The Morning Scoop: Running Endurance Tips, Worst Cities for Spring Allergy Sufferers and More!

Are you a spring allergy sufferer? Find out how your hometown stacks up against other U.S. cities based on factors like pollen levels and the number of board-certified allergists in the area. [CNN]

Are organic foods always better? A new study suggests the "organic" label can bias consumers for what's been dubbed the 'Health Halo Effect.' [Science Daily]

Three months after the Newtown shooting, the state of Connecticut is poised to pass what could be the nation's strictest gun control package. [The Daily Beast]

You may be about to learn a lot more about your noggin: Today, President Obama is expect to unveil an initiative to map the human brain in 2014. [NYTimes]

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Oral Allergy Treatment May Ease Asthma, Hay Fever, Study Finds

This under-the-tongue alternative to shots is used in Europe, but not approved in U.S.

By Amy Norton

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, March 26 (HealthDay News) -- Spring is here, and so are seasonal allergies. For the millions who suffer from hay fever or asthma in the United States, a new under-the-tongue treatment may hold promise.

Pills and drops designed to desensitize the immune system to allergens could bring some of these allergy patients relief, a new research review finds.

The review, published March 27 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, pulled together 63 studies on so-called sublingual immunotherapy.

The therapy, commonly used in Europe and Asia, essentially allows people to get traditional allergy shots in the form of pills or drops that dissolve under the tongue. The principle is the same: Expose the immune system to extracts of the substance causing a person's allergy -- grass pollen, for example -- until it builds up a tolerance.

Right now, no under-the-tongue allergy products are approved in the United States. But some doctors offer the therapy anyway; they take the extracts approved for allergy shots and give them to patients to use orally.

In the new review, researchers found "strong" evidence that under-the-tongue immunotherapy eased symptoms of allergy-induced asthma: In eight of 13 studies, patients saw more than a 40 percent improvement in symptoms, versus patients who either got a drug-free placebo or standard medication.

The evidence was weaker when it came to nasal allergies. Only nine of 36 studies showed a more than 40 percent drop in symptoms such as congestion, runny nose and itchy eyes.

Still, the majority of studies did show some benefit, said lead researcher Dr. Sandra Lin, an associate professor of otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Under-the-tongue products are being evaluated for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and those results will be helpful, said Lin.

She said the results from European trials cannot be simply translated to the United States because of differences in the potency of the allergen extracts used.

"We need studies to see what are the most effective doses for U.S. patients," Lin said.

The idea of taking pills instead of getting shots definitely appeals to patients, said Dr. Harold Nelson, an allergy specialist at National Jewish Health in Denver, who wrote an editorial published with the study.

But his advice to U.S. patients was to wait for products to be approved by the FDA.

Even if your doctor offers under-the-tongue immunotherapy, "there's no guarantee" it would be the same as the products studied in clinical trials, Nelson said. He noted that U.S. doctors commonly give a patient a mix of different allergen extracts, because that's how it is done with allergy shots.

But the under-the-tongue products used in clinical trials have contained only a single allergen extract, Nelson said.

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I’m a nurse with a latex allergy — why do “latex-free” gloves still cause an allergic reaction?

Posted May 23, 2013, 2:00 am

I’m a nurse who is allergic to latex, so I always use latex-free gloves. But I still occasionally break out in hives. Why?

A product may claim to be “latex-free” or state that it “does not contain latex.” But the truth is that no existing tests can show that a product is completely free from latex.

“Natural rubber latex” comes from the sap of the rubber tree. This material is used to make a host of stretchy products, including adhesive bandages, condoms, gloves used in health care and dishwashing, balloons, rubber bands, baby bottle nipples and more.

Natural rubber latex can cause an allergic reaction because it contains proteins that set off some people’s immune systems. A latex allergy usually occurs in people with repeated exposure to natural rubber latex. That’s why they’re more common in health care workers and frequent surgical patients.

Hives or welts are a common allergic reaction to latex exposure. So are swelling, a runny nose and sneezing; red, itchy or teary eyes; headache, sore throat, abdominal cramps; or chest tightness, wheezing or shortness of breath. Sometimes the reaction can cause anaphylactic shock, which can be deadly.

Not everyone who is latex-sensitive has hives or welts. Some people get contact dermatitis, consisting of a skin rash and itching that start one to several days after contact with a latex product. Over time and repeated exposure, contact dermatitis can cause dry, crusted scabs on the skin.

The big mystery with latex allergy — and most allergies, for that matter — is why it exists. It is our immune system that causes allergies. The immune system is supposed to protect us from dangerous foreign substances and microbes. But latex isn’t dangerous to us — nor are many other things to which people have allergies, such as pollen, house dust or cat dander. Yet the immune system (or, at least, one part of it) overreacts and goes to war. In trying to protect us, it makes us sick.

Synthetic latex is an alternative to natural latex. It doesn’t provoke allergies. You can (and should) use gloves made from synthetic latex. But even that’s not a guarantee, because products made without natural latex can be contaminated with latex proteins during the manufacturing or packaging process.

Since latex is found in so many products, the best you can do is make smart choices based on information on product labels. Use gloves made from synthetic latex and avoid those made with natural rubber latex. When you find a product that doesn’t provoke an allergic reaction, stick with it.

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Allergy 'Rescue' Shots May Work Better in Lower Thigh of Overweight Kids

Title: Allergy 'Rescue' Shots May Work Better in Lower Thigh of Overweight Kids
Category: Health News
Created: 2/25/2013 2:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/26/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Should I Get Allergy Shots?

Allergy shots don't cure allergies, but they should reduce your symptoms noticeably.

They are best if you have severe allergy symptoms or symptoms that last more than three months every year, says Michael Land, MD. They can also help people who can't take allergy medicines because of side effects or interactions with other medications.

The shots are a form immunotherapy, which retrains your immune system not to overreact to your allergy trigger. Each shot contains a little bit of your allergy trigger, and over time, the dose gets bigger, so that you slowly and safely become less sensitive to that trigger.

In the buildup phase, you'll get the shots once or twice a week for several months. Some people start to feel relief within the first few weeks, though it may take several months.

When you reach your maintenance dose, you'll get a shot every 2 to 4 weeks for 3 to 5 years. Eventually, you may not need the shots at all, unless you move to an area where the pollen is different.

In most cases, allergy shots don't cause side effects, other than redness and slight swelling near the injection site. Because there's a small chance that you could have an allergic reaction, you get allergy shots at a doctor's office and stay there for about 30 minutes afterward.

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Health Tip: Help Control Eye Allergy Symptoms

Title: Health Tip: Help Control Eye Allergy Symptoms
Category: Health News
Created: 2/22/2013 8:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/22/2013 12:00:00 AM

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People With Egg Allergy Can Safely Get Flu Shot: Experts

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Flu vaccination is safe for children and adults with an egg allergy, according to new research that is especially timely in light of the current widespread flu.

"The influenza vaccine is grown in chicken eggs; therefore, it contains trace amounts of egg allergen," Dr. James Sublett, chairman of the public relations committee at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, said in a college news release.

"It has been long advised that children and adults with an egg allergy do not receive the vaccination; however, we now know administration is safe," Sublett said. "Children and adults should be vaccinated, especially when the flu season is severe, as it is this year."

A study published in the December 2012 issue of the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology concluded that flu vaccine contains such a low amount of egg protein that it won't cause an allergic reaction in children with an egg allergy.

"The benefits of the flu vaccination far outweigh the risks," Sublett said. "The best precaution for children that have experienced anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction, after ingesting eggs in the past is to receive the vaccination from an allergist."

Each year in the United States, the flu leads to the hospitalization of more than 21,000 children younger than age 5. But up to 2 percent of children may not receive the flu vaccine this year, and egg allergy is a major reason, according to the ACAAI.

Egg allergy is one of the most common food allergies in children, but about 70 percent of children outgrow the allergy by age 16.

More information

The Nemours Foundation has more about egg allergy in children.

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