Family Allergy & Asthma

New RICHMOND Office Coming Soon!

Family Allergy & Asthma — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:17:06 +0000

A new office will open soon in Richmond, KY! Drs. Warrier and Arora from our Lexington office will begin seeing patients at the office, located at 370 Highland Park Dr, on Tuesday, March 6th. We will also have shot hours at this location. Call today to schedule your appointment – 859-263-1900 or 800-999-1249.

WLEX 18 TV Visited Our Lexington Office

Family Allergy & Asthma — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:24:15 +0000

WLEX 18′s Lee Cruse hung out in our Lexington office with Dr. Rajiv Arora on Tuesday morning, Jan. 17th. They discussed winter allergies and asthma. Lee Cruse even tried out our Pulmonary Function Test, which helps our doctors screen for asthma. If you know Lee, you know it turned funny. We always enjoy sharing the morning with Lee and the WLEX 18 morning viewers!

Check out Lee’s funny video here:

How Do Allergy Shots Work?

Family Allergy & Asthma — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:45:56 +0000

Allergy is when your immune system mistakes a harmless substance for a dangerous one and triggers the release of chemicals into your body, thus creating symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, itching and in some cases, more serious symptoms like coughing or wheezing, swelling of the throat and tongue, and in the worst case anaphylaxis.

Allergy shots increase your tolerance to the harmful allergen. By injecting gradually increasing doses of the offending allergen extract, the immune system builds up a tolerance to that allergen. Allergy shots slow down and reduce the production of the IgE antibody. You can think of each shot as adding a brick to the “wall of protection” against things that trigger your allergies.

If you think you are allergic, call our office today to schedule an allergy skin test. This is the most reliable form of allergy testing and the most definitive way to determine what is causing your symptoms. From there, our providers will determine if allergy shots are the right form of treatment for you.

Allergy-Friendly Gifts

Family Allergy & Asthma — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:53:50 +0000

Looking for the perfect gift for the allergic family member or friend? Check out the Gift guide from our friends at “Allergic Living.” The gift guide includes everything from blocks, to books, cookbooks and American Girl school lunch box set. You don’t have to have an allergy to enjoy these – they are perfect, healthy gifts for everyone!

Family Allergy Named Business of the Year

Family Allergy & Asthma — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:51:33 +0000

Family Allergy and Asthma was named Business of the Year, medium sized companies, by Business First on December 6th. We are truly honored and humbled by this. A huge thanks to our staff for every day ensuring patient satisfaction first, as well as to our patients who give us a reason and desire to come to work every day. At left is the Eagle of Excellence award given to Family Allergy and Asthma.

Flood Water Can Make Air In Homes Unhealthy

Family Allergy & Asthma — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:28:51 +0000

Now that the Louisville area has surpassed the record for wettest year since 2004 (rain levels are currently at 64.60″ and counting) homeowners who suffer from allergies and asthma should take extra precautions if their homes flood. During a cleanup, indoor air quality in the home may appear to be the least of the problems; however, failure to remove contaminated materials and to reduce moisture and humidity can present serious long-term health risks. Standing water and wet materials quickly lead to, among other things, mold growth, to which many are allergic. The symptoms of mold allergy are very similar to the symptoms of other allergies and asthma, such as sneezing, itching, nasal discharge, congestion and cough and wheezing.

One of the biggest issues homeowners will face is what to do about flooded carpeting. The pads cannot be dried out and should be thrown away. Carpets should be pulled up and thoroughly dried within the first 24 hours. In addition, wall board damage will be hidden and if it has become wet, it should be replaced to above the water line.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends wearing an N-95 respirator mask while cleaning, in addition to goggles, gloves, long pants, long-sleeved shirts and boots or work shoes. Anything that was wet but cannot be cleaned should be thrown away. They also remind everyone to use place portable generators outside and far away from homes in order to avoid breathing in the carbon dioxide.

Dr Otto Educates Florence, KY Rotary

Family Allergy & Asthma — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:03:57 +0000

Dr. Hans Otto with our Florence, KY office spoke to the members of the Florence Rotary Club last week. Below is a great article they wrote about his visit.

Dr. Hans F. Otto, a Florence Allergist and Immunologist.

Dr. Hans F. Otto, a Florence allergist and immunologist.

If you thought the first frost would put an end to your runny nose and watery eyes for the year, you may be in for a surprise.

The first frost does bring a drop in the pollen count and some relief to allergy sufferers. However, the air still is filled with dust, pollutants and bacteria that cause symptoms similar to allergies and asthma, according to Dr. Hans F. Otto, a Florence allergist and immunologist.

“Lots of things can give you a runny nose and sneezing,” Otto told members of the Florence Rotary Club at a meeting on Monday, November 21. “There are still plenty of irritants not defined as allergies – even the weather.

“Cold weather can bring on reflex rhinitis. Wet weather can cause reflex rhinitis.”

Otto joined the Family Allergy and Asthma practice in Florence last year. A U.S. Air Force veteran with more than 10 years of active duty service, he previously served as chief of allergy/immunology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Wright State University.

Otto has practiced on three continents, and everywhere he goes he hears the same refrain from allergy sufferers.

“Everybody says this is the worst place in the world to live if you have allergies,” he said. “In reality, allergies are bad wherever you go around the world.”

A stuffy and drippy nose, sneezing and coughing, itchy or watery eyes, sinus drainage and soar throat all can be symptoms of allergies, colds or rhinitis (inflammation of the mucous membranes lining of the nose). That’s because the nose connects to the sinuses in front and in back of the eyes and all the tissues are contiguous, Otto said.

As a result, people often confuse rhinitis with an allergic reaction or sinus infection. All may cause pain and headache but rhinitis typically does not cause a fever, according to Otto.

“The lining of the nose swells, you get pressure and you get fluid build-up and you think you’ve got an infection,” he said. “From 60 to 80 percent of the time, you will get better in a week or two without antibiotics” because it’s only an inflammation of the tissues in the nose and sinuses.

So how do you know whether symptoms are simply rhinitis rather than allergies or sinus infection?

“When the symptoms interfere with work or school, we can help determine the cause of the problem,” Otto said.

For information about the weekly meetings, guest speakers, and community service opportunities of the Florence Rotary Club, contact Pat Moynahan, president at amoynahan@insightbb.com or 859-802-0242. Visit the group’s website at www.florencerotary.org. Florence Rotary meets weekly on Mondays at noon at the Airport Hilton Hotel in Florence.

Holiday Allergies Not the Best Gift of the Season

Family Allergy & Asthma — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:15:21 +0000

While the holidays are highly anticipated, almost everything about the holidays can make allergies and asthma worse—from Christmas trees, to decorations, to candles.

Avoidance is the first line of defense, says James L. Sublett, MD, managing partner with Family Allergy and Asthma. If you’re allergic to it, stay away from it. If you can’t avoid it, make sure you’re prepared to deal with it—with medications and other measures.

Holiday Greenery

It shouldn’t be a surprise that bringing greenery indoors can increase allergy and asthma symptoms—especially greenery as large as a Christmas tree. “Mold spores and pollens stick to the branches of the trees,” says Dr Sublett. “As the tree starts to dry out, those things will break off and fly around the house.” Many people are also allergic to terpene, a substance found in the oil of evergreen trees, wreaths and garlands. “I suggest to my patients they use artificial products, but if they just can’t bring themselves to discontinue using a live tree, there are ways to lessen pollen and other allergens on real holiday trees,” continued Dr. Sublett. Below are some additional tips to avoid allergy and asthma flares:

* Wipe the trunk of the tree thoroughly with a solution of 1 part bleach, 20 parts lukewarm water.

* Use a leaf blower to remove visible grains of pollen from the tree.

* Let the tree dry thoroughly in an enclosed porch or garage before bringing it indoors.

*If you choose an artificial tree, avoid spraying on pine scents or artificial snow. These can irritate the lungs and aggravate allergies.

Decor and more

Decorations kept in storage pose another potential problem for people with allergies and asthma.

“You can stir up a lot of dust and mold when you open up storage boxes that have been kept in the basement or attic,” says Dr. Sublett. To avoid these problems, store holiday decorations in sealed plastic containers instead of cardboard boxes. “We also recommend you avoid scented candles, potpourris and plug-in air fresheners. These can aggravate asthma—not just on holidays, but all year around.”

Dr. Feger: Can I Outgrow Asthma?

Family Allergy & Asthma — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 02:59:45 +0000

Parents are often told by their friends – or even pediatricians – that children can outgrow Asthma. Is this really true? Dr. Feger sets the record straight on kids “outgrowing asthma.”

Can Cleanliness Cause Illness?

Family Allergy & Asthma — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:51:10 +0000

Early exposure to animals and infections could decrease the tendency to become allergic, according to Thomas A.E. Platts-Mills, MD, PHD, FACAAI, Asthma and Allergic Disease Center, University of Virginia Medical School, Charlottesville, VA. Platts-Mills.

Research has found that children who entered day care at six months of age had decreased incidence of asthma at six years; children exposed to farm animals in the first year of life have decreased allergies; and having an animal in the house decreases asthma. Platts-Mills said that hay fever incidence increased long before the start of the increase in asthma in 1960 in western countries. And, asthma has increased over a period when use of daycare was also increasing.

“For some time, the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ was an explanation for the increase in allergic sensitization and asthma,” he said. That is, improvements in personal cleanliness and migration from farms to urban living have weakened our immune system. Several changes documented over the past few decades and attributed to the hygiene hypothesis include: decreased helminth infection, reduced physical proximity to farm animals, decreased exposure to mycobacteria found in the soil, changes in bacterial colonization of the gut, and decreased Hepatitis A infection. These all may have contributed to increased sensitization, “but, none can explain the time course, the scale or the consistency of the increase in asthma,” Platts-Mills said.

That begs the question, he said–are parasites part of the signal(s) that prevent the development of modern allergic disease and can they be used to treat or prevent allergy?

Many lifestyle changes impact the increase in asthma and allergies, Platts-Mills said. The effect “has been enormous.” Increased exposure to perennial allergens changes immune responsiveness. A change from Th1 to Th2 results in increased allergy. Changes in diet and a decline in exercise changed inflammatory response, he said.

Another lifestyle change Platts-Mills noticed is that mothers of newborns often bathe them daily while just a couple of decades ago, newborns were bathed weekly. All that washing strips lipids from the skin and makes the skin more permeable, he said. “Lipid layers in the skin are thought to control access of proteins through the skin.” Researchers have noted that the Amish typically don’t use running water and have one of the lowest levels of allergies in a population.

We’ve seen a progressive increase in vaccinations and antibiotics and decline in enteric infections, said Platts-Mills. These lifestyle changes, including diet, physical activity and housing, have been continuous since 1950, he said. Attempts to understand the causes of the increase in allergic disease have been met with an unequal attempt to keep up with real decreases in lifestyle.