Oral Food Desensitization Program

Oklahoma Institute of Allergy & Asthma is pleased to announce a new Oral Food Desensitization program that provides a long-term solution for milk and egg allergic patients. At the end of this 5-6 month program patients with milk and egg allergy will be able to consume these foods with no allergic reactions. The program introduces minute doses of milk or egg in solution over a period of three to four months. The program then progresses to small doses of the whole food for an additional two to three months, resulting in tolerance to these foods allowing the children to consume milk and/or eggs without any adverse reactions.

This program is designed for a child of school age or older who will be old enough to understand the reasons for participating and be actively engaged in the process.

The first visit of the desensitization process is a full day during which the child will receive multiple doses of very small amounts of diluted milk or diluted egg powder. The child will return weekly for dose increases followed by one hour of observation. Between each visit the patient will take three doses of the desensitizing food each day at home. Once desensitization is complete the previously allergic food can be freely included in the diet. To maintain tolerance the food must be eaten daily.

Contact our office today at 405-607-4333 and schedule a consultation for Oral Food Desensitization to milk and/or eggs.

Pet Allergies

If someone in your home has pet allergies, you may wash the dog twice a week, steam clean your carpet or treat your pet with sprays or drops to reduce shedding, but is there any evidence that these measures help?

The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) and its allergist members, doctors who are experts at diagnosing and treating allergies and asthma, offer the following research-based environmental changes that can reduce the allergen levels in your home and may help stop symptoms:
1.    Replace carpeting with hard surfaces. Did you know carpeted floors accumulate 100 times more cat allergens than hard floors? Switch to polished surfaces like hardwood floors, polished stone or tile.
2.    Limit or remove fabric upholstered furniture. Research shows that upholstered furniture and curtains contain significant amounts of cat dander and even more than what is found on the floor.
3.    Wash bedding and curtains. To remove dog dander from bedding and curtains, use one of these three techniques: wash in water at least 140°F with one rinse; wash at any temperature with two rinses; or wash in a steam washing machine.
4.    Use tightly woven coverings on all bedding. Protective coverings for mattresses, box springs and pillows are often recommended, and studies show that tightly woven fabric with openings less than 4 microns wide can reduce allergens.
5.    Make multiple changes for best results. Studies show that making multiple indoor environment changes is required to significantly reduce pet allergens.

There’s little evidence these control tips work when it comes to pet allergies:
•    Bathing pets with water and special shampoo
•    Steam cleaning carpet and upholstery
•    Giving pet oral agents or topical sprays to reduce shedding
•    Using a HEPA vacuum

Pet owners with allergies should call the Oklahoma Institute of Allergy & Asthma, and discuss treatment options, including whether allergy shots (immunotherapy) can bring pet allergy symptom relief.

enKeep Your Green Thumb, Avoid The Red Nose

If you have a green thumb but are bothered by a red, stuffy nose caused by seasonal allergies, the ACAAI offers the following information to help you maximize time spent tending plants rather than sniffles.

As many as 40 million people have hay fever (allergic rhinitis), which can cause symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, wheezing and cough. Hay fever has nothing to do with hay or fever. Rather, the culprit is pollen from trees, grasses and weeds. Peak season is usually March through October but varies by region depending on when pollination occurs. Tree pollen can begin as early as January in the South, for example. Read more

FAAMA

This is Amy L. Darter, MD with the Oklahoma Institute of Allergy & Asthma, and I’d like to share some GREAT NEWS for food allergy sufferers and parents of food allergic children!  Five years after the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (FAAMA) was introduced in the U.S. Congress, FAAMA has finally passed as part of the food safety bill and is expected to be signed into law by President Obama.  FAAMA was originally introduced into Congress back in 2005 as part of The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network’s (FAAN) inaugural Kids’ Congress on Capitol Hill.  Five years later, and after overcoming some last-minute procedural hurdles during the recent session, the food safety bill was approved by the Senate on Dec. 19, and then by the House on Dec. 21.

FAAMA will lead to the very much-needed creation of national food allergy management guidelines for schools. While these guidelines are voluntary, they will provide schools without existing food allergy management policies with a monumental resource.  These policies are critical to help educate school officials about food allergy, a potentially life-threatening medical condition, and help them implement emergency plans in case a severe reaction occurs on school grounds. Studies have shown that up to 25% percent of reactions in school occur in children with previously undiagnosed food allergy.  The guidelines will also benefit parents of children with food allergies, who are looking for a valuable resource to help them safely manage their children’s food allergies in the school setting.  Written in collaboration with FAAN, the national guidelines will not supersede existing or pending state laws or guidelines concerning schools and food allergies. The FAAMA guidelines should be seen as a complement to existing guidelines created as a result of other legislation.

This tremendous accomplishment was made possible by the thousands of individuals who advocated for this legislation and many elected representatives who co-sponsored FAAMA over the years.  We celebrate the passage of FAAMA today, but our work is not done. FAAN will continue to work diligently to raise awareness, educate others, and advocate on behalf of the millions of Americans with food allergy and anaphylaxis.