'allergies' posts

“Darn! My inhaler is out and I am going to have to call today, a Sunday, to get a refill…”

Spring is here! And that means asthma season is back, and with the nicer weather, pollen counts are high. Flowers are wonderful and the trees beautiful, but if you are like me, some of those plants have your number. The beautiful smells come with itchy eyes, sneezes, and for some, a serious amount of wheezing.

Patients are reaching for their inhalers more often, and sometimes getting into serious respiratory trouble, especially if their medication is running short. Inhalers are expensive, too, and so using them optimally is both financially and healthfully important.

Fortunately, a couple of tricks can really help maximize an asthma spray’s value.

The medication comes out fast and hard when you squeeze the canister, and it can be difficult to time your breath to inhale the dose well, plus with the energy of the release being so high, a lot of misted drug can zoom right out of your mouth. The trick is to use a ‘spacer’, and the simplest is a rolled up piece of paper, to about a one inch diameter. Tuck the sprayer in the far end, wrap your lips around the outside of the other end, and take your leisure squeezing and breathing! The tube holds the mist in place for a few seconds, letting you better coordinate your inhalation and improve substantially the amount of drug you get to where it is needed.

The second tip is to use a steroid inhaler daily if you need your rescue inhaler more than a few times a week. The rescue inhaler will become less effective the more you use it if you don’t directly treat the inflammation of the allergic response in your bronchial tubes with a low dose of cortisone type medication. The dose of the latter is small and will not cause harm to the rest of your system if used according to directions, but it will keep your rescue medication most beneficial!

For those of you who don't know, today is the official two year anniversary of the Swedish blog - this means Swedish has been blogging several times a week for two full years!

What have we been blogging about this year?

• Allergy prevention and management

• 10 things doctors and health care providers admire about patients

• The role of cancer rehabilitation

• For parents: dealing with picky eaters and healthy travel food tips, plus how to introduce solids to your infant (and other parenting topics)

• Marijuana smoking and the risk for lung cancer

• Recommended activity levels after different types of surgery

• The story behind 1-855-XCANCER and resources at the Swedish Cancer Institute

• Tips for those dealing with eczema and acne

• Deciding on surgical treatment for breast cancer and tips for accessing online information about breast cancer

• For moms and moms to be: nutrition in pregnancy and announcing the Lytle Center for Pregnancy and Newborns 

• Flu information

• Resources for those with hearing loss interested in cochlear implants from our live-tweeted and Instagrammed cochlear implant surgery

• Why you still need sunscreen in Seattle

• ...and many other topics

Who's been blogging?

We've had people from across Swedish blogging (more than 100 the last time we checked), including:

• Surgeons

• Nurses

• Family Medicine and Primary Care Physicians

• Dietitians

• Educators

• (And many others!)

Why are we blogging?

We started the blog as a way to connect with you (our community), whether you're a current patient, a past patient, a future patient…or just someone who stumbled across our site looking for health information. We believe our role is to be a resource of information, both online and off. Blogging gives us an easy way to keep you up to date, informed, and engaged on a number of health topics…

“Cough, cough!” “Achooooo!” “Wheeeeeeze!” The sounds of spring are all around us and the woes of allergy season are plaguing many of us. With the weather warming, you and your loved ones are likely spending a lot of time outside. Though the stuffy nose, dry throat and scratchy eyes may seem like a seasonal nuisance you and your family just have to get through, there are solutions. Here are some tips to keep you from suffering through this beautiful but allergy-ridden time of year (to watch the video click here).

Seasonal allergies, often called hay fever or allergic rhinitis (swelling of the nasal passages) vary season to season but can be brought on by pollens, grasses, molds and dust. Right now, in Western Washington the culprit is likely pollen from the trees that have exploded with fresh foliage. Of course, there are many other allergens and the only true way to know what is causing your, your partner’s or your children’s sniffles and sneezes is to talk to a health-care provider. However, if hay fever is getting the best of you this spring, you may find some relief from the following:

Although it’s hard to imagine, we are living and sleeping with thousands of little bugs called dust mites.

For many people, ignorance is bliss, but for those who are allergic, these bugs can cause lots of problems. Dust mite allergy symptoms include eye redness and discharge, itching, sneezing, congestion and trouble breathing. Dust mites are a problem all year long, but can be more obvious in the winter when people spend more time indoors.

Dust mites like to burrow into soft surfaces, like carpets, curtains, pillows, mattresses and stuffed animals. It is impossible to completely kill all dust mites, but here are six ways to minimize exposure:

When you don’t feel good or you get hurt, it often feels like an emergency. You want the pain and discomfort gone…now! But the emergency room may not be the right place for you. So where do you go?

Think of urgent care as the middle ground between the ER and your primary care doctor's office. In other words, urgent care clinics like the one that just opened at Swedish/Redmond are the perfect spot for those “feels like an emergency but isn’t” moments.

Consider urgent care for:

1. Illness: If you have ...

For this French/Italian girl that grew up on bagels and loaves of bread, it wasn’t easy to read the lab results telling me gluten was the source of all my problems (digestive anyway). Despite a degree in nutrition, I’m here to break the news that it’s far from easy, not just for me, but the unfortunate waiter, the distressed party hostess, or the sibling that doesn’t quite understand why you are no help in devouring the Oreos.

This post is for anyone with a new diagnosis, those just coming to terms with an old diagnosis, and those that think that gluten intolerance might be a possibility. It’s also for the friends and family of those affected by celiac disease or gluten intolerance, and for those that just want to learn more about it.

What’s the deal with wheat, gluten, and these allergies?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. You can be allergic to wheat, which is different than being gluten-intolerant (a broader category of things to avoid), which is different from having celiac disease. Here’s a little about each.

Celiac Disease

• What it is: Not an allergy, but an autoimmune disorder that ....

Everyone is talking about their allergies at this time of the year, so I thought it would be a good time to write about seasonal allergies.

Seasonal allergies occur only at certain times of the year and are usually caused by exposure to pollens from plants, trees and grass. They affect a large number of people of all ages and are seen mostly in urban areas. They are uncommon in children less than 2 years of age. Some patients may have similar symptoms year around and this is usually due to exposure to insects (cockroach), dust mites and animal dander (dogs and cats).

Most people do not react on exposure to these substances, but people with allergies hyperreact to these substances when exposed, and they subsequently develop these symptoms.

What are the symptoms of seasonal allergies?
Usual symptoms in children include runny nose, nasal congestion, itching of the eyes, nose and throat and occasionally cough. Sometimes these symptoms may interfere with sleep and thus cause fatigue, fussiness and tiredness during the day....