The Itch: Allergies, Asthma, Eczema & Immunology

#16: Interview with Elijah's Echo - advocating for allergies and health disparities

What do you do when your son dies from a food allergy?

Dr G and Kortney talk to Dina and Thomas Silvera who had to face that very question. After their son passed away from ingesting dairy, they made it their mission never to let another family go through what they did. 

The Elijah-Alavi Foundation is an initiative designed to raise awareness on the severity of food allergies and anaphylaxis as well as the importance of education and training. Their goal is to bring training to daycares and communities and provide resources that cater to all socio-economic groups. 

Dina and Thomas discuss the health disparities in asthma and allergies, and how bringing education to these groups needs to be done in a way that is respectful and culturally sensitive. 

Health disparities refer to differences in the health status of different groups of people.  

What we covered in this episode:

• Why Thomas and Dina started the Elijah Alavi Foundation
• What they want the foundation to be: the voice for infants and younger children who are underrepresented in the policies
• How the foundation has changed the Silvera family and why Thomas is changing career paths 
• How they plan to provide hands-on training, protocols, risk reduction strategies and more after Elijah’s law passed in New York. 
• Why they want care takers and educators to take on the same role of a parent in allergy management and feel confident to act in a case of emergency
• How to address health disparities and the foundation plans to bring training to these communities. 
• Why it is essential to have someone that reflects the community present when training is delivered. The need to remember the role culture plays when bringing education. 
• Webinar training versus hands-on training

Supporting information here: https://www.itchpodcast.com/post/episode-16

#15 - Interview with Dr Ruchi Gupta - Prevalence of food allergies & managing food allergies in teens

Dr G and Kortney sit down live from Portland Maine to interview Dr Ruchi Gupta!

 

You may know her from the Netflix series Rotten, where she appears in the Peanut Problem episode. Or you may know her name from the article that came out in early 2019, Prevalence and Severity of Food Allergies Among US Adults, which stated that 1 in 10 adults have food allergies. 

 

Dr Ruchi Gupta, has more than 15 years experience as a board-certified paediatrician and health researcher. She currently serves as the director of the Science and Outcomes of Allergy & Asthma Research Program (SOAAR), where she is actively involved in clinical, epidemiological, and community-based research.

 

What we cover in this episode:

• Prevalence of food allergies in kids and adults. 

• What are the top allergens for kids and adults, how do those differ from adults  

• What are the common allergens that children tend to outgrown 

• Adult-onset food allergy: How did the recent study done by Dr. Ruchi Gupta figure out 1 in 10 adults have food allergies?

• 20% of adults reported having an allergy - why we need to pay attention to that number and what it means. 1 in 5 adults are giving up food that negatively impacts them

• Allergy testing: when should be testing done and what should be tested

• Understanding allergy testing and the problem with allergy testing at this time 

• How to accurately diagnose an allergy 

• When it is appropriate to take a specific food out of your diet.

• Allergies in teens - what is helping and hindering managing their food allergies and the role of peers and classmates 

• The importance of building a community, especially for college-bound teens. 

• What allergy kids and teens think the positives are of having food allergies

Supporting info: https://www.itchpodcast.com/post/episode-15

#14 - Interview with Shahla: how cooking has empowered her family with their allergy diagnosis

How does a mom turn a food allergy diagnosis around to help empower herself and her children?

 

A new food allergy diagnosis can be overwhelming as a parent, but there is a lot of good that can come out of it. Many food allergy moms have turned a food allergy diagnosis into a new cooking passion, helping them make the transition from diagnosis to life much more manageable and empowering.

 

We talk to Shahla from My Berkley Kitchen about her journey with her daughter's diagnosis and the changes she made as a response.

 

What we cover in this episode:

•  Shahla's journey into becoming an allergy mom and fabulous cook

• Why you don't want to restrict your diet if you don't have to and how to work with your allergist to expand your diet

• When and how to try new foods

• How to navigate foods that are 'cross-reactive' to your allergens

• How to empower yourself and your kids in the kitchen by teaching them to cook and recreating foods that you can't have out at home

• How to make food fun and take away any fear that food could bring 

• Tips on eating out: allergy cards and why to call ahead

Supporting information: https://www.itchpodcast.com/post/episode-14

#13 - Asthma Part 4: Asthma Medications - Inhalers, Nebulizers & Montelukast

Do you know why mental health history is essential when deciding your controller medication?

 

Dr G shares her top tips on using inhalers and when it is appropriate to use a nebulizer. She also explains the side effects of certain controller medications and why doctors need to know more about you as a patient (even your mental health) when prescribing a controller medication. The decision of going on medication should be made with you in mind. 

 

What we cover in this episode:

• Inhaler tips: know that there are different brand names for the same medicine, using a spacer, how to remember to take your controller
• The side effects of inhalers
• What are nebulizers and when are they used (at home and the ER)
• Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist. When it is prescribed and the side effects. 
• Why you want to disclose your mental health history with your allergist when decided what medication to go on. 

 

Supporting information and a graphic of all asthma medications: https://www.itchpodcast.com/post/episode-13

#12 - Asthma Part 3: Asthma Medications - Inhalers

Did you know asthma medication encompasses more than just inhalers?

 

Asthma medications are a massive topic to cover! We will be covering them all in three episodes. The first part we discuss the types of inhaled medications, both for quick relief and controllers. Dr G breaks down how the medicines work in the body and why it is essential to know the function of each type of inhaler.

 

We also cover what medication you would be prescribed and how you would introduce it using step therapy.

 

What we cover in this episode:

• Types of inhaled asthma medication: Inhalers: short-acting beta 2 agonist (SABA), long-acting beta 2 agonist (LABA), inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), combination LABA/ICS, and anticholinergic inhalers (tiotropium bromide)
•  How allergy shots can help with allergic asthma 
• How asthma medication work - are they receptor agonists or an antagonists
• Step therapy

Supporting information: https://www.itchpodcast.com/post/episode-12

#11 - Interview with Joey Salmingo: founder of FATE

What do you do when a family member passes away from an anaphylactic reaction?

 

Kortney interviews Joey Salmingo, the founder of FATE. Joey founded FATE after his sister Joanna passed away from eating a mochi ball made with cashew milk. Joey is making it his mission to advocate and educate on behalf of people with food allergies as he never wants another family to experience experience what he and his family had to go through in August 2018.

 

They talk about what drove Joey to start the initiative, how he spreads awareness and education through the FATE forums, and why we need to get the message out.

 

What we cover in this episode:

• The reason Joey started FATE
• What FATE does to educate those with food allergies 
• The importance of educating people who do NOT have food allergies
• Why education for restaurants, schools, the airline industry, and even paramedics is important for people with food allergies to remain safe
• Why restaurants need to hear about personal stories about how allergies impact people to understand why they need to take allergies seriously
• Why the use of Epinephrine needs to be a part of basic first aid
• What Joey is up to besides working on FATE

Supporting info: www.itchpodcast.com/blog/episode-11

#10 - Asthma Part 2 - The classification of severity & types of asthma

What are the different levels of severity and types of asthma?

 

Asthma is not a one size fits all diagnosis. The advances in medicine have given doctors the ability to pinpoint a patient's asthma severity level and the type of asthma they have. Knowing the severity level of a patient's asthma and what type or types they have is critical in finding the best treatment possible.

 

In part two of the three-part series on asthma, Dr G outlines the different classifications of asthma severity by going over all the aspects a doctor looks at when making a diagnosis. She also reviews the types of asthma.

 

Kortney chimes in with her real-life experiences of living with uncontrolled asthma, and how she worked to get it back on track with controller medication.

 

What we cover in this episode:

• What is uncontrolled asthma and why is it dangerous
• The classification of asthma severity: mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent, severe persistent
• The types of asthma: allergic asthma, non allergic asthma, eosinophilic asthma, exercise induced asthma, cold induced asthma, cough variant asthma, occupational asthma
• Nighttime symptoms of asthma
• Thunderstorm's impact on asthma

Supporting info: www.itchpodcast.com/blog/episode-10

#9 - Chat with Emma Amoscato - how to vet information about allergies & asthma

How do you decide what online information about allergies and asthma to trust?

 

There is only so much a doctor can cover in an appointment, which means the vast majority of patients do lots of research on their own. Not only do patients want to know about the medical side of their new diagnosis, but they also want to know how it will impact their lives. With social media and forums, it is easy to find those everyday life answers, but not all information is correct or helpful.

 

Kortney and Dr G chat with Emma Amoscato the author of the book Living with Allergies: Practical Tips for All the Family to discuss how people living with allergies and asthma can vet the information they find online. They also talk about how to build a trusted community both online and off, why Kortney and Emma started their blogs and what role doctors have in helping patients navigate the online sphere from pseudo-science websites to Instagram.

 

What we cover in this episode:

•  How to determine whether a source is legitimate and what things to look out for when choosing your source of information

•  How to navigate social media

•  How to build a trustworthy online and offline community that is informed and provides a safe space for mental health: forums, meet-ups, and Facebook groups 

•  Briefly discuss Emma's new book, touch upon gut biome, why the increase of food allergies, and feeling guilty about your child's allergies

•  Anxiety with allergies and asthma: when to experience it and when information can be helpful or harmful

 

Supporting info: www.itchpodcast.com/blog/episode-9

#8 - Interview with Dr Alex Thomas: using comics help educate patients about asthma

The power of learning about asthma through comics! Kaboom! Pow! Inhale!

 

Dr Alex Thomas doesn't think educating patients about their conditions needs to be boring, instead, he thinks it should be an adventure! Dr Thomas talks to Dr G and Kortney about how he uses comics to help his patients understand their asthma and what tools doctors can learn to become better communicators.

 

Dr Thomas is a paediatric allergist and immunologist, and cartoonist. He is a co-founder of Booster Shot Media, a company that uses diverse forms of media to help teach patients about different health conditions.

 

What we cover in this episode:

• Dr Alex Thomas's journey into creating comics about asthma and how he started his company, Booster Shot Media
• How Dr Thomas works with medical students using comics to learn how to use different communication methods with patients
• The methods doctors learn and practice to better educate their patients

Supporting information: www.itchpodcast.com/blog/episode-8

#7 - Asthma Part 1 - What is asthma & how is asthma diagnosed?

How is asthma diagnosed?

 

Similar to many of the atopic diseases, asthma is not black and white. When it comes to diagnosing asthma, there are many factors including history, allergies, biology, and tests that are performed by your doctor (allergist, pulmonologist or primary care doctor).

 

Asthma is a massive topic, and we can't cover in it one episode, let alone take a deep dive. We will be breaking down asthma into three episodes covering all the essential aspects you need to know.

 

In the first part of our three-part series, we outline the symptoms and triggers of asthma as well as the tests that doctors perform to diagnose asthma. Dr G and Kortney also talk about differentiating an asthma attack and allergic reaction.

 

Part 2 of the series will be about the types of asthma and severity. Part 3 will cover the treatments available for asthma and what goes into an asthma action plan.

 

What we cover in this episode:

• Dr G and Kortney briefly discuss their time advocating for patients with asthma and allergies on Capitol Hill
• The anatomy of the lungs
• Define asthma and outline its symptoms and triggers
• How doctors diagnose asthma
• The tests used to diagnose asthma
• How an asthma attack can mask an allergic reaction

Supporting info: www.itchpodcast.com/blog/episode-7