Allergy Medical – Dedicated allergy clinic. No referral required. No long waiting list.
The Project, Network Ten, Monday 31 October 2011
Allergies
One in ten Aussie infants is now affected by life-threatening food allergies. There’s been a 500% increase in the number of preschoolers suffering in the last ten years.
Is our modern way of living causing this dramatic rise and what can parents do about it? We talk to one of the country’s leading paediatric allergy specialists, supports groups and families.
View the segment here.
(Allergy feature starts about two minutes in.)
Paula Goodyer, 22 October 2011
‘We have never been so busy,” says Susan Prescott, an immunologist at a children’s hospital in Western Australia. ”I arrive to see the allergy clinic waiting room as overcrowded as usual. Brimming with children, some scared, some screaming, some just bored. All with serious allergies. Our lists are so long that many have been waiting over a year for their appointment.”
Welcome to the world of an allergy specialist. Prescott is also the author of The Allergy Epidemic, a new book on the rise – and rise – of allergies in Western societies. Eighty years ago, Prescott’s grandmother was a doctor who practised at a time when antibiotics had become the cavalry, rescuing children from life-threatening infections. Now, the granddaughter works with children whose immune systems are under attack, not from germs but from modern lifestyles – but there is no cavalry to fix the problem.
Read the full article here.
Friday 4 – Sunday 6 November
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
We love good food and wine. But, for some of us, not all foods and wines love us back.
Allergy Medical will be at the Brisbane Good Food & Wine Show discussing the prickly, tickly and sometimes sickly issue of food allergy and sensitivity.
There are many treatment options, from avoidance to desensitisation. But the essential first step is finding out what it is you’re allergic or sensitive to.
You can find out in one visit to Allergy Medical. You don’t need a referral, and there’s no long waiting list.
Find out more about food allergy and sensitivity.
Find out more about the Brisbane Good Food & Wine Show.
730, ABC TV, 10 October 2011
Kids reacting badly
It was virtually unheard of thirty years ago but today one in three Australians suffer from an allergic disease. One of the most concerning rises is happening among young children.
Watch the segment or read the transcript here.
Courier Mail, 8 September 2011
Army fined for peanut allergy incident
THE Australian army has been fined $150,000 over a food allergy incident at a cadet camp on the Gold Coast two years ago.
A 15-year-old cadet suffered an allergic reaction after consuming a meal containing peanut satay at the camp at Canungra.
He was rushed by ambulance to Gold Coast Hospital and discharged into the care of his parents after treatment.
The Federal Court found that the army had breached federal work health and safety laws.
Read the full story here.
Andrew Macdonald, The Courier-Mail, 8 October 2011
Accidental sip of cows’ milk leads Fran and Simon Moser to realise extent of daughter Lily’s life-threatening allergies
IT TOOK an accidental sip on a cows’ milk “babychino” for Fran and Simon Moser to realise the full extent of their two-year-old daughter’s life-threatening allergies.
From three months after little Lily’s birth, the Beenleigh couple watched on helplessly as their baby was tormented by severe eczema.
About the same time, the Mosers noticed their daughter’s skin became irritated when exposed to eggs and cows’ milk and both were removed from her diet.
Over eight months, they spent “thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars” bouncing from GP to pediatrician, in search of relief.
Read the full article here.
The Courier-Mail, 8 October 2011
Shortage of allergy specialists mean Queenslanders facing waits of up to 18 months for appointments
DESPITE a steady upsurge in allergy rates in children, Queenslanders are facing waits of up to 18 months to secure appointments with medical experts.
Currently there are only two pediatric allergy specialists working full time in the state, though “a handful” of other practitioners treat both children and adults.
Read the full article here.
WOFL FOX 35, GREENSBORO, NC, 7 October 2011
Allergy free peanuts
If you’re allergic to peanuts, you may be able to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich sooner than you think. Researchers at a North Carolina university say a new project they’re working on may be able to make that happen in three years.
North Carolina A&T State University Assistant Professor Dr. Jianmei has been working on the project since 2005 and says an allergy free peanut could be a reality within three years. “In the United States about 1 percent of population are allergic to peanuts, working on a project that has a potential to reduce peanut allergy is an honor and also it is important.”
Accidental exposures account for 75% of allergic reactions.
Watch the video here.
Marnie McKimmie, The West Australian, 3 October 2011
Lifestyle trigger to allergy epidemics
The puzzling 20- to 30-year lag between the wave of hayfever that gripped the world and the recent wave of food allergies has experts questioning whether the allergy epidemic is partly driven by an “amplifying effect” across generations.
With alarming food allergies now appearing within months of birth, it suggests the factors driving this new epidemic are operating very early in development, most likely in pregnancy, says leading WA paediatric allergist and immunologist Susan Prescott.
Read the full article here.
Marnie McKimmie, The West Australian, 3 October 2011
Mouth drop brings relief
Avoidance is always the first rule of allergy control but since pollens can be carried vast distances in the strong spring winds, spreading across suburbs, pollen immunotherapy is the best option for those with significant hayfever symptoms, according to leading WA paediatric allergist and immunologist Susan Prescott.
Immunotherapy, which aimed to induce a lasting immune tolerance through gradually giving increasing doses of the allergen over an extended period, starting at extremely low levels, was the only potential curative treatment for allergic disease, she said.
There was now strong evidence that it could not only be effective in the treatment of both allergic rhinitis (hayfever) and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (eye and nose allergy) but also help control asthma and eczema in the same patient. Preliminary evidence also indicated it might even reduce disease progression from hayfever to asthma and reduce the development of new sensitisations.
Read the full article here.
Can’t breathe? Can’t sleep? Can’t concentrate? Headaches? Always tired? Itching? Sneezing? Snoring? Nose running? Dark rings under the eyes? Bad breath? Dry mouth? Embarrassed and self-conscious? Bad behaviour and learning difficulties?
One of the many who have fallen victim to these chronic hayfever symptoms, and had to battle on regardless, is WA’s paediatric allergist and immunologist Susan Prescott …
Read the full article here.
Allergies linked to baby’s birthplace, gut bugs
Genevra Pittman, Reuters Health, 30 September 2011
Where and how a baby is born might affect its chances of getting allergies and asthma growing up, suggests a new study.
Researchers found that babies were more likely to harbor a certain kind of bacteria in their intestines if they were born in the hospital, and especially by cesarean section — and those gut bugs were tied to a kid’s chances of later getting allergies or asthma.
Read the full article here.
This article from the US FDA Drug Information website outlines common causes and effective treatments for hay fever. While the Australian brand names may differ from the US products listed, the medications are readily available in Australia. Child-friendly medicines and immunotherapy are also discussed.
Of course, correct medication is just one part of an effective treatment and management plan. And effective treatment begins with correct medical diagnosis. Which is exactly what we do at Allergy Medical!
Drugs.com, 29 September 2011
Allergy Relief for Your Child
Children are magnets for colds. But when the “cold” won’t go away for weeks, the culprit may be allergies.
Long-lasting sneezing, with a stuffy or runny nose, may signal the presence of allergic rhinitis—the collection of symptoms that affect the nose when you have an allergic reaction to something you breathe in and that lands on the lining inside the nose.
Allergies may be seasonal or they can strike year-round (perennial). In most parts of the United States, plant pollens are often the cause of seasonal allergic rhinitis—more commonly called hay fever. Indoor substances, such as mold, dust mites, and pet dander, may cause the perennial kind.
Read the full article here.
Allergy Medical delivers regular regional clinics offering complete allergy diagnosis, treatment and management—just like in our Brisbane clinic. As always, you don’t need a referral, and there’s no long waiting list.
Procedures offered include: skin prick testing, patch testing, screening, diagnosis, desensitisation/immunotherapy and ongoing prevention/management. Conditions treated include: hay fever, hives, food allergy, anaphylaxis, asthma, eczema, allergic conjunctivitis and insect allergy.
So now there’s a comprehensive, convenient and dependable solution for allergy sufferers in Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton—with more to come.
Townsville
Level 1
Oxford Medical Suites
18 Oxford Street Hyde Park
Mackay
Medical Suite 13
Mater Misericordiae Hospital Mackay
76 Willetts Road Mackay
Rockhampton
CQ Physiotherapy
1 Kent Street Rockhampton
Appointments & enquiries
Please email with your contact details and we’ll call you back promptly. Or call our Brisbane clinic on 07 3252 3711.
Life Matters, ABC Radio National, 29 September 2011
The Allergy Epidemic
Australian infants are facing an unprecedented epidemic of potentially life threatening food allergies.
In a new book on the subject Professor Susan Prescott argues that the latest generation of infants is the first to bear the brunt of food allergies that were rare in their parents.
In some areas of Australia 10% of infants are affected by food allergies.
Susan Prescott is a paediatric allergist and immunologist at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children in Perth.
Hear the interview and read the listener comments here.
Fiona Baker, Body & Soul, 24 September 2011
Food allergies: fact or frenzy?
MORE and more people are self-diagnosing food allergies and intolerances – but are they right?
Once upon a time you only had to cater for the occasional vegetarian when hosting a dinner - now you need to ask guests to provide a full list of their family’s allergies and intolerances before planning the menu for the meal.
But while there is increasing scientific evidence that the incidence of food allergies is growing, particularly in children, the jury is still out on the harder-to-prove food intolerances, despite some organisations citing figures as high as 75 per cent.
There is also the feeling that allergies and intolerances are being overdiagnosed or misdiagnosed because of wrongly interpreted test results, dodgy DIY diagnoses and persisting misunderstanding about the difference between the two conditions.
Read the full article here.
Baby & Toddler Show
2 – 4 September 2011
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Bank
Allergy Medical stand F31
More info here.
We’re excited to announce that Allergy Medical will be delivering regular monthly allergy clinics in Mackay from September.
Based at the Mackay Mater Hospital, we’ll be providing complete allergy diagnosis, treatment and management—just like in our Brisbane clinic. And, as always, you don’t need a referral, and there’s no long waiting list.
Procedures offered include: skin prick testing, patch testing, screening, diagnosis, desensitisation/immunotherapy and ongoing prevention/management.
Conditions treated include: hay fever, hives, food allergy, anaphylaxis, asthma, eczema, allergic conjunctivitis and insect allergy.
So now there’s a comprehensive, convenient and dependable solution for allergy sufferers in Mackay.
When
Where
Medical Suite 13
Mater Misericordiae Hospital Mackay
76 Willetts Road Mackay
Access via main entrance. Parking available onsite.
Appointments
For appointments and enquiries, please email with your contact details and we’ll call you back promptly. Or call our Brisbane clinic on
07 3252 3711.
If you have friends in Mackay, please help us spread the word.
More regional clinics to come. Stay tuned!
Low vitamin D levels are associated with increased risk of wheeze, especially in older adults
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, August 2011.
Although recent guidelines from the Institute of Medicine recommend supplementation with vitamin D only for prevention of bone-related diseases, there is accumulating evidence that vitamin D deficiency is implicated in respiratory disease.
Read the full article here.
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, August 2011.
In an upcoming issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI), Havstad and colleagues report novel results showing that the presence of dog(s) and/or cat(s) in the home affects the development of total IgE throughout infancy in a large, racially diverse cohort. Total IgE tends to be higher in asthmatics. The relationship between pet exposure and total IgE was found to vary by delivery type (caesarean-section vs. vaginal) and mother’s race.
Read the full article here.
Rachel Browne, Sun Herald, 21 August 2011
Home allergy kits fraught with risks
FOR allergy sufferers, the idea that a simple home test can determine the source of their unpleasant symptoms is an appealing one. Several websites offer DIY kits for as little as $70 promising to test for a number of common allergens using a small sample of blood. With waiting lists at hospital allergy clinics up to a year long, doctors fear patients might be persuaded by the lure of home tests, which they say are unreliable.
Read the full article here.
There’s no long waiting list at Allergy Medical.
We provide testing procedures, treatment and management for the most common conditions—food allergy, anaphylaxis, eczema, asthma, hay fever, conjunctivitis, hives and insect allergy. In the vast majority of cases, patients are diagnosed in one visit.
Allergy Medical provides the most comprehensive, convenient, timely and dependable solution for allergy diagnosis, treatment and management.
Allergy Medical will be at the Brisbane Baby & Toddler Show: Convention Centre 2 – 4 September
The Baby & Toddler Show is a must-do event for new parents, parents-to-be, and their little ones. With heaps of things to see, do and discover, it’s not to be missed.
What’s more, Allergy Medical will be there! Come and see us at stand F31. We’ll all be taking turns manning the stand over the three days. It’d be great to see you there.
Baby & Toddler Show
2 – 4 September 2011
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Bank
Allergy Medical stand F31
More info here.
This is a great segment on some of those nasty Australian ants we’ve mentioned previously, and the allergic reactions their venom can produce.
Anaphylaxis is also discussed, along with how immunotherapy can help to build tolerance.
You can watch the segment or read a transcript here.
Like we said, a Jack Jumper is scarier than a White Pointer!
ausEE (the Australian Support Network for Eosinophilic oEsophagitis and related disorders) has produced an informative brochure on Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders.
Our A/Prof Pete is on ausEE’s Medical Advisory Board.
You can download the brochure here.
There’s also a good range of info—including allergy-friendly foods—on the ausEE website.
Dr Cindy Pan, Body & Soul, 17 July 2011
Four common skin conditions in babies
Dr Cindy Pan reveals how to manage common skin conditions for bubs.
There are many different skin conditions that can affect babies and infants.
Here are some of the most common as well as advice on how to manage them.
Read the full article here.
Allergy Medical Director, Associate Professor Pete Smith, has just published new research in the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy.
This research pioneers a new treatment for non-allergic rhinitis, which can be a disabling hypersensitivity to airway irritants—such as air-conditioning, strong smells, smoke and solvents. Existing treatments prove ineffective for many sufferers.
The new research, undertaken by Pete with Griffith University’s Department of Clinical Medicine, demonstrates the effectiveness of a medication that stabilises the chemical receptors. This medication is not currently available in Australia.
Non-allergic triggers are present in up to 70% of patients with rhinitis, and up to 8% of population studies have identified odour hypersensitivity.
[Pete any further comment on availability of medication in Australia?] This medication is not currently available to most patients in Australia. Our team at AllergyMedical can help identify allergic and non-allergic triggers of rhinitis and ensure that you have the best and safest medications.
You can read Pete’s article here.
Allergy Medical Director, A/Prof Pete Smith, says a new study questioning the benefits of hypoallergenic baby formula in the prevention of allergy needs to be considered in context.
“This is a study performed over ten years ago with formulas from that time,” Pete explains. “They differ considerably to what is available now. The accepted view of the quality, peer-reviewed research in this area is that there is benefit of hypoallergenic formula in the prevention of allergy. If this new study is validated by the independent Cochrane group, it will contribute to the data. However, at this stage, the balanced evidence demonstrates the benefit of hypoallergenic formula in allergy prevention.”
You can read an article on the new study here.
