Allergies, features and articles | Educational Science

Jun 6, 2014

Exposure to Allergens Early in Life May Lower Children's Allergy Risk

Children who are exposed to more allergens and bacteria in their homes during the first year of life may be less likely to suffer from allergies, wheezing and asthma later on, a new study suggests. Researchers found that 3-year-olds who were exposed to mouse dander, cat dander and cockroach droppings...

Jun 6, 2014

Three Common Indoor Allergy Myths Busted

Dr. Nabeel Farooqui is an allergist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. He contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. This time of year everyone's attention is on allergies — most importantly, how to stop them in their tracks. I have patients each spring...

Sep 3, 2014

How Blueberry Pie Caused Girl's Strange Allergic Reaction

A girl in Canada experienced an unusual allergic reaction to blueberry pie — she was not allergic to any of the pie's ingredients, but instead reacted to antibiotic residue in the food, a new study suggests. Shortly after eating a slice of blueberry pie, the girl experienced facial flushing, hives...

Nov 6, 2014

Rare Allergy to an Orange Nearly Kills Toddler

A 2-year-old girl in Pennsylvania nearly died recently after she suffered an unusually severe allergic reaction to eating an orange, her doctors reported. The toddler picked up the orange in a supermarket, and within a few minutes of eating it, she developed a reaction that required a prompt trip to...

Jan 30, 2015

New Peanut Allergy Treatment Shows Promise

Children with peanut allergies who tried a new treatment involving probiotics wound up being able to eat peanuts without suffering an allergic reaction, a new study from Australia says. However, there is reason to be cautious about the study's results, said Dr. Donald Leung, head of pediatric allergy and immunology...

Feb 13, 2015

Throat-Closing Ailment EoE is a Mystery That Must Be Solved (Op-Ed)

Dr. Princess Ogbogu, director of allergy and immunology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, contributed this column to Live Science’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Imagine sitting down to a meal, only to end up in the emergency department. This is a possibility for an increasing number of...

Feb 22, 2015

Children Have Fewer Allergies When Families Do Dishes by Hand

Doing dishes the old-fashioned way — by hand — might help curb a modern-day problem: rising rates of childhood allergies, a new study suggests. Researchers in Sweden found that children living in families that hand-washed their dishes were about 40 percent less likely to develop allergies compared with kids in...

Feb 23, 2015

Peanut Allergy Prevention? Peanut Butter Snacks Could Help

If children are at high risk for a peanut allergy, having them eat peanut butter frequently from an early age may help protect them from developing the allergy, a new study suggests. The study involved more than 600 infants in the United Kingdom ages 4 to 11 months who were...

Mar 5, 2015

High-Fiber Diet May Help Prevent Allergies

From overly clean dishes to skyrocketing rates of cesarean-section births, scientists have proposed dozens of explanations for the sharp rise in food allergies in recent years. Now, several new studies suggest another factor that could play a role in food allergies: dietary fiber. This notion is based on the idea...

Apr 3, 2015

For Some Kids, Easter Egg Hunts Pose Allergy Risk

Several children in Florida experienced allergic reactions after they secretly ate chocolate during an Easter egg hunt, without their parents realizing it, according to a new report of the cases. The four children — two boys and two girls, ages 4 to 7 years old — had all previously been...

Apr 7, 2015

Boy Gets Food Allergies from Blood Transfusion

A boy in Canada mysteriously became allergic to fish and nuts after he received a blood transfusion, according to a new case report. The 8-year-old boy had no history of being allergic to any foods, and was undergoing treatment for medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer. A few weeks after...

May 4, 2015

Probiotics May Help Relieve Seasonal Allergies

Probiotics, or good bacteria, may be helpful to people with seasonal allergies, a new review suggests. Researchers analyzed the results from more than 20 previous studies and found that hay fever sufferers may get some benefits from using probiotics, improving their symptoms and quality of life. But the jury is...

May 5, 2015

Drug Allergies: Causes, Symptoms and Diagnosis

Drug allergies are dangerous reactions to medicines or drugs that people take. These allergic reactions can lead to relatively mild problems, such as non-threatening rashes, or to more dangerous reactions, such as anaphylaxis and tissue damage. If you do have a drug allergy, it's important to let your health providers...

May 13, 2015

Allergy 'Double Whammy' Hits Some US Cities

About a third of Americans live in areas where allergies could be made worse by a combination of high ozone levels and ragweed pollen, according to a new report. The top cities with this allergy-inducing combo — dubbed in the report as the Sneeziest and Wheeziest cities — include Richmond,...

May 17, 2015

Children with Asthma May Have Peanut Allergies

Some children who have asthma may also have peanut allergies but not know it, according to a new study. The new results show that children with asthma may benefit from testing for peanut sensitivity, the researchers said. I think if a child with asthma is having difficulty controlling their symptoms...