After first practicing in primary care, Susan Symington, PA-C is the President of the American Academy of Physician Assistants in Allergy, (Asthma and Immunology effective July 2013).thought she knew a lot about allergies. it wasn’t until she decided to specialize in allergy, asthma and immunology and began working at the Arizona Asthma and Allergy Institute in Glendale that she realized just how severe allergies and asthma can be – and what a difference proper diagnosis and treatment can make for these patients. Read More Click Here
Do you deal with asthma and allergies in Arizona? Read more from our doctors and other resources about food allergies, pharmaceutical trends and more.
Immunodeficiencies are inherited disorders. About 60% of cases are detected in childhood, and the remaining 40% are detected in adults. Immunodeficiencies were long considered uncommon, but that perception is changing. More than 200 primary immunodeficiencies have been classified. Read more Click Here
SB1421, which will allow Arizona schools to stock epinephrine for use during emergency situations, is introduced at an ideal time and could save lives.
Food allergy is on the rise, with 6 million children estimated to have food allergies in America. It is alarming that 25 percent of all episodes of food induced allergic reactions at school occur without the child or parent knowing they were allergic to a particular food. I have heard the personal stories of patients and parents who had close calls with their children after a severe allergic reaction. Some were because of a particular food, others because of an insect sting or medication. All live with the realization that exposure to some allergens have potential fatal consequences.
This was the unfortunate outcome just last year in Virginia where first grader Ammaria Johnson died after a severe (anaphylactic) reaction to peanut ingestion at school. Here in Arizona, Anna Aguirre, once a perfectly healthy teenager, had anaphylactic shock after eating cereal containing nuts. She survived a coma but continues to have ongoing disability. In both cases intervention with medication could have altered the outcomes of these children. As a physician, I support the passage of SB1421 because conceivably it assures that potential life saving treatment is available during unexpected and severe reactions. I believe that with access to medication, disability and even death from food induced allergic reactions among students could be prevented. For children, epinephrine is proven to be very safe and highly effective in treating severe allergic reactions.
To that end, SB1421 is well thought out. It accounts for training of school personnel on how to recognize an allergic reaction as well as how to use the auto-injector. Epinephrine auto-injectors are easy to use and easy to train on their use. The signs and symptoms of when to use an epinephrine injector are also easy to describe and list. Furthermore, the bill includes a “Good Samaritan” provision, freeing school personnel to focus on doing what is right for the child.
It is also important to note that local organizations like the Arizona Food Allergy Alliance have been collaborating on the bill’s language and providing pertinent information, including details about programs that provide epinephrine auto-injectors at no cost to schools. This should be fully explored. Furthermore, SB1421 makes sense because it is known that schools are higher risk areas for exposure, as up to 18 percent of children with known food allergies have had accidental exposures at school.
I hope lawmakers support SB1421. It is a step toward better protecting our children. There will always be many cases of children having reactions without already having an established diagnosis of food allergy. And even with appropriately diagnosing children with a specific food allergy and trying to follow strict avoidance strategies there will always be risk of accidental
exposures.
We can’t ignore the fact that food allergy is on the rise and having better access to treatment for life threatening reactions is crucial to the safety of our children. What better place to start this awareness and improve safety than at our schools.
— Dr. Levente E. Erdos is a board certified allergist and 2012 president of the Arizona Asthma and Allergy Institute, the largest specialty provider of allergy care in Arizona.
It is important to be able to identify that your asthma is out of control as well as find the best treatment to manage your symptoms. There are safe and effective treatments that can relieve you of of your uncontrolled symptoms of asthma and help you to carry on with your daily life.
The first step is to realize that your asthma is not under control. The following is a list of potential indicators that your asthma needs better management.
- If you are having asthma symptoms like coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath during the day more than four days per week.
- If your asthma is waking you up at night.
- If you have recently missed school or work because of your asthma.
- If you have cut back on your usual activities because of my asthma
- If you have recently gone to the emergency room or spent time in the hospital because of your asthma.
- If you need to use your reliever medication (a fast-acting asthma medication that quickly relieves symptoms) four or more times per week (not counting puffs taken before exercise)
- If you have experienced any unwanted effects from my asthma medications
- If you use a peak flow meter (a device that helps you measure your lung function), and your peak flow meter readings have been getting worse.
- If there have been any changes in your routine or environment lately (e.g., getting a pet, spending more time around smokers).
At Arizona Asthma and Allergy Institute, our doctors are experienced in the diagnosis and management of uncontrolled asthma and we want to help you to experience the relief that you need. Learn more here about what happens during an asthma attack. Call one of our offices today and feel better!
NIOX MINO®, a hand-held device for the measurement of airway inflammation and monitoring of patients with asthma, has just been 510(k) cleared by the FDA. NIOX MINO, a product of Swedish company Aerocrine AB, is designed to measure fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), an inflammatory marker. The company promotes its product as a device that will “cost efficiently improve management and care of patients with inflammatory disorders, such as asthma.” The monitor is sensitive enough to detect as low as 5 particles per billion of exhaled nitric oxide. Read more here.
At Arizona Asthma and Allergy Institute, we are now using this new technology to further evaluate and manage asthma.
Our Gilbert location has moved across the street to Mesa to better serve you. The new address is: 4140 E. Baseline Rd # 112
Mesa, AZ 85206 – If you have any questions, please call our office at 602-843-2991
The “Pneumonia Shot” as it is commonly referred is a vaccine that helps protect against infection from the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae. This is one of the most common bacterias to cause Pneumonia, Bronchitis or Sinusitis.
Do you know that the guidelines recommend this vaccine for anyone with Asthma 19 years and older? Read below for further information about this vaccine and who should receive:
Vaccination with pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV) is recommended for all people who meet any of the criteria below:
- Previously unvaccinated adults age 65 years and older
- Age 2 through 64 with any of the following conditions:
- Chronic pulmonary disease (including athma in people age 19 years and older)
- Cigarette smokers 19 years and older
- Chronic cardiovascular disease
- Immunocompromising conditions
- Diabetes mellitus
- Chronic kidney disease
- Alcoholism or chronic liver disease
The FDA has ordered Primatene Mist, the only over-the-counter asthma inhaler, be taken off drugstore shelves December 31st. Primatene Mist has CFC’s which is not environmentally safe as this can deplete the earth’s ozone layer. Several other products with CFC’s have already been removed from the market for the same reasons.
AAAI Physicians do not endorse Primatene Mist for asthma treatment because this is no longer the standard of care for asthma and the epinephrine in this medication has harmful side effects if over used. There are safer and more appropriate medications for asthma treatment.
We feel this will improve patient care by decreasing adverse effects from this medication. This will also encourage patients to see their physician to discuss their symptoms and have appropriate evaluation and treatment.
Insect stings commonly cause local swelling, pain, itching and redness at the site of the sting. Many people who have an allergy to insect venom have these same symptoms but causing much larger reactions that can persist for days. Up to 3-4% of Adults and 1% of Children in the general population have an allergy to insects that cause more serious “systemic reactions”. Systemic reactions will not only cause large local reactions at the site of the sting but also can cause diffuse hives, trouble breathing and possibly life threatening symptoms such as throat swelling and anaphylactic shock. The most common insect allergies to cause these types of reactions are from Bee and Fire Ant stings.
Here at the Arizona Asthma and Allergy Institute we have accurate testing to evaluate those at risk for these potentially serious reactions to insect stings. Patients with a known history of serious reactions to Bees or Fire Ants can qualify for allergy injections which can be 98% effective in preventing a systemic reaction to future stings. If you have any questions or want further investigation on your risk of insect allergy then our providers can help you!
The onset of eczema frequently coincides with introduction of certain foods into the infant’s diet. Common food allergies and possible triggers to eczema in children include egg, milk, peanut, soy and wheat. Overall, about 20-30% of children with eczema have food allergies to one or more of these foods.
If your child has eczema there may be an underlying food allergy contributing. We can further evaluate this to see if foods are a trigger to your child’s eczema and avoiding the food allergen(s) can have a significant benefit in improving eczema.
