Cutting edge technology at Allergy and Asthma Associates of Southern California: Impulse Oscillometry

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California

Since asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood, the doctor’s ability to objectively diagnose asthma is crucial.  This is important so the asthma doctor can appropriately select the right treatment regimen for your child with asthma.

The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program’s Expert Panel Report includes the use of spirometry (a breathing test that requires effort and cooperation from the patient) to assess the child’s lung function 5 years and up.  One survey showed that only 1 in 5 medical practitioners use spirometry in the diagnoses of asthma for children!  Reasons for this may be that there is difficulty in interpreting results of spirometry in younger children, and that younger children and handicapped children may not be able to do spirometry, as it requires lung maneuvers that are dependent on the child’s effort.  This is where a new technology called impulse oscillometry (IOS) comes in.  IOS is non-invasive, easy to perform, and requires minimal patient cooperation.  IOS is a great way to assess lung function, especially in younger children with asthma.  The correct management for asthma is dependent on accurate diagnosis and follow-up.  It is important for the asthma doctor to be able to assess how the child is doing both subjectively as well as objectively to properly adjust the treatment regimen through time.

I recently joined Allergy and Asthma Associates of Southern California, and was excited and impressed that impulse oscillometry technology is available to patients here.  Very few centers in the country have this technology, and many research studies have proven it useful as a breathing test.  It is a great tool, especially for asthma management in younger children.

-by Faith Huang, M.D.

IOSpic

Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California provides relief from allergies, asthma, sinus problems, chronic cough and other related conditions. Dr. William E. Berger, Dr. Warner W. Carr, Dr. Mark S. Sugar, Dr. Christina D. Schwindt, and Dr. Faith R. Huang together with their staff specialize in allergy and immunology in Southern California.

If you or your child is suffering from asthma, please call us at (949) 364-2900 to schedule your appointment today. You can also use our online Request an Appointment form to schedule a future appointment.

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Why Are Allergies Bad in the Fall?

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California

Dr. Carr was recently interviewed by Annie Hauser of The Weather Channel for a special article on fall allergies.  Read on for the article:

Why are allergies bad in the fall? Ragweed, said Warner Carr, MD, an allergist and fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

“When you’re talking about allergies, you can break them up into two big categories: Those that are present year-round, and those that are present during certain seasons,” he said. “Seasonal allergies are mostly due to pollen, and what pollinates in the fall is ragweed.”

Fall pollen cfounts are “absolutely” getting higher each and every year, Dr. Carr added. So if you think your fall allergies are getting worse, you’re right. But there are different theories as to why.

“The prevailing theory has to do with the has to do with our seasons,” Dr. Carr said. “There’s a warming trend in our environment, so we’re seeing a much more favorable growing environment for weeds.”

If you’re experiencing seasonal allergy symptoms such as itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose and a sore throat, it’s not the ragweed in your yard or your neighbor’s yard that’s to blame, either, Dr. Carr emphasized. “Pollen blankets an entire area like smoke from a fire,” he explained.

Your first line of defense is over-the-counter nasal antihistamines and other medications that treat your specific symptoms. But the best way to fight seasonal allergies over the long-term is to see an allergist for an accurate diagnosis, and perhaps immunotherapy or allergy shots. Allergy shots routinely expose patients to their allergens a little bit at a time, eventually offering long-term remission of allergy symptoms, Dr. Carr said.

“There are simple, safe and effective therapies that we can do, so people aren’t suffering from seasonal allergies,” Dr. Carr said. “Allergies can have a huge impact on quality of life, and it’s completely unnecessary suffering.”

Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California provides relief from allergies, asthma, sinus problems, chronic cough and other related conditions. Dr. William E. Berger, Dr. Warner W. Carr, Dr. Mark S. Sugar, Dr. Christina D. Schwindt and Dr. Faith R. Huang together with their staff specialize in allergy and immunology in Southern California.

If you or your child is suffering from allergies, please call us at (949) 364-2900 to schedule your appointment today. You can also use our online Request an Appointment form to schedule a future appointment.

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Thoughts on frequent infections?

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California

Do you feel like you get a lot of colds or other infections?  Sometimes this is within the scope of being normal (for example, if you have a child in daycare or school it’s likely you are exposed to more viruses than others), but it is also possible that this may be due to a defect in your immune system.    Having an immunodeficiency is usually pretty rare, but if someone as recurrent infections that seem to more frequent and more severe than other people, it may be a good idea to be evaluated by an allergist/immunologist.  There is a disease called common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), which is when a patient has lower than normal levels of immunoglobulins (antibodies that help us fight infection), as well as an inability or blunted ability to make antibodies to the bacteria that we are vaccinated to.  Someone with this disease can get recurring infections involving the ears, eyes, sinuses, nose, lungs, skin, gastrointestinal tract, joints, bones, etc. These infections respond to antibiotics but can occur again when the medications are stopped.   If a patient is found to have CVID after careful evaluation by an allergist/immunologist, there is treatment available that may help reduce the number and severity of the infections.

-Faith Huang, M.D.

Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California provides relief from allergies, asthma, sinus problems, chronic cough and other related conditions. Dr. William E. Berger, Dr. Warner W. Carr, Dr. Mark S. Sugar, Dr. Simi Kapoor,  Dr. Christina D. Schwindt and Dr. Faith R. Huang together with their staff specialize in allergy and immunology in Southern California.

If you or your child is suffering from frequent colds or other infections, please call us at (949) 364-2900 to schedule your appointment today. You can also use our online Request an Appointment form to schedule a future appointment.

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Is it possible to develop food allergies later on in life?

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California

This is a common question that people ask, and the answer depends on the person as well as the food.  In general, most food allergies start in infancy and childhood.  For milk, egg, and peanut allergy, these food allergies are often recognized when the person is young, sometimes with the first ingestion of the culprit food.  However, food allergies can also develop later in a person’s life.  There is no clear reason why, but some people develop an allergy to a food they could once eat with no issues.  Specifically, with shellfish, it was shown in one study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology that more than half of shellfish allergies develop in adulthood.  So if an adult eats shrimp and within minutes to up to 2 hours develop signs of an allergic reaction, there is a possibility that a shellfish allergy has developed.  It is very important at this point to see a board certified allergist for further testing and management!

 

By Faith Huang, M.D.

Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California provides relief from allergies, asthma, sinus problems, chronic cough and other related conditions. Dr. William E. Berger, Dr. Warner W. Carr, Dr. Mark S. Sugar, Dr. Christina D. Schwindt and Dr. Faith R. Huang together with their staff specialize in allergy and immunology in Southern California.

If you or your child is suffering from a food allergy or any other kind of allergy, please call us at (949) 364-2900 to schedule your appointment today. You can also use our online Request an Appointment form to schedule a future appointment.

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Asthma attacks surge when kids go back to school

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California

It is time to go back to school!  It is always exciting to start off a new school year, but for children with asthma, there is often an increase in asthma attacks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children with asthma miss a combined 14.4 million school days a year.  That’s a lot of learning to be missed!

Why do kids have more asthma attacks as they return to school? This often occurs because as kids go back to school, they are picking up viruses and other infections from other kids.  In our practice, many of the asthma attacks experienced by children in this season are triggered by upper respiratory infections that are caused by viruses. Another reason is that often there is a surge in the pollen allergens in the fall, and if the child is allergic to this type of pollen, an asthma exacerbation can be triggered.  Often in the summer, the routine of using the daily maintenance medication for asthma falls by the wayside as families go on vacation and have changes in their schedule.  It is important to check in with your child’s asthma and allergy doctor to make sure that he or she is on the right medications.

What are some things to help prevent your child from missing school due to asthma attacks?  Encourage good hygiene, in terms of hand washing with soap, to prevent the spread of viruses.  Identify possible allergic triggers and with the help of the allergist, ways to reduced exposure to what he or she is allergic to.  It is a good time to discuss possible medications and other treatments to help control the allergy symptoms.  In addition, this is a great time to have a rock solid plan for asthma—if daily maintenance medications would be helpful, and what to do if your child has an asthma attack.  Often asthma medications need to be adjusted based on your child’s symptoms as well as breathing tests.  The allergist wants the best for your child—to be on the least amount of medication that will result in the most optimal control of his or her asthma.

-by Faith Huang, M.D.

Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California provides relief from allergies, asthma, sinus problems, chronic cough and other related conditions. Dr. William E. Berger, Dr. Warner W. Carr, Dr. Mark S. Sugar, Dr. Simi Kapoor,  Dr. Christina Schwindt, and Dr. Faith R. Huang together with their staff specialize in allergy and immunology in Southern California.

If you or your child are suffering from asthma or think you may have asthma please Call (949) 364-2900 to schedule your appointment today. You can also use our online Request an Appointment form to schedule a future appointment.

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