Allergy & Asthma Consultants of Montana

09/18/2025

What If You Couldn’t?

What if you had a food allergy, and your body’s immune system overreacts to what should be a harmless food protein? A reaction can be as bad as life-threatening anaphylaxis. This means that some kids and their families don’t feel comfortable trick-or-treating, because the risk of being exposed to an allergen is just too high.

What If You ✨Could✨?

What if we could make it so kids with food allergies can enjoy Halloween with their friends, including going door-to-door for treats? When you offer non-food treats, more children get to enjoy Halloween without fear!

The Teal Pumpkin Project is brought to you by FARE (Food Allergy Education & Research). Learn more at https://www.TealPumpkinProject.org Did you know that 1 ...

09/09/2025

Without transparency, how can we we understand what is happening, how can we have constructive debate, and how can we work towards meaningful improvement in how health care dollars are being spent?

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said last week that it’s expanding its investigation into the role of pharmacy benefit managers by seeking information about how they use foreign headquartered group purchasing organizations, claiming that some evade transparency and oversight...

09/04/2025

This Scientific American article offers a nice summary of the state-of-the-art food allergy management strategies available in 2025, and highlights where we may be heading.
..Chinthrajah says. “We’re not yet at the cure, but we’re definitely moving along on the therapeutic front to be able to deal with this chronic disease.”

Remarkable new treatments can free millions of kids and adults from the deadly threat of peanut allergy, tackling one of our fastest-growing medical problems

06/20/2025

The Link Between Allergies and Migraine

Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on November 13, 2024
Written by Stephanie Booth, Lori M. King, PhD
The Link Between Allergies and Headaches
Allergies and Headaches
Can Allergies Cause Migraines?
Allergy Migraine Symptoms
10 min read

The Link Between Allergies and Headaches
Allergies can trigger both migraine headaches and sinus headaches. These types of headaches can share many symptoms, like a pounding head, intense head pressure, and a stuffy or runny nose.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE: https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/migraine-triggers-allergies?ecd=wnl_spr_062025&ctr=wnl-spr-062025_promotwo_link_2&mb=P7OlRxIXFfnHjgGwqN7EWQPCAlmlkpgVbry7Px7WTe4%3d

SOURCES:
American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology: "Allergy Symptoms: Headaches."

Cleveland Clinic: "Sinus Headaches," "Migraine Headaches," "Allergies."

American Migraine Foundation: "Allergies and Migraine: How Do They Affect You?"

Merck Manual: "Consumer Version: Migraines."

Mayo Clinic: "Sinus headaches."

The Migraine Trust: "Keeping a headache diary."

National Headache Institute: "Can Food Allergies Cause
Headaches?"

Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports: “Allergic Rhinitis and

Chronic Daily Headaches: Is There a Link?”

Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: “Prevalence of migraine headaches in patients with allergic rhinitis.”

NHS Choices: “Sinusitis.”

Nemours KidsHealth: “Histamine.”

Headache: “Allergy and Immunotherapy: are they related to
migraine headaches?” “Histamine in migraine and brain.”

National Headache Foundation: “Steroid Nasal Spray May Be Migraine Trigger.”

American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology: “Indoor
Allergens,” “Outdoor Allergens.”

Swedish Covenant Hospital: “Five diet changes to reduce seasonal allergies.”

UpToDate: “Patient Education: Allergic Rhinitis (seasonal allergies) (Beyond the Basics).”

Understand the link between allergies and migraine headaches, their common triggers, and how to manage them. Explore treatments and prevention tips.

05/15/2025

10 Signs Your Allergies Are Out of Control

Medically Reviewed by Nayana Ambardekar, MD on February 21, 2023, published on WebMD

No. 1: The Allergic Salute
You vacuum with a HEPA filter. You stay indoors when the pollen count is high. You take medications like your doctor tells you to. But do you really have your symptoms under control? If you're constantly doing the "allergic salute," the answer is probably no. This gesture -- a swipe at the tip of an itchy, runny nose -- is especially common in children.

No. 2: Allergic Shiners
Dark circles are another sign of allergies. You get them when you're always rubbing itchy eyes. Take antihistamines to put a stop to symptoms like itchy, teary eyes, sneezing, and a runny nose. If you already take them but they don’t work really well, talk to your doctor about changing your treatment plan.

No. 3: Chronic Congestion
If you have a cold or the flu, your stuffy nose should go away in a week or two. If congestion goes on and on, allergies are more likely to blame. During an allergic reaction, the lining of your nasal passages swells and makes extra mucus. You might get sinus pressure and headaches. Nasal steroids are used to reduce the mucosal inflammation in your nasal passages caused by allergies. For a long-term action plan, talk to an allergist.

No. 4: Wheezing
Wheezing is often linked with asthma, but it can also be associated with seasonal allergies, or a serious allergic reaction. The whistling sound happens when you have to breathe through narrowed airways. In severe cases, you might need emergency care. Talk to your doctor if you have wheezing related to allergies.

No. 5: Itchy Skin
You may just be dried out. But if it doesn't stop itching or if it turns into a rash, you might have eczema. This skin reaction is common in people with allergies. Triggers include soap or detergent, chemicals in fabric softeners, pet dander, and rough fabrics. You can treat it with antihistamines, moisturizers, and hydrocortisone cream. For severe cases, your doctor can prescribe medications.

Numbers 6 through 10 can be viewed at WebMD by following this link: https://www.webmd.com/allergies/ss/cm/slideshow-uncontrolled-allergy-symptoms?ecd=wnl_spr_051525&ctr=wnl-spr-051525_supportBottom_cta_4&mb=P7OlRxIXFfnHjgGwqN7EWQPCAlmlkpgVbry7Px7WTe4%3d

05/01/2025

Since 1984, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has designated May to be National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. It’s a time to focus on respiratory and immune health. The awareness month aims to educate the public about asthma and allergic diseases, risk factors, symptoms, and treatment.

Follow this link for more information:

Each year, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) declares May to be "National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month." Share facts, your personal story, become an advocate, or join an event hosted by AAFA.

04/30/2025

If you agree, ask congress to restore the CDC National Asthma Control Program (NACP). You can do that by following this link:
https://www.votervoice.net/AAFAmerica/Campaigns/124464/Respond

This program provided significant return on investment – saving more than $70 in health care costs for every $1 spent on the program.

This program is vital to asthma education, prevention, and research. By working with state health departments on community-based care models, the NACP has been highly effective in its aim to reduce the number of deaths, hospitalizations, and emergency department (ED) visits. Asthma-related death rates went down significantly after the program's implementation: asthma-related deaths dropped by more than 45% between 1999 and 2018.

https://community.aafa.org/blog/cdc-nacp-asthma-program-gone

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is urging Congress to restore staffing to the critical programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that support millions of Americans with asthma and allergies. Recent layoffs...

04/25/2025

Some developments for Migraine sufferers to keep an eye on.

Prof Hans-Christoph Diener discusses new developments in the treatment of migraine.

04/18/2025

The risks of measles infection vastly exceed those of the MMR vaccine. Strebel PM, Orenstein WA. Measles. N Engl J Med. 2019 Jul 25;381(4):349-357. doi: 10.1056/NEJMcp1905181. Epub 2019 Jul 10. PMID: 31184814.

04/18/2025

Summary of the relative risks of measles infection vs. vaccination; Box 2 emphasizes the effects of getting vaccinated and not getting measles. From Bester, Johan Christiaan (2016). Measles and Measles Vaccination. JAMA Pediatrics, doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.1787

04/18/2025

Federal Funding for Eosinophilic GI Disease Research Halted
https://apfed.org/cegirstatement/?emci=c88d9864-cf1b-f011-8b3d-0022482a9fb7&emdi=f0831232-531c-f011-8b3d-0022482a9fb7&ceid=10172423

The National Institutes of Health has halted funding for the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR), ending more than a decade of progress in critical, patient-focused research.
This decision—stemming from a newly enforced administrative policy, not scientific merit—jeopardizes clinical trials, treatment development, and the future of care for thousands living with eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, many of whom still have no FDA-approved therapies.

APFED Statement on Disqualification of CEGIR Renewal Application We have received a most discouraging notification that the critical research being conducted by the Consortium of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Researchers (CEGIR, Grant 3U54AI117804), funded by National Institutes of Health, h...

04/18/2025

On April 17, 2025 the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and the Gallatin County Health Department reported 5 confirmed cases of measles.

Consider measles as a diagnosis in anyone with fever (>=101 deg. F or 38.3 deg. C) and a generalized maculopapular rash with cough, coryza (inflamed mucous membrane lining of the nose that may include symptoms of nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and post-nasal drip), or conjunctivitis in individuals who report recent travel to areas in the U.S. with measles outbreaks, or individuals who recently traveled abroad in countries with measles cases or individuals who report exposure to a case of measles in the previous 21 days.

MMR Vaccine Recommendations
- Children are routinely recommended to receive 2 doses of MMR vaccines. Children should receive their first dose of MMR at age 12-15 months and their second dose at 4-6 years.

- Unvaccinated children and adolescents are recommended to receive 2 age-appropriate doses of MMR vaccine.

- Unvaccinated adults may need 1 or 2 doses of MMR vaccine, depending on their circumstance, if they do not have evidence of immunity. Persons born before 1957 are considered to have presumed immunity.

- Special circumstances may warrant additional MMR vaccine schedule considerations, including domestic travel to areas experience any measles outbreak, international travel, and working in healthcare settings.

- MMR doses should be separated by at least 28 days.