By Atul N. Shah, MD, FACAAI, FAAAAI,
Medical Director, Center4AsthmaAllergy.com;
Founder, AmazingAllergist.com;
Bestselling Author of “Allergies, and Awesome You”

Are You One of Them? Look at these Allergy Facts.

There are more than 60 million Americans with allergies.
Allergy prevalence has been increasing across all age, sex and racial groups.
Allergies are the fifth leading chronic disease among all age groups.
Allergies are the third most common chronic disease among children under 18 years.
40 million Americans have indoor/outdoor allergies as their primary allergy.
10 million Americans are allergic to cat dander.
7% of allergy sufferers have skin allergies.
6% of allergy sufferers have food/drug allergies.

Allergies account for more than 17 million outpatient office visits each year.
Food allergies account for 30,000 emergency room visits each year.
The annual cost of allergies is estimated to be nearly $7 billion.
Allergies cause 4 million missed or lost workdays per year.
Allergies cost U.S. companies more than $700 million in lost productivity each year.

Percentage of the people in the U.S. who believe they have a food allergy: up to 15%.
Percentage of the people in the U.S. who actually have a food allergy: 3% to 4%.
Indoor pollution in U.S. homes exceed levels of outdoor pollution by two to 100 times.

An estimated 10 percent of the U.S. population may be allergic to animals.
Approximately 20 to 30 percent of individuals with asthma have pet allergies.
An estimated 26-30 million Americans have hay fever symptoms each year.

The treatment of a runny nose from allergies includes many other things besides allergy pills and prescription nose spray. Allergy skin tests or blood tests help determine the source of the allergy. Avoiding the cause can help significantly. In severe conditions, allergy vaccinations with shots or drops can be very useful and help prevent the recurrence of allergy-related symptoms. Vaccinations improve asthma, nasal, eye and sinus conditions and help reduce the amount of medications needed to control allergy symptoms.

So, once you realize that you have allergies, the next step, and a very important one is to believe that you can live a great life despite the allergies. It’s been a reality for many people who have believed and followed the advice of the AmazingAllergist and his team. If you agree that you’ll get better, you’ll be open to learning, discovering and using resources that can help you get there. Professionals are there to guide you, but only you can take the necessary actions to better your health and quality of life.

Now the allergen immunotherapy is available as oral drops as well, for patients who can not commit to weekly injections in a medical setting. The oral or sublingual drops are considered safe and can be administered at home. Either form of allergen immunotherapy helps reduce and in many patients, eliminate the dependence on allergy medications.

About the Author:
Atul N. Shah, MD, FACAAI, FAAAAI, is a board certified allergist and the bestselling author of the children’s book, Allergies, and Awesome You. He is also a medical director of www.Center4AsthmaAllergy.com and the founder of the educational website www.AmazingAllergist.com. He has earned an honor of fellowships in both the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He has personally treated more than 20,000 patients, made a significant impact on more than 100,000 lives as an allergist and earned the nickname “AmazingAllergist” from his patients and peers. He has been recognized with various awards, including the America’s Top Physicians’ Award, the Patients’ Choice Award, and the Most Compassionate Physicians’ Award. He believes that every allergic child and individual has a potential to live a great life, allergy-free.

As a reader of this article, receive a FREE copy of Dr. Shah’s eBook- ALLERGY. You Asked, We Answered .
(FREE download at www.Center4AsthmaAllergy.com and www.AmazingAllergist.com)

Image: Our Long Island Neighborhood – Courtesy: US Coast Guard

By Atul N. Shah, MD, FACAAI, FAAAAI,
Medical Director, Center4AsthmaAllergy.com;
Founder, AmazingAllergist.com;
Bestselling Author of “Allergies, and Awesome You”

As mother nature has once again re-validated her power through torrential rains, powerful winds and winter blizzard through “superstorm Sandy”, we are not only left with damaged properties, infrastructure but also with the renewed resolve to re-build. The immediate threat of danger has gone but also has left us with many potential health risks to deal with. Let’s prepare to prevent and minimize some of these, from allergy and asthma perspective.

Some of the general concerns:

1, Falling objects when returning to damaged homes.
2, Electricity risks from down power lines and damaged appliances and home wiring.
3, Carbon monoxide poisoning from using indoor heating and generators.
4, Gas leakage, fire hazard and explosions.
5, Water borne illnesses from contaminated water supply.
6, Health risks from consuming perishable food, such as eggs, milk, meat, fish – that’s been in a refrigerator without power.

Potential triggers for our patients and families with allergies and asthma:

1, Big storms can also boost concentrations of pollen and mold, two major allergy triggers.
2, Exposure to dust and chemicals during cleaning up.
3, Indoor gases and VOCs inside the damaged buildings.
4, Mold growth in wet walls and water damaged materials.
5, Stress of re-building life.
6, Lack of getting and using regular medications.

Simple reminders:

1, Be mindful of your environment.
2, Use masks to protect you from environmental triggers.
3, Accept the reality of life to reduce the stress.
4, Continue taking your regular medications, as prescribed.
5, Drink water from safe supply and stay hydrated.
6, Maintain well balanced diet despite the rebuilding work and stress.
7, Ask for help. Many helping hands will be happy to be of service.

Our Resolve:

At www.Center4AsthmaAllergy.com, we opened our doors, very next day after the storm, to accommodate the needs of patients and families. We still do not have phone service, internet or computer systems working as of today! We have been innovative in many ways to help our patients with available resources and infrastructure. We want you to know that we are all in this together and we will re-build again, even better. We are using the public library computers to stay connected with you!

About the Author:
Atul N. Shah, MD, FACAAI, FAAAAI, is a board certified allergist and the bestselling author of the children’s book, Allergies, and Awesome You. He is also a medical director of www.Center4AsthmaAllergy.com and the founder of the educational website www.AmazingAllergist.com. He has earned an honor of fellowships in both the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He has personally treated more than 20,000 patients, made a significant impact on more than 100,000 lives as an allergist and earned the nickname “AmazingAllergist” from his patients and peers. He has been recognized with various awards, including the America’s Top Physicians’ Award, the Patients’ Choice Award, and the Most Compassionate Physicians’ Award. He believes that every allergic child and individual has a potential to live a great life, allergy-free.

As a reader of this article, receive a FREE copy of Dr. Shah’s eBook- ALLERGY. You Asked, We Answered .
(FREE download at www.Center4AsthmaAllergy.com and www.AmazingAllergist.com)

By Atul N. Shah, MD, FACAAI, FAAAAI,
Medical Director, Center4AsthmaAllergy.com;
Founder, AmazingAllergist.com;
Bestselling Author of “Allergies, and Awesome You”

“If athletes with asthma can compete in London Olympics, there is no reason you have to restrict what you want to do despite having asthma” says Dr. Atul N. Shah, the board certified allergy and asthma specialist and a bestselling author of Allergies, and Awesome You. Those with asthma have over responsive small airways that go into spasm due to some triggers. When the airway diameter becomes narrow, it triggers cough, wheezing, shortness of breath and feeling of chest pressure or tightness. In majority of these asthma patients, this airway narrowing is reversible and right medication will help.
Based on a study by the University of Western Australia, around 8% of Olympic athletes have asthma and airway hyper-responsiveness. The author identified athletes with asthma and airway hyper-responsiveness among athletes of the last five Olympic games -from 2002 to 2010- who used inhaled bronchodilator, a drug used to relive spasm by those with asthma.
It was also observed that the athletes with asthma fair better in competition than non-asthmatic athletes. We do not know way. May be they are training harder to overcome asthma or there might be some body mechanism related to presence of asthma that stimulates performance, due to renewed ability to perform with compromised airways.
Some of these athletes have chronic asthma that require daily controller medications while others need only bronchodilator inhaler, prior to exertion or when symptomatic. The asthma specialists determine the type of medications needed based on symptoms, triggers and lung function tests.
Every single athlete participating in Olympics deserves standing ovation and they are very inspiring to all of us for their commitment level and the ability to persist despite challenges. Those with asthma deserve even more applaud as they are showing to every one of you with asthma that if asthma is well controlled, there is nothing that can stop you. If they can play at this level in sports and competition despite their condition, so can you. They also bring a point across- you don’t have to give up on being an athlete.
“Allergies play a significant role in triggering asthma symptoms. It is a known fact that 80% of asthma patients have underlying allergies and if we can control and manage allergies, the asthma improves by itself.” says Dr. Shah.
He recommends that if you have asthma or someone you know has asthma that is affecting their quality of life or limiting their potential, it is time to do something about it. Allergists are also asthma specialists and can help you live great life, despite having asthma.

About the Author:
Atul N. Shah, MD, FACAAI, FAAAAI, is a board certified allergist and the bestselling author of the children’s book, Allergies, and Awesome You. He is also a medical director of www.Center4AsthmaAllergy.com and the founder of the educational website www.AmazingAllergist.com. He has earned an honor of fellowships in both the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He has personally treated more than 20,000 patients, made a significant impact on more than 100,000 lives as an allergist and earned the nickname “AmazingAllergist” from his patients and peers. He has been recognized with various awards, including the America’s Top Physicians’ Award, the Patients’ Choice Award, and the Most Compassionate Physicians’ Award. He believes that every allergic child and individual has a potential to live a great life, allergy-free.

As a reader of this article, receive a FREE copy of Dr. Shah’s eBook- ALLERGY. You Asked, We Answered .
(FREE download at www.Center4AsthmaAllergy.com and www.AmazingAllergist.com)