Advanced Allergy and Asthma

This has been an interesting Allergy Season. In April and May allergy sufferers experienced one of the worst tree seasons. This month, grass season has not been that bad because of all the June rain. To hear more about Summer Allergies tune into Sirius Radio, Channel 81, NYU Doctor Radio on Tuesday, 6/23/2015 from 6AM - 7AM to hear Ellen Epstein MD as the guest expert! This will be live , but will be rebroadcast on Tuesday at 4 pm, Friday at 4 am, and Sundays at 6 am ET all this week.

New ALLERGY TO MEAT!! If you have experienced any severe allergic reactions recently, think possible Meat Allergy. A new allergy has been finding its way to the East. Patients who have experienced a tick bite may develop hives, severe swelling and even life-threatening anaphylaxis to meat; even if they never had it before. Interestingly, the reaction may not necessarily occur immediately after eating, but several hours later. Patients with this type of allergy may not be able to tolerate other foods with meat byproducts. If you suspect that you have this, get allergy tested. Also, it is recommended to carry an Epi-pen as future reactions may be life-threatening.

Pollen Vortex! This Spring promises to be one of the worst allergy season ever. With all of the snow Long Island has seen this winter and the extreme rainy April, the trees have been dormant for longer than usual. This year, the tree and grass pollen season will be overlapping resulting in extremely high pollen counts. Up until now, pollen counts have been modest. The pollen vortex will be caused by the pollens coming out at the same time making allergy sufferers miserabl...e. If you suffer from both allergies take precautions. There are many prescription medications that you can start now. In addition, try to avoid those morning walks as the pollen is highest then. Rely on air conditioning as soon as the weather warms up to help keep pollen out of your home. Check our pollen count daily and you can probably figure out what trees or grasses are making you sneeze. If symptoms persist or are severe, get to the allergist ASAP to get medication to alleviate congestion, sneezing, and itchy eyes. If you have wheezing, chest tightness or shortness of breath these are signs of asthma and can be quite serious. Intervening early will prevent your symptoms from getting worse and in the case of asthma a possible trip to the Emergency Room! Check out the pollen count today at the bottom of our home page. http://www.longislandallergyandasthma.com/

What type of doctor should I go to if I have allergies? Seems obvious. An Allergist. An allergist has special training which includes three years of Internal Medicine or Pediatrics PLUS two years of training in just Allergy/ Immunology with adult and pediatric patients. Why would anyone consider going to another specialist or even a nonspecialist? Many physicians and nonphysicians(chiropractors, acupuncturists) are offering "Allergy" evaluation. BEWARE! Don't find yourself in another physician's office where the physician is actually surgeon and claims to be able to do testing! Sure, maybe anyone can put tests on you, but the interpretation and treatment takes years of training. Go to an allergist who specializes in what ails you- only allergies!