This month Dr. Chinoy and the Allergy and Asthma Solutions staff wish to invite you and your family and friends to this years open house.

 

Open house will be on Friday, February 25th.

 

This is great opportunity to ask Dr. Chinoy about allegies and asthma.  He will be available from Noon until 1:30pm and 6:00pm until 7:30pm Friday February 25th.

 

Bring a friend or referral and we will include you in a drawing for an Apple Ipod Nano.

 

 

Deductible - Cost sharing that you must pay for medical services before your insurance company starts to pay.

 

Expect to pay more out of pocket at the beginning of the year as your insurance company resets or starts your deductible over.

 

Once you meet your deductible your insurance actually starts providing the insurance benefits to you.

 

You can find out your deductible by calling your insurance company or reviewing your insurance policy. 

 

Deductibles are billed directly to you from our office and appear on your statement which is mailed to you each month.

 

You may not be billed for your deductible at the time of the visit so be prepared to see a  balance due upon receiving your statement later this month.

      ... And When you Do, What is the Treatment? 

 Food Intolerance- More often than not, a reaction to food is intolerance rather than an allergic reaction.  Food intolerance can be very uncomfortable as one's intestinal tract has difficulty breaking down and absorbing the culprit food.  As a result, one experiences cramping, stomach pain, and diarrhea.  However, these foods can be tolerated in small quantities.  They typically occur 3-4 hours after ingesting the food.  The most comon food that causes intolerance are lactose and proteins. 

   

Food Allergy - Approximately 2% of adults and 8% of children suffer from true food allergies.  This is when an allergic reaction occurs minutes after the offending food is eaten.  Most common symptoms are hives (urticaria), swelling of the tongue and face (angioedema), itching, shortness of breath and tightening of the chest.  Some of these are extremely serious, life threatening symptoms that when occurring together can lead to anaphylactic shock and even death.

 

The Biggest Culprits:

 

Eight foods cause the majority of the food allergic reactions:

   1.    Egg

   2.    Cow milk

   3.    Soy

   4.    Fish

   5.    Peanuts

   6.    Shell fish

   7.    Tree nuts

   8.    Wheat

Almost any food can cause a food allergy but peanuts, tree nuts, shell fish and fish cause most of the life-threatening reactions.

 

The Game Plan:

Once a diagnosis of food allergy is made every patient should be equipped with a self- injectable epinephrine device (Epiepn, Epipen Jr, Adrenaclick).

The most important part of the treatment is to accurately identify that the person (child or adult) is actually having an allergic reaction to food. Once this has been established, epinephrine should immediately be given in the thigh, followed by a dose of a fast-acting antihistamines (liquid Benadryl, Claritin or Zyrtec). As epinephrine has a short-lasting affect, the patient is in danger of the reaction recurring.  It is vital to be followed-up immediately and be monitored in the emergency room. Once the patient is stable he/she can be allowed to go home.

Accurate diagnosis and early management of food allergy are important steps in preventing life-threatening reactions. Please make sure you understand the game plan and are comfortable using the epinephrine self-injectors.

 

Studies have shown that healthcare costs are slashed by one third when allergic children receive immunotherapy.