Blogs

If you’re allergic to ragweed, your immune system can mistake proteins in certain raw foods for ragweed pollen and react to both. The most common triggers are watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, banana, cucumber, and zucchini. This is called oral allergy syndrome. Symptoms are usually itching or tingling in the mouth right after eating, and they tend […]

Before a student with allergies or asthma leaves for college, confirm four things: an updated action plan and prescription refills, a plan for continuing allergy shots or biologics, dorm-room trigger controls, and campus emergency logistics, including where epinephrine and rescue inhalers will live. Planning these before move-in prevents the most common first-semester emergencies. Between the […]

The most common food allergies come from nine foods: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, and sesame. Symptoms range from mild hives to life-threatening anaphylaxis, and severity can’t be predicted from past reactions. Before school starts, confirm your child’s allergy action plan, medications, and school notifications are current. What Are the Most […]

A mold allergy typically causes sneezing, a stuffy or runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, and coughing, similar to other allergies. In people with asthma, mold can trigger more severe symptoms like wheezing. An allergist can confirm mold as the cause through skin or blood testing and recommend a treatment plan that fits your symptoms. […]

Ragweed pollen season usually runs from early August through late October, with the heaviest counts in mid-September. It’s one of the most common causes of fall allergy symptoms, including sneezing, congestion, and itchy eyes. If it’s disrupting your daily life, an allergist can confirm the cause and help you find a treatment plan that actually […]

An asthma action plan is a written, doctor-created guide that tells parents, kids, and school staff exactly what to do based on symptoms, using green, yellow, and red zones. Before school starts, it’s worth updating your child’s asthma plan, since triggers, medications, and symptoms can change year to year. What Is an Asthma Action Plan? […]

You walk up the Metro steps at Foggy Bottom. The doors open. And before you’ve made it half a block, the air feels like a warm, wet blanket pressed over your face. Your chest tightens. Your breathing gets shallow. You haven’t even started walking fast yet. If you have asthma, that’s not in your head. […]

You’re at the security line at DCA, rolling your carry-on forward, and it hits you. “Wait, am I even allowed to bring this inhaler through?” You check your pockets, then your bag, then your pockets again. This happens to thousands of asthma patients every summer. The rules feel murky. The TSA bins and conveyor belts […]

Saturday afternoon. You’re back from a cookout in someone’s backyard in Burke, Virginia. A couple of hours later, your arms are covered in raised, itchy welts. You didn’t eat anything unusual. You didn’t change your laundry detergent. Nothing feels different. But your skin clearly disagrees. That’s hives. And the frustrating part? They don’t always come […]

You’ve been congested for two weeks. Your face feels heavy. You’re blowing your nose every hour. And you’re standing in the pharmacy aisle trying to figure out if you need an antihistamine or an antibiotic. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. In the DC–Maryland–Virginia area, this confusion happens constantly, especially between February and June when pollen […]