians have the highest degree of CD on the planet. Approximately 20% of wheat-allergic children in the world also are allergic to other grains.  Friends and family commiserate, unaware they, too, may be afflicted with...

Gluten intolerance and wheat allergy are distinct; many unaware of proper diet for Celiac Disease, which is hereditary and serious.

Your child's surgeon mentions switching to latex-free gloves for the next procedure. The anesthesiologist asks if there's been any reaction to balloons. You're standing in a supply closet at the hospital trying to figure out which catheter boxes say "latex-free" and which don't, because nobody explained this would become part of your routine. I've been in that closet with you, not literally but close enough. When you're managing spina bifida, you collect these moments: small, unglamorous tasks that nobody warned you about, that don't feel like "parenting" so much as inventory management. And yet here we are, learning which boxes to grab and which to leave on the shelf, because this matters. Latex allergy in spina bifida isn't rare. It develops in 20 to 68% of children with spina bifida, depending on which study you're reading and how severe their condition is. The range is wide because exposure patterns vary, but the mechanism is consistent: repeated contact with latex proteins during medical procedures sensitizes the immune system over time. This isn't something that happens once and you're done worrying about it. It's cumulative. Every surgery, every catheterization with latex gloves, every medical supply that contains natural rubber latex adds to the body's exposure load. Some children develop symptoms after a handful of procedures. Others tolerate years of contact before their immune system crosses a threshold and starts reacting. You can't predict who will develop it or when. That uncertainty is hard. But you can reduce exposure starting now, and that's...

Why children with spina bifida develop latex allergy through medical procedures, and what parents can do to reduce risk.

Latex Allergy in Spina Bifida: Why It Develops and How to Stay Safe

Your child's surgeon mentions switching to latex-free gloves for the next procedure. The anesthesiologist asks if there's been any reaction to balloons. You're standing in a supply closet at the hospital trying to figure out which catheter boxes say "latex-free" and which don't, because nobody explained this would become part of your routine. I've been in that closet with you, not literally but close enough. When you're managing spina bifida, you collect these moments: small, unglamorous tasks that nobody warned you about, that don't feel like "parenting" so much as inventory management. And yet here we are, learning which boxes to grab and which to leave on the shelf, because this matters. Latex allergy in spina bifida isn't rare. It develops in 20 to 68% of children with spina bifida, depending on which study you're reading and how severe their condition is. The range is wide because exposure patterns vary, but the mechanism is consistent: repeated contact with latex proteins during medical procedures sensitizes the immune system over time. This isn't something that happens once and you're done worrying about it. It's cumulative. Every surgery, every catheterization with latex gloves, every medical supply that contains natural rubber latex adds to the body's exposure load. Some children develop symptoms after a handful of procedures. Others tolerate years of contact before their immune system crosses a threshold and starts reacting. You can't predict who will develop it or when. That uncertainty is hard. But you can reduce exposure starting now, and that's...

Why children with spina bifida develop latex allergy through medical procedures, and what parents can do to reduce risk.

Latex Allergy in Spina Bifida: Why It Develops and How to Stay Safe

What is Spina Bifida? Spina bifida is a birth defect that affects the spine and spinal cord. It happens when the spinal column does not close all the way during the first months of pregnancy. There are three main types of spina bifida: Myelomeningocele - the most severe form where the spinal canal is open along several vertebrae Meningocele - the protective membranes around the spinal cord push out through an opening in the vertebrae Spina bifida occulta - a small gap in the spine, but no opening or sac on the back Doctors aren't sure exactly what causes spina bifida. They think genes and the environment play a role. Getting enough folic acid before and during early pregnancy can help prevent spina bifida. Living with Spina Bifida. Many people with spina bifida live full, active lives. Mobility aids like braces, crutches, or wheelchairs can help with walking. Physical therapy builds strength and coordination. Bladder and bowel problems are common in people with spina bifida. Catheters can help empty the bladder. Fiber in the diet and regular toilet routines promote bowel control. Some people with spina bifida have hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the brain. A hollow tube called a shunt drains the extra fluid. This prevents brain damage. Shunts need lifelong monitoring and sometimes replacement. Staying Healthy. People with spina bifida need regular checkups to stay healthy. This includes seeing specialists for the brain, bones, bladder, and more. Preventing latex allergy is important. Many medical items...

Spina bifida: Support, management, emotional care, and research for future treatments and a cure.

Resilience in the Face of Spina Bifida

What is Spina Bifida? Spina bifida is a birth defect that affects the spine and spinal cord. It happens when the spinal column does not close all the way during the first months of pregnancy. There are three main types of spina bifida:  Myelomeningocele - the most severe form where the spinal canal is open along several vertebrae Meningocele - the protective membranes around the spinal cord push out through an opening in the vertebrae Spina bifida occulta - a small gap in the spine, but no opening or sac on the back  Doctors aren't sure exactly what causes spina bifida. They think genes and the environment play a role. Getting enough folic acid before and during early pregnancy can help prevent spina bifida. Living with Spina Bifida. Many people with spina bifida live full, active lives. Mobility aids like braces, crutches, or wheelchairs can help with walking. Physical therapy builds strength and coordination. Bladder and bowel problems are common in people with spina bifida. Catheters can help empty the bladder. Fiber in the diet and regular toilet routines promote bowel control. Some people with spina bifida have hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the brain. A hollow tube called a shunt drains the extra fluid. This prevents brain damage. Shunts need lifelong monitoring and sometimes replacement. Staying Healthy. People with spina bifida need regular checkups to stay healthy. This includes seeing specialists for the brain, bones, bladder, and more. Preventing latex allergy is important. Many medical items...

Allergies cause physical problems, and they can be a significant piece of learning problems and emotional issues. At least 40% of the children I see have allergies as well as dyslexia or other learning and behavior problems. Having allergies often complicates dyslexia treatment, because it's hard to tell which emotional or physical symptoms stem from the allergy and which are part of the dyslexia or another learning or behavior problem. You may be surprised to know that yelling, screaming, crying, and pouting can be allergic reactions. The list of physical and emotional symptoms of allergies below may surprise you, but I see them every day. Contact your family doctor, naturopath, or chiropractor if you notice any of these symptoms in your child. Physical symptoms experienced by allergic patients: Severe energy fluctuations in varying degrees, extreme fatigue, excessive sleepiness, or insomnia, unusual restlessness, general body ache. Pain of any kind, especially anything described as shooting, dull, pinprick sensation, or tightness in the chest. Abdominal symptoms such as bloating, hiccups, or bowel problems such as constipation or diarrhea. Respiratory distress, including the sensation of dust in the lungs, post-nasal drip, or excessive or unusual sneezing, coughing, or tearing. Heart irregularities such as increased blood pressure, erratic heart rates, or congestion. Emotional symptoms experienced by allergic patients: Anxious symptoms such as nervousness, butterflies in the stomach, mood swings, crying spells, or laughing spells. Facial tics or blurred vision, facial numbness, throat constriction, or sensations of hairs in...

Allergies exacerbate dyslexia in children, causing physical and emotional symptoms that complicate diagnosis and treatment.

How Allergies Can Complicate Your Child's Dyslexia

Allergies cause physical problems, and they can be a significant piece of learning problems and emotional issues. At least 40% of the children I see have allergies as well as dyslexia or other learning and behavior problems.  Having allergies often complicates dyslexia treatment, because it's hard to tell which emotional or physical symptoms stem from the allergy and which are part of the dyslexia or another learning or behavior problem. You may be surprised to know that yelling, screaming, crying, and pouting can be allergic reactions. The list of physical and emotional symptoms of allergies below may surprise you, but I see them every day. Contact your family doctor, naturopath, or chiropractor if you notice any of these symptoms in your child.  Physical symptoms experienced by allergic patients:  Severe energy fluctuations in varying degrees, extreme fatigue, excessive sleepiness, or insomnia, unusual restlessness, general body ache. Pain of any kind, especially anything described as shooting, dull, pinprick sensation, or tightness in the chest. Abdominal symptoms such as bloating, hiccups, or bowel problems such as constipation or diarrhea.  Respiratory distress, including the sensation of dust in the lungs, post-nasal drip, or excessive or unusual sneezing, coughing, or tearing. Heart irregularities such as increased blood pressure, erratic heart rates, or congestion.  Emotional symptoms experienced by allergic patients:  Anxious symptoms such as nervousness, butterflies in the stomach, mood swings, crying spells, or laughing spells. Facial tics or blurred vision, facial numbness, throat constriction, or sensations of hairs in...

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Special Needs
Articles

What Triggers Asthma?

Gluten-free? Why Me?

Latex Allergy in Spina Bifida: Why It Develops and How to Stay Safe

Resilience in the Face of Spina Bifida

How Allergies Can Complicate Your Child's Dyslexia

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs Articles

What Triggers Asthma?

Gluten-free? Why Me?

Latex Allergy in Spina Bifida: Why It Develops and How to Stay Safe

Resilience in the Face of Spina Bifida

How Allergies Can Complicate Your Child's Dyslexia

Find Providers Near You

Special Needs
Articles