Diagnosing food allergies can be a tricky thing to do! When your immune system overreacts to a special protein found in a food, you have a food allergy. Sometimes symptoms occur simply by touching, breathing or eating a tiny amount of the food. My previous post discussed how the immune system makes immunoglobulins as a response to […]
Nasal mucus. There, I said it! These represent two words that no one likes to talk about. Sadly, mucus has a bad reputation for being a gross substance, but it is extremely useful and has vital functions. Being an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor, I must admit to being a bit biased toward nasal […]
Nasal salt water washes stand as an extremely useful method to improve symptoms cause by a runny, congested nose. My previous post detailed how the nasal salt water washes are beneficial. Regardless of the cause of nasal swelling and mucous production, cleansing with nasal salt water (saline) relieves symptoms and helps to prevent progression of the disease. Since […]
Nasal saline is a fancy word for salt water! Years ago, many physicians (myself included!) used to provide a “recipe” for parents to make their own salt water nasal mix. Now rows and rows of nasal saline solutions line store shelves everywhere. Most people understand the value to saline washes in infants who have trouble breathing. However, […]
IgE and allergies are words that often are discussed hand-in hand. “IgE allergy” is a specific disease process and is NOT an intolerance. My previous blog post discussed food allergies compared to food intolerances. When doctors evaluate allergies, they frequently measure IgE; however, people do not know what IgE is! Let’s start with some basics. “Ig” […]