Allergies, Author Interviews, Duke / 25.06.2024

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Professor Soman Abraham PhD Grace Kerby Distinguished Professor of Pathology Duke University. Dr. Abraham led the research when working in the Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Programme at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The degranulation of mast cells (MCs) is a process that leads to allergic symptoms, ranging from itching, redness, and swelling of the tissue to severe and potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis involving multiple organ systems. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 10 per cent of the global population suffers from food allergies. As allergy rates continue to rise, so does the incidence of food-triggered anaphylaxis and asthma worldwide. In view of the fact that allergic diseases are difficult to prevent or treat, we sought to understand the underlying basis for anaphylactic reactions. (more…)
Allergies, Exercise - Fitness / 06.06.2024

Understanding the Impact of Allergies on WorkoutsImagine gearing up for a workout, only to be hit with a sudden wave of sneezing or a stuffy nose. It's frustrating and can easily derail your fitness plans. Allergies can make even the most dedicated fitness enthusiasts want to give up. This scenario is all too common, especially during allergy season when pollen counts are high, and allergens are everywhere. The impact of allergies on workouts can be discouraging, but it doesn’t have to stop you from achieving your fitness goals. If this sounds like your experience, you’re not alone. Many people find their exercise routines interrupted by allergies. This article offers practical tips to help you stay motivated and manage your allergies during workouts. 1. Understanding the Impact of Allergies on Workouts Allergies can have a big impact on your physical performance. Symptoms like sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes, and fatigue can make it challenging to stick to your exercise routine. These symptoms can lower your stamina, make breathing harder, and reduce your overall workout intensity. Managing allergies effectively is key to maintaining a consistent fitness regimen and achieving your health goals. (more…)
Allergies / 16.05.2024

Allergy drops, not to be confused with allergy eye drops, have been gaining popularity for their convenient and effective approach to tackling pesky allergies. But are allergy drops the same as allergy immunotherapy? This option falls under the umbrella of allergy immunotherapy, and while allergy drops are allergy immunotherapy, not all allergy immunotherapy are allergy drops.  In this blog, we’ll explore allergy immunotherapy and allergy drops to help you better understand the best course of action for combatting your pesky allergies. 

Understanding Allergy Immunotherapy

Allergy immunotherapy (AIT) is a treatment that desensitizes the body to an allergen. It’s much unlike traditional allergy treatments, such as corticosteroids, decongestants, and antihistamines, because it focuses on the allergy, not the symptoms.  To understand how it works, we need to understand what an allergy is. Simply put, an allergy is a reaction in the body to a foreign substance called an allergen, such as bee venom or pet dander. When your body comes into contact with the allergen, your antibodies send a signal to specific cells that release chemicals, resulting in an allergic reaction.  allergies-allergy-pexelsThe reaction triggers the symptoms you recognize as your allergy, such as a runny nose and itchy eyes.  To desensitize your body to the allergen and help your body become less reactive, allergy immunotherapy delivers a small dose of the allergen under your skin or tongue. This small, incrementally increasing dose helps your body adjust, “training” it to become less sensitive.  It achieves this result by minimizing the production of “blocking” antibodies responsible for the reaction. Over time and with consistent doses, you may find that you can be exposed to the allergen with little to no reaction.  However, it’s important to note that everybody is different. Most people notice some results within the first year, but the most noticeable results usually take two to three years after beginning treatment.  (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Pediatrics / 10.05.2023

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Matthew Greenhawt, MD, MBA, MSc Professor of Pediatrics Section of Allergy and Immunology Director, Food Challenge and Research Unit Children’s Hospital Colorado University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus Aurora, CO 80045   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Is the incidence of peanut allergy in toddlers stabilizing with the earlier introduction of peanuts? Response: There exists an urgent unmet medical need for infants and toddlers living with peanut allergy. Peanut allergy affects approximately 2% of U.S. children and has been a growing public health problem over the past 20 years. In fact, the number of kids affected by peanut allergy has tripled in that time span. Peanut allergy is not likely to be naturally outgrown, and reactions can be severe. However, there is hope. There is growing evidence that the allergic immune system is more modifiable early in life. The EPITOPE study evaluated Viaskin Peanut in children ages 1 – 3 years of age. Viaskin Peanut is an investigational epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT) product, which uses the skin as a route to desensitize a patient to be less reactive to peanut. This is a daily therapy, worn between the shoulders on the back, which allows for non-oral peanut desensitization, which many parents find highly appealing. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, BMJ, Immunotherapy, Pediatrics / 13.01.2023

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: A/Prof Luke GrzeskowiakPhD | BPharm(Hons) | GCertClinEpid | AdvPracPharm | FSHP Associate Professor (Practitioner Fellow) Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation Fellow in Medicines Use and Safety College of Medicine & Public Health Flinders University Affiliate Research Fellow – South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Specialist Pharmacist – Flinders Women & Children, Flinders Medical Centre Adjunct Research Fellow – Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University Adjunct Research Fellow – Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Peanut allergy affects 1-3% of children in Western countries, making it the most common food-related allergen. Only a small percentage (20%) of children grow out of their peanut allergy, with allergen avoidance and provision of rescue medications for the management of allergic reactions being the recognised mainstay of treatment for many years. However, avoidance of peanuts provides many challenges for children and their caregivers and requires children and caregivers to be hypervigilant regarding peanut ingestion, creating a significant burden. This burden can have a real impact on quality of life for children and their families. In more recent years there has been emerging interest in what is referred to as oral immunotherapy as an active preventive treatment to reduce the risk of accidental peanut exposure. Oral immunotherapy involves exposing children to an extremely small dose of peanut, typically in the form of peanut flour, and then gradually increasing that dose over time to build tolerance. We have been looking at opportunities for making oral immunotherapy safer, which would then make it more suitable for more people. Our previous research showed that boiling peanuts alters its protein structure and allergic properties, meaning they were less likely to cause a severe allergic reaction, but were still able to improve tolerance to peanut allergens. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, JAMA, Pediatrics / 06.07.2022

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Victoria Soriano PhD Research Assistant/Officer, Population Allergy University of Melbourne   MedicalResearch.com:  What is the background for this study?  Response: Peanut allergy is one of the most common childhood food allergies, and children rarely grow out of it. The only proven way to prevent peanut allergy is to give infants age-appropriate peanut products in the first year of life. We previously showed there was a dramatic increase in peanut introduction from 2007-11 to 2018-19, following changes to infant feeding guidelines. We wanted to know if earlier peanut introduction would reduce peanut allergy in the general population (in Melbourne, Australia). (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, Dermatology, UCSF / 27.11.2021

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Carina M. Woodruff, MD Department of Dermatolog University of California, San Francisco MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Rigorous hand hygiene has been an important component of the CDC's COVID-19 guidelines. With millions of Americans now using hand sanitizers regularly, we are seeing many more cases of hand dermatitis. Our study evaluated the key product features and most common allergens in the top-reviewed, commercial hand sanitizers sold by major US retailers. We found that the most common potential allergens were tocopherol, fragrance, propylene glycol and phenoxyethanol. Our study also showed that nearly 1 in 5 marketing claims on these products was misleading. For example, 70% of sanitizers with the marketing claim "hypoallergenic" included at least one common allergen in its formulation. (more…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, COVID -19 Coronavirus, JAMA, Vaccine Studies, Vanderbilt / 27.07.2021

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Kimberly G. Blumenthal, MD, MSc Massachusetts General Hospital The Mongan Institute Boston, MA 02114 Matthew S. Krantz, MD Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: During the initial COVID-19 vaccine campaign with healthcare workers in December 2020, there was an unexpected higher than anticipated rate of immediate allergic reactions after Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines.  This prompted both patient and provider concerns, particularly in those with underlying allergic histories, on the associated risks for immediate allergic reactions with the mRNA vaccines. Because of the significantly improved effectiveness of two doses of an mRNA vaccine compared to one dose, it was important to determine if those who experienced immediate allergic reaction symptoms after their first dose could go on to tolerate a second dose safely.    (more…)