In this commonsense book, Dr. Gershwin and Dr. Klingelhofer offer sensible, practical strategies for identifying the substances that cause allergies (allergens), the symptoms they cause, ways exposure to allergens can be avoided or reduced, and ways you can relieve the symptoms. Living Allergy Free also treats some reactions that are commonly assumed to be allergies, but are really sensitivity or irritant reactions, shows how they can be distinguished from true allergies, and tells you what to do about them. If you suffer from allergies-or if you think you do-Living Allergy Free is just what the doctor would order!

The term "autoimmunity" has been used to categorize a number of different diseases of unknown etiology. The term as applied to many of these diseases would probably be interpreted best as "autoreactivity," as the clinical phenotypes are often characterized by an inflammatory-like accumulation of activated cells of the immune system at sites of obvious damage of normal cells and/or tissue. The reasons as to why an immune system should attack itself are far from clear, although the association with specific infectious diseases in genetically susceptible people remains perhaps our best lead. The input of the biotechnological revolution has enabled us to attempt to readdress many of the fundamental questions raised by clinical and serological associations with autoimmune disease. The ability to dissect the immune response to these infectious agents which are associated with autoimmune features (as well as the facility to identify new agents, e. g. HIV), in addition to the ability to clone and sequence immune response genes, has enabled a much better understanding, at least of the complexity of "autoimmunity" to be gleaned. This volume contains the chapters that summarize the plenary presentations given at The Impact of Biotechnology on AUTOIMMUNI1Y meeting in Florence, Italy in June 1993. They cover all aspects from pathogenesis to treatment. The association with infectious diseases and autoimmunity is comprehensively covered by David Isenberg who reviews major issues, such as the association of autoantibodies appearing after infectious disease and antibacterial antibodies associated with autoimmune disease.

Respiratory allergy is constantly encountered and is sharply on the rise, particularly in the two most vulnerable age-groups: young children and seniors. Allergy results in airway hyperactivity and increased airway resistance, with all inflammatory sequelae being ensued. The chapters show how respiratory allergy research is interconnected with other disciplines by discussing neurotransmitter, membrane receptor, and ionic channel mechanisms of allergy and by giving diagnostic and pharmacological cues on desensitization and therapy.

This volume details a collection of laboratory protocols to study asthma in mice and humans. Chapters cover animal models of asthma, methods to measure asthma-related molecules, protocols to detect, isolate, culture and stimulate cells that contribute to asthma in mice and humans, methods to deplete these cells in vivo and study responses of intact airway tissues ex vivo. Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and reagents, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Asthma: Methods and Protocols aims to be a foundation for future studies and to be a source of inspiration for new investigations in the field.

With insight and research from world-renowned experts, this book provides specific approaches to diagnosis and treatment, addressing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic management. Specific conditions examined include asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis, anaphylaxis, atopic and contact dermatitis, urticaria and angioedema, hereditary angioedema, drug allergies, and primary immune deficiency. An overview of obstetric management of the high risk asthmatic and allergic patient is provided, and the book concludes with a discussion of the prevention of asthma and allergic diseases during childhood.

In this happily-ever-after tale, author Debi Lewis learns how to feed her mysteriously unwell daughter, falling in love with food in the process. For many parents, feeding their children is easy and instinctive, either an afterthought or a mindless task like laundry and driving the carpool. For others, though, it is on the same spectrum in which Debi Lewis found herself: part of what felt like an endless slog to move her daughter from failure-to-thrive to something that looked, if not like thriving, at least like survival. The emotional weight of not being able to feed one's child feels like a betrayal of the most basic aspect of nurturing. While every faux matzo ball, every protein-packed smoothie that tasted like a milkshake, every new lentil dish that her daughter liked made Lewis's spirit rise, every dish pushed away made it sink. Kitchen Medicine: How I Fed My Daughter out of Failure to Thrive tells the story of how Lewis made her way through mothering and feeding a sick child, aided by Lewis' growing confidence in front of the stove. It's about how she eventually saw her role as more than caretaker and fighter for her daughter's health and how she had to redefine what mothering--and feeding--looked like once her daughter was well. This is the story of learning to feed a child who can't seem to eat. It's the story of growing love for food, a mirror for people who cook for fuel and those who cook for love; for those who see the miracle in the growing child and in the fresh peach; for matzo-ball lovers and the gluten-intolerant; and for parents who want to feed their kids without starving their souls.

If you had an allergy so severe that accidentally eating a forbidden food could kill you in minutes--as you gasp for breath, your throat and tongue swell shut, your blood pressure drops and organs fail--how would it change your life, and your relationship to food? For people with food-induced anaphylaxis, the severest form of allergic response, simply eating in restaurants, accepting invitations to dinner, going on overnight field trips, or traveling through foreign countries means facing one's mortality with every meal. In this book, Mark S. Ferrara weaves history, science, and psychology to recount the story of his struggles with allergic asthma and a life-threatening allergy to nuts--and his difficulties living and working in the Far East and Near East--to show how the quest for self-actualization can lead to an acceptance of transience that borders on the mystical. Along the way, he guides parents in keeping food-allergic children safe at home and at school and offers strategies that adolescents and adults may use to negotiate social spaces involving food. He explains how survivors of anaphylaxis can cope with the sometimes-irrational fears of food that follow that traumatic experience, so they may live happy, healthy, meaningful lives.

The impairment of lung function caused by environmental exposure to pollutants and toxicants is a rising health problem, particularly in highly industrialized parts of the world. The problem is urgently calling for the development of new methodologies to assess both the level of elemental exposure and the effects for quality of health and longevity. This volume provides state-of-the-art information about the recent advances in occupational and non-occupational pollutant-related disorders of the respiratory tract, and the assessment of a threat they pose for the health-span. Heavy traffic-related air pollution, unnoticeable but salient health detriment, is dealt with at length.

This comprehensive book thoroughly covers the spectrum of rhinitis conditions and related comorbidities. Rhinitis and Related Upper Respiratory Conditions is a unique resource that delivers essential clinical information, addressing the varying patient populations which might be encountered in different types of clinical settings. Chapters range from topics such as pediatric, adult, geriatric, and occupational rhinitis, while also covering the full array of rhinitis subtypes and their complications. Later chapters address secondary causes of rhinitis such as systemic diseases manifesting as rhinitis, drug-induced rhinitis, and CSF leak. Written by experts in the field, every chapter is structured to contain clinical cases which illustrate the typical patient presentation, and their diagnostic work-up and treatment, providing the knowledge needed to further improve diagnosis and care for the patient with rhinitis. Rhinitis and Related Upper Respiratory Conditions is an ideal resource for allergists, primary care physicians, and health care extenders, to help them recognize and further improve care of patients with rhinitis.

This book will address the growing roles of epigenetics in disease pathogenesis, and review the contribution of epigenetic modifications to disease onset and progression. The roles that epigenetics plays in facilitating effects of the environment on allergy and immunologic diseases will be reviewed. The book is divided into three parts - the first is an introduction to epigenetics and the methods that have been developed to study epigenetics, the second addresses epigenetics in allergic diseases and the third part will cover epigenetics in autoimmune diseases. With the rapid expansion of knowledge of how genes are regulated and how this regulation affects disease phenotypes, this book will be attractive to experienced researchers as well as those just launching an epigenetics research program. It will also be of interest to allergist, immunologists, rheumatologists and dermatologist who are engaged in clinical practice as a resource for understanding the basis for personalized and precision medicine. For example, the role that epigenetics plays in the pathogenesis in various allergic and autoimmune disorders and how this determines disease phenotypes will be covered extensively in this book. This book will thus help fill the gap in available resources on epigenetics in allergy and autoimmune diseases.

Japanese Kampo Medicines for the Treatment of Common Diseases - Focus on Inflammation provides researchers and clinicians with a current look at how Kampo medicines can be used to effectively treat inflammatory disorders. Japanese Kampo medicines are a mixture of natural and herbal medicines that are available in Japan for the treatment of various diseases. Given their therapeutic potential, they are often prescribed instead of, or alongside, allopathic medicines. Kampo medicines are becoming more widespread and have proven effective for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory diseases, such as colitis, dermatitis, myocarditis, hepatitis, cardiomyopathy, and nephritis. This book offers background on Japanese Kampo medicines, along with a compilation of the published scientific data for several different types of Kampo medicines. It is an evidence-based guide for all those involved in, or interested in, the research and practice of Kampo medicine.

This third volume in an exciting and detailed series on contact allergens provides monographs of all 384 topical drugs which have caused contact allergy/allergic contact dermatitis. The monographs present: Identification section; Contact allergy (general population, patients with dermatitis, case reports and case series); Cross-reactions; Patch test sensitization; Photocontact allergy; and Immediate contact reactions (contact urticaria). Separate chapters present an overview of all aspects of allergic contact dermatitis to topical drugs, contact allergy to non-drug ingredients in topical pharmaceuticals and a preview of delayed-type allergy to systemic drugs (to be discussed in Volume 4). Key Features: Presents monographs of all known topical drugs which have caused contact allergy/allergic contact dermatitis Provides a full literature review of relevant topics of allergenic topical drugs Identifies IUPAC names, synonyms, CAS and EC numbers, structural and chemical formulas, Merck Index monographs, and advises on patch testing Presents non-drug allergens in topical pharmaceuticals Covers an extensive amount of information to benefit dermatologists, allergists, and all others interested in drug allergy

In this updated third edition of the critically-acclaimed volume, expert physicians assemble user-friendly, clinically-oriented guides to aid in the day-to-day management of the allergic patient. With an emphasis on common allergic diseases and the pharmacological tools to control them, Allergic Diseases: Diagnosis and Treatment, Third Edition disseminates the practical knowledge that practitioners have accumulated through practice and teaching in the field of allergy and immunology.

This entirely revised third edition updates topics from the second edition and now covers in detail the use of antihistamines and antileukotrienes. Another new chapter will help physicians treat children who experience recurrent respiratory tract infections. Other topics include diagnostic tests, insect stings, sinusitis and otitis media, ocular allergy, atopic dermatitis, and food allergy.

Allergic Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment, Third Edition, is intended for the front-line physician who cares for allergic patients and will help any physician improve the care offered to those patients.

A breathtaking one in five people in the U.S. has a health condition related to food-from disruptive sensitivities and intolerances to serious allergic reactions that can send them to the ER. These food-related problems are on a historic rise across all ages. And the spectrum of these ailments is wide and deep, with many tricky "masqueraders" in the mix to create a lot of confusion, potential misdiagnoses, and faulty or poor treatment-and immeasurable suffering for millions of people. The good news: Dr. Ruchi Gupta, on the front lines of this silent epidemic, now shares revolutionary research from her lab and clinical practice. In Food Without Fear, Dr. Gupta illuminates this misunderstood spectrum and offers a new approach to managing adverse reactions to food with a practical plan to end the misery and enjoy eating with ease. This panoramic view empowers you to know what questions to ask your doctor to get the correct diagnosis. From debunking common myths (an allergy and an intolerance aren't the same thing-but both can have life-threatening consequences) to identifying masqueraders, to understanding triggers (including environmental factors), as well as the microbiome's role in adverse food reactions, these pages hold the answers. Using a framework of Identify and Empower, Treat, Manage and Prevent, and Thrive, Food Without Fear offers hope, help-and food freedom-to the millions of people who so need it. Developed by world-renowned researcher Dr. Ruchi Gupta, this revolutionary spectrum approach empowers and informs so you can take charge of your health. In Food Without Fear, you'll learn: - The differences between an allergy and an intolerance or sensitivity - What "masqueraders" are and how to identify them - Which health conditions are mistaken for food allergies-or can be triggered by them - The top offenders that can spark an allergy attack or intolerance - The surprising allergies on the rise (think red meat and exercise) - The potential connections between genetics, environmental exposures, and risk for developing food-related conditions - How to S.T.O.P. the misery and chart your healthy path forward Offering assessments, information on the most up-to-date treatments, and practical tips for keeping yourself safe, Food Without Fear welcomes you back to the table.

Key Features * Covers allergic diseases in general and asthma in detail, providing a comprehensive coverage of clinical features, diagnosis and management, using a case-based approach * Creates awareness of the fundamentals of clinical allergy, helping physicians make wise choices of medical and surgical management, especially in resource limited settings * Features insight from international authors with clinical experience in diagnosis and treatment of asthma in the specific age group of adolescents and young adults.

Key Features * Covers allergic diseases in general and asthma in detail, providing a comprehensive coverage of clinical features, diagnosis and management, using a case-based approach * Creates awareness of the fundamentals of clinical allergy, helping physicians make wise choices of medical and surgical management, especially in resource limited settings * Features insight from international authors with clinical experience in diagnosis and treatment of asthma in the specific age group of adolescents and young adults.

The sixth edition of Lockey and Ledford's Allergens and Allergen Immunotherapy continues to provide comprehensive coverage of all types of allergens and allergen vaccines, providing clinicians the essential information they need to accurately diagnose and manage all allergic conditions. With new and updated chapters, the sixth edition is the most up-to-date, single resource on allergy and immunotherapy. Key Features Completely revised and updated Detailed single source reference on allergy and immunotherapy Reorganized to provide clinicians with essential information to make diagnoses and offer the best treatments

Definitive yet concise, Food Allergy, by Drs. John M. James, Wesley Burks, and Philippe Eigenmann, provides expert guidance for efficient diagnosis and effective management of these increasingly prevalent conditions. The consistent, practical format, with a wealth of case studies, clinical pearls and pitfalls, full-color photos and illustrations, diagrams, and more - along with online access at www.expertconsult.com - make this an ideal quick reference tool for both allergy clinicians and primary care physicians. Quickly reference essential topics thanks to a templated, focused format that includes a wealth of full-color photos and illustrations, diagrams, case studies, and more. Benefit from the knowledge, experience, and global perspective of leading international authors. Deliver the best outcomes by incorporating clinical pearls from experts in the field into your practice. Stay current with timely topics including our latest understanding of non-IgE-mediated food allergies; cross-reactions; future therapies; natural history and prevention; and a review of unproven diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. Access this reference online at ExpertConsult.com, complete with the full text, entire image bank, and more. The tools you need to quickly and accurately diagnose, treat, and manage food allergies.

This book contains twelve chapters contributed by prestigious international experts who are at the forefront of B cell research, and aims to provide a cutting-edge and comprehensive overview of all aspects of B cells, including B cell development, maturation and activation, germinal center reaction, memory and plasma cell differentiation, and antibody-mediated positive and negative regulation of humoral immune responses. There are also three chapters describing human diseases caused by B cell abnormalities, including primary antibody deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and B cell malignancies. We hope that this book will become a standard and routine reference for both basic researchers and clinicians.

Allergic diseases are complex and involve a range of environmental factors interacting with a susceptible genotype. The familial clustering of diseases, such as asthma and hay fever, has been recognised for over two centuries, but identification of the genetic basis to this had to await the molecular biological revolution. Estimates of the contribution that genetic factors make to asthma susceptibility range from 35% to 70%. For the majority of allergic diseases, segregation analysis has not identified a consistent Mendelian pattern of inheritance, which, when combined with multiple phenotypes and environmental interactions, has made identifying candidate genes especially difficult and, at times, controversial. Part of the difficulty has been lack of agreement over phenotype definitions, reduced power of studies to predict linkage and association, and, importantly, lack of true heterogeneity between populations. Despite these difficulties, the last decade has witnessed enormous progress in this field.

In The Best Guide to Allergy, medical experts answer all your personal concerns and questions about allergy and asthma in easily understood language. Drawing on their extensive experience in treating both children and adults, as well as on the latest research findings, they offer up-to-date, explanations of the causes, care, treatment, remedies, and prevention of these uncomfortable, often debilitating, and sometimes even life-threatening ailments.

Food Allergy in Atopic Drugs; O.L. Frick. Mechanisms of Allergic Bronchoconstriction in the Rat; J.G. Martin. The Role of Nebulized IFN-gamma in the Modulation of Allergic Responses; G. Lack, E.W. Gelfand. Murine Animal Models to Study the Central Role of T Cells in Immediate-Type Hypersensitivity Responses; U. Herz, et al. Glutathione S-Transferase Induses Murine Dermatitis that Resembles Human Allergic Dermatitis; C-H. Hsu, et al. Effects of rIL-12 Administration on an Antigen Specific Immune Response; J.D. Rempel-Chin, et al. Mapping the Genes for IgE Production and Allergy; D.G. Marsh. Genetic Factors in Asthma; W. Cookson. Regulation of Interleukin-12 Signalling During T Helper Phenotype Development; N.G. Jacobsen, et al. Responsiveness to the Major Pollen Allergen of Parietaria Officinalis is Associated with Defined HLA-DRB1 Alleles in Italian and Spanish Allergic Patients; A. Ruffilli, et al. HLA-DR3 is Associated with the IgE Imune Responsiveness to a Recombinant Allergen from Blomia tropicalis (BT); L. Carabello, et al. Structural and Antigenic Studies of Cockroach Allergens and Their Relevance to Asthma; M.D. Chapman, et al. 55 Additional Articles. Index.

With a focus on improving diagnosis and treatment, Drug Allergy Testing is your new go-to resource for understanding various drug allergies and testing methods, the epidemiology of and economic impact of drug allergies, and new drug and allergy developments. Features a wealth of up-to-date information for allergists, immunologists, and primary care physicians who diagnose and treat patients with drug allergies and hypersensitivity. Covers the basics of drug allergy evaluation and management as well as specific drugs including antibiotics, ASA/NSAIDs, chemotherapeutic agents and monoclonal antibodies.

This issue of Immunology and Allergy Clinics, guest edited by Drs. Peck Ong and Peter Schmid-Grendelmeier, is devoted to Allergic Skin Diseases. Articles in this issue include Wet-wrap Therapy in Atopic Dermatitis; Biologics in Chronic Urticaria; Clinical Measures of Chronic Urticaria; Cutaneous Manifestation of Drug Allergy; Itch in Atopic Dermatitis; Biomarkers in Atopic Dermatitis; Differential Diagnosis of Atopic Dermatitis; Differential Diagnosis of Chronic Urticaria; ACE-inhibitor-induced Angioedema; The Role of Fungi in Atopic Dermatitis; Cutaneous Manifestation of Food Allergy; Pediatric Mastocytosis; Allergic Contact Dermatitis; Hereditary Angioedema; Infectious Complications in Atopic Dermatitis; and Cutaneous Manifestations Primary Immunodeficiency/Autoimmunity.

An MS diagnosis presents many unanswered questions: How is this diagnosis going to change my life? Where do I begin? How will I manage to take care of my family, work, and travel? No one knows the answers to these questions better than Shelley Peterman Schwarz, who has lived nearly forty years with multiple sclerosis. Schwarz imbues her updated collection of practical tips and short cuts with personal stories that highlight her trials and triumphs. Shelley shares her real-life experiences as a wife, mother, friend, and employee/employer coping, managing, and growing with MS with a humorous warmth and unflinching honesty. This extensively revised and updated third edition is packed with helpful information and now includes over 800 tips and new solutions and strategies for confronting the challenges of living a full life with a debilitating chronic illness. With Shelley's guidance, readers will learn to conserve valuable time and energy, develop techniques for making everyday tasks easier, manage symptoms, maintain positive relationships, stay motivated, and bounce back when MS knocks you down. Expanded chapters cover medical issues, home safety and accessibility, dressing and looking your best, and travel. NEW sections include: A Thriver's Guide Taking Charge Mentally and Physically Family and Friends Marriage Sexual Compatibility and Intimacy Being a Parent Driving and Disability Working Finding Help and Support With hundreds of new tips and tools, and practical wisdom for meeting challenges large and small, this book continues to inform, encourage, validate, and empower individuals and families living with multiple sclerosis.