Tuesday January 24, 2012
We all have a pretty good idea about what pepper spray is -- the self-defense weapon that is carried by police and can be found at most sporting goods stores. And, what it does -- remember that video of the UC Davis police department pepper spraying the Occupy Wall Street protestors who were staging a sit-in on campus property -- resulting in stinging and burning of the eyes, nose, skin and lungs. Now, imagine actually squirting pepper spray, in a diluted form, in your nose in an attempt to reduce the symptoms of nasal allergies. Sounds crazy, right? Well, capsaicin nasal sprays are available over-the-counter for the treatment of nasal allergy symptoms, and they work pretty well.
Capsaicin, the substance found in hot peppers that is responsible for the burning and stinging sensation that people get in their mouths when they eat the peppers, is very effective as a long-term reliever of pain. Creams containing capsaicin have been used for years for rubbing on arthritic joints as well as on painful skin that shingles leaves behind. Nasal sprays containing capsaicin seem to be effective at treating nasal congestion and sinus pressure related to non-allergic rhinitis, and may also be effective for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Other than a mild stinging sensation that occurs only with the first few times the nasal spray is used, side effects are minimal. And, if the nasal spray doesn't help your nasal symptoms, you can always use it as a reasonable replacement for a bottle of Tabasco Sauce.
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Monday January 23, 2012
January is cold and flu season, and many of us are walking around with stuffy noses and a box of Kleenex right now. Some of us have allergies, some have the common cold, and others may even have sinus infections. Symptoms of a cold that don't get better after a week or two could represent a allergies or a sinus infection. A sinus infection may simply cause nasal congestion, runny nose, post nasal drip, coughing and/or a headache -- and may not necessarily cause facial pain/pressure, green nasal discharge and fevers.
If your cold has lasted more than two weeks and isn't getting better, you may want to see your doctor to see if you could have a sinus infection.
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Thursday January 12, 2012
A 7-year-old Virginia girl died last week as a result of a severe allergic reaction to peanuts. Apparently, the girl had been given a peanut (or peanut-containing food) from another child while on the playground. The girl developed shortness of breath and hives and sought help, although apparently no treatment was given at the school. When emergency medical services arrived at the school, the girl was already in cardiac arrest. She was taken to a local hospital where she was declared dead.
This sad story will surely bring up the question of whether or not peanuts should be banned from school. There are other questions that arise -- such as the availability of medicines at school for children with medical problems -- such as injectable epinephrine. And, whether or not that medicine was prescribed by a physician for a specific child, or if that medicine is available for "general use". This could lead to multiple problems, especially since most schools don't have a nurse or other healthcare professional on staff, who would have the ability to recognize and treat a medical emergency. The most important take-home lesson from this tragedy is to ensure that if your child has a life-threatening medical condition, such as food allergies, to have an action plan in place for school officials to follow should an emergency occur.
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Sunday January 8, 2012
More and more of my patients are asking for non-drug options for the treatment of their allergies. Whether this is an attempt to cut costs, reduce medication side effects, or to thumb their nose at the pharmaceutical industry, this trend is becoming more common. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to treat allergies without medications. I often caution my patients, however, that herbal supplements and non-traditional approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of allergies are unproven and often even more expensive than that of pharmaceutical treatments.
Options for natural allergy relief advocated by allergists/immunologists include nasal saline irrigation and allergen immunotherapy. Allergen immunotherapy, administered as allergy shots or allergy drops, are the only treatment of allergies that can modify the underlying problem of allergies -- which may result in a cure. Allergen immunotherapy has been used for over 100 years with proven results -- and, best of all, it's an all natural therapy.
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