Letters to the Web Editor

To be considered for publication, letters to the Web editor must be sent to webeditor@acaai.org and include the author’s full name, street address, and daytime telephone number. In its sole discretion, ACAAI may approve an author’s request to have his or her letter published anonymously, shorten, or otherwise edit a submission. ACAAI is under no obligation to publish letters submitted for publication and may decline to publish any individual letter without cause.

The views expressed in “Letters to the Editor” are those of the individual authors, not those of the ACAAI, its officers, directors, or staff. ACAAI does not endorse any letters and specifically disclaims any responsibility or liability in connection with their content or use.

Have You Heard of Eyelash Mites?

Allergists and their patients are well familiar with house dust mites, a common cause of allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, and some cases of allergic eczema. They may be less familiar, however, with the Demodex mite, which inhabits the follicle at the base of the eyelashes, and which is increasingly recognized as a cause of chronic eyelid inflammation. The Demodex mite (pictured here) has a strikingly different appearance from the house dust mite

Anaphylaxis from Substances Applied to the Skin

When trying to determine the cause of an anaphylactic reaction, physicians and patients generally consider substances that had been ingested or injected, but may fail to consider agents that had been applied to the skin. However, the systemic absorption of many topically applied substances is well known, and in fact is used as the drug delivery system of choice (via transdermal patches) for many items...

Back-to-school with allergies and asthma: Keeping our children safe!

Anaphylaxis–Asthma–Bullying: Where does it end? Teach your patient to say: “I think I am having an allergic reaction. HELP ME!”

Seasonal Nasal Allergy Symptoms Impact Quality of Life!

Nasal allergy symptoms can affect sleeping and performance at work or school, as well as interfere with recreational activities. Many patients remain indoors avoiding allergen exposure while missing fun outdoor events affecting the overall quality of life. Decreased performance in school and work can also affect individuals suffering from seasonal allergy symptoms. The good news is that most nasal allergy sufferers can be treated successfully by a qualified, board certified allergist.

Bullying and Food Allergy: What Can Allergists Do? (Insights from a Past President of the National Association of School Psychologists)

The two main characteristics of bullying are its repetitive nature and the implicit imbalance of power between bully and victim. The imbalance of power inherent in bullying refers to the victims’ perceptions that they cannot easily defend themselves or stop the interaction. As a result, victims are left feeling powerless and vulnerable, which often produces devastating psychological consequences. While bullying with regard to food allergies isn't all that different from bullying about other attributes, children with food allergies must bear an additional burden, because they already have the responsibility of taking care of themselves medically...

Psychoanalysis of Allergy and the ACAAI

"Although I am a psychologist rather than an allergist, I have had the opportunity to see from many perspectives what allergists accomplish for others. I have experienced the field of allergy as a patient, a scientist, a frequent observer of continuing education programs for allergists, and . . ."

Egg Allergy and the Flu Vaccine

My child with egg allergy was able to receive the flu vaccine safely. As a biology college professor I am fully aware of the fact that immunizations have dramatically reduced the burden of many infectious diseases worldwide. I acknowledge that the seasonal influenza vaccine has a strong track record of successfully reducing...

Pregnancy and Allergy

Pregnancy is a special time in a woman's life, but can be complicated by preexisting allergya and asthma . . .

Update of JCAAI Activities

I appreciate the opportunity to update your readers about recent activities of the Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (JCAAI). The Mission of the JCAAI is to act on behalf of the specialty of allergy-immunology and the patients it serves; and to provide a unified voice in medical socio-economics that will enable patients to receive the highest quality allergy-immunology care.

Insurance Plans Create New Mandates - Room for Debate

The Texas Municipal League Insurance Plan is now mandating that inhaled corticosteroids (alone) be used prior to authorization for combined agents. They have identified client claims for short acting rescue medication, oral steroids, inhaled steroids, and including the most recent inhaled corticosteroid filled...

Happy First Anniversary! (A Letter From The Web Editor)

April marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of our new and improved acaai.org, whose reworking and implementation were the brainchild of our current ACAAI President, Dr. Dana Wallace. Those of us closely involved with preparing for this launch remember the long hours, the achievements and setbacks, and wondered if the date would ever arrive!After one year, we find our site chock-full of updated and ever-changing resources. A few details are in order. Since our launch, ACAAI.org has presented numerous new features, for both our members and the public.

Risks and precautions for peanut-allergic kids in schools

The treatment of a Florida girl with peanut allergies at her school and the reaction of community members to precautions to keep her safe in school made headlines recently. Precautions have included requiring students to wash hands and faces before entering classrooms and searching the school with a peanut-sniffing dog. These efforts have not been well-received by other parents.

Do You "Sternutate"?

Have you ever “sternutated”? We all have!!! A sneeze (or sternutation) is a semi-autonomous, convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth, that occurs when the nerve endings of the mucous membrane of the nose are irritated, usually caused by foreign particles. Surprisingly enough, sneezing can be brought on (or out!) when the optic nerves in our eyes are exposed to bright light!

Generic Epinephrine Injector May Cause Confusion

Epinephrine is a cornerstone medication in the treatment of anaphylaxis. As allergists we routinely prescribe this medication for many of our patients. For years we only had to remember the name EpiPen as it was the sole product available for our patients to safely and easily use. Recently we added new injectors, the latest being the Adrenaclick. In May 2010 a “generic” epinephrine auto-injector was released for distribution. This epinephrine auto-injector has no trade name currently...

Cola University - A vision into the future of Telecommunications and Education

The compound word telecommunication is derived from the Greek prefix tele- (τηλε-), meaning 'far off', and the Latin communicare, meaning 'to share'. In earlier times, this may have involved the use of smoke signals, drums, the use of hand held flags, or by heliographic use of reflected sunlight. In modern times, telecommunication has seen the chronologic evolution . . .

A timely reference on Vaccines

Useful reference for primary care physicians by providing information on identifying patients that require referral to a specialist . . .

Allergist - Find an Allergist. Find Relief.

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