Blog Archive

Eczema is an itchy, rashy skin condition that makes life uncomfortable and sometimes just plain miserable for about 10% of women, men, and kids in the United States. If you have eczema, your skin may be: Scaly Bumpy Red Itchy Thick You’re more likely to have eczema if you already...

Few things are as frightening as witnessing your child’s first asthma attack. You watch your little one struggle to take a breath, and their lungs wheeze and whistle when they try to breathe normally. They may also: Cough Have chest pain Be fatigued Breathe too rapidly When your doctor diagnoses...

You cough when your body needs to expel an irritant from your airways. That could be anything from dust or smoke to a pathogen such as bacteria or a virus. Coughs are often part of an allergy response, too. So when you start coughing and just don’t stop, you might...

As if it isn’t difficult enough to feed children real, healthy, whole foods, you now need to be aware of potential food allergies when planning family meals, school lunches, or a party. Your kids already have a host of likes and dislikes that don’t coincide with each other, making meal...

About 20% of people around the world suffer from an inflammatory skin condition known as hives, or urticaria, at some point in their lives. Hives are a type of raised rash that can be incredibly itchy and temporarily disfiguring.  You want to enjoy summer like the rest of your friends...

Almost 100 years ago, Dr. Frederick Hasty wrote an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) lamenting the frequency of sinus infections due to swimming. You’d think families today would be forewarned and forearmed for summer so they could avoid the pain of a swimming-related sinus infection....

As if all the conflicting information about healthy diets isn’t confusing enough, you’ve noticed that you or your kids have negative reactions to certain foods that you eat. Does that mean you have a food allergy? Food allergies are common and are on the rise. About one in 10 adults...

About 81 million women, men, and children in the United States have seasonal allergies, otherwise known as hay fever. And many people with allergies have more than just hay fever. During an allergic reaction, your body goes into attack mode when you breathe in otherwise innocuous substances, such as pollen,...

Seasonal allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis or hay fever, affect approximately 67 million adults and 14 million children in the United States. That’s a lot of runny noses, itchy eyes, and general malaise for a good portion of the year. If you have pollen allergies, you might think that...

Eczema is a group of skin conditions that affects approximately 32 million women, men, and children in the United States. Eczema usually appears early in life. If you’ve had itchy, dry skin since you were a child, you probably have a form of eczema, such as:  Atopic dermatitis Contact dermatitis...

Irritants and mucus in your throat trigger the reflex that you know as a cough. Coughs clear your throat of everything from smoke to viruses, and the air from a cough travels through your throat at the rate of about 50 miles per hour. It’s normal to cough every once...

Hives, also known as urticaria, are raised bumps, welts, or rashy areas on your skin that occur as a reaction to something you touched, inhaled, or ate. They can appear suddenly, out of nowhere, and you may not even know why you got them. You also may get hives from...

Earaches can be excruciating. Although they’re common in children, whose eustachian tubes are shorter and oriented more horizontally, adults develop earaches, too. An earache could have a number of causes, including: Swimmer’s ear Allergies Jaw arthritis Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder Ear injury  Obstruction due to an object or excess earwax ...

Asthma is a chronic condition that makes breathing difficult. If you have asthma, the airways in your lungs can become inflamed and narrow. You may find yourself gasping to try to get enough air into your lungs. If you’ve been diagnosed with asthma, you should always carry quick-action medication, such...

Sinuses are pairs of hollow, air-filled cavities around your nose, eyes, and forehead. Your sinuses produce mucus to keep your nasal passages lubricated and reduce the number of pathogens that reach your lungs. Sinus infections usually develop due to exposure to bacteria or viruses. When you have sinusitis, the tissues...

Anaphylaxis is a sudden, severe reaction to an allergen that can be life-threatening. About one in 20 women, men, and children in the United States have experienced at least one episode of anaphylaxis. Half of adults with food allergies have had an anaphylactic reaction. If you have allergies, you’re at risk for anaphylaxis,...

An estimated 31.6 million women, men, and children in the United States suffer from an inflammatory skin condition called eczema, which is characterized by scaly, rough, itchy patches. There are several different types of eczema: Atopic dermatitis: dry, itchy skin Contact dermatitis: reaction to allergens on your skin Dyshidrotic eczema:...

Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory lung disease that narrows your airways and causes shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and chest pain. About 21 million Americans age 18 and older have asthma, as do approximately 5 million children and teens.  You’re more likely to have asthma if you’re a woman than if you’re a...

Every year in the United States, more than 50 million women, men, and children suffer from some type of allergy. Seasonal allergies from pollen and ragweed are most common, but you can be allergic to almost anything, including your own pets and the foods you eat. If you have allergies, you may not...

Coughing is a form of self-protection. A cough is your body’s way of expelling irritants, pathogens, mucus, and other fluids from your airway, and it’s an automatic reflex, such as sneezing or blinking. Coughs are powerful forces: They move air through your throat at speeds near 50 miles per hour....

What’s the worst thing about the raised red bumps and welts appearing on your skin for weeks? For most people who develop chronic hives, the most aggravating thing about them isn’t how they look or the itchy discomfort they cause but not knowing why they appear in the first place. ...