Home | Newsletter Archives

Fall 1999

Ragweed Season Predicted to be a Whopper

It's everywhere and it's coming soon to your neighborhood, if it isn't already there. It's ragweed, the most common cause of seasonal allergy symptoms and the enemy of 70 million allergy suffers. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology is predicting exceptionally high ragweed pollen counts for many parts of the country late this summer with the season beginning around the middle of August.

Throughout much of the country, people with allergies have already suffered through record high pollen counts for spring pollinating plants. The weather this summer is making conditions ideal for ragweed growth. Its profuse pollen is released into the air as the dry weather conditions of late summer and autumn take hold. Southern states experience peak conditions in late September or mid October. A single ragweed plant can produce up to one billion pollen grains and each grain can travel more then 100 miles from its source. Exposure to these pollens can lead to sneezing, runny nose or watery itchy eyes.

Talk to your family doctor or allergist about the best treatment plan if ragweed is currently affecting you.

Children With Allergies Have Greater Tendency For Behavior Problems

Children with severe allergies have a greater tendency to also have significant behavior problems than children with no allergies, according to research at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center. Researchers found that children with allergies have a 10% higher chance of developing such problems as aggressiveness, depression and irritability. The connection is most likely genetic, which underlies both allergies and depression.

The study, which examined more the 200 children ages 3 to 11, may help to discover new approaches to treating children with these problems. Consult your pediatrician if your child shows signs of these problems.

Asthma and Allergy Facts

If you suffer from allergies and asthma, you are not alone! Here are some facts about allergic disorders from some recent medical publications.

• Asthma is the most common serious chronic disease of childhood, affecting nearly five million children in the United States.
• Up to 90% of children over age of five who have asthma also suffer from allergies.
• Seasonal allergic rhinitis, often referred to as "hay fever", affects more then 35 million people in the United States.
• If one parent has allergic disease, the estimated risk of a child to develop allergies is near 50%; the child's estimated risk grows to 70% if both parents have a history of allergy.
• Up to two million children in the United States are estimated to be affected by food allergy. Up to 2% of adults are affected.
• Asthma is the cause of more then three million physician visits and 200,000 hospitalizations each year.

What's New???

Pulmicort turbuhaler is a corticosteroid asthma medication now available from Astra pharmaceuticals in a once daily dose. Patients can take the one dose either in the morning or the evening. This turbuhaler contains a dose indicator that tells you when the inhaler is empty. No spacer is needed.

Nasonex Nasal Spray is the newest inhaled nasal steroid spray. It is used to treat symptoms of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis(hay fever). these symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, nasal itching. The usual dose of Nasonex is two sprays in each nostril once daily.

If your allergy or asthma symptoms are not under good control, please check with us regarding these new medications. We will be happy to discuss to them with you.

Please note our toll-free number
1 - 800 - 514 - 4343
Appointments available in Little Rock,
Hot Springs, Russllville and Jacksonville.