Allergy

Asthma sufferers have long relied on inhalers for relief from wheezing or coughing attacks. But as of Dec. 31, Primatene Mist -- the only available over-the-counter asthma inhaler -- was taken off shelves because of its adverse effect on the environment. Other inhalers are available, but these require a doctor's prescription. Some people with asthma aren't happy about the change, but lung doctors and asthma specialists agree that Primatene Mist wasn't the best option for patients anyway.

Josh Hamilton said he was assured by doctors this week that the allergies that lead to occasional sinus and throat discomfort and dizziness were not caused or exacerbated by his heavy cocaine use from 2002-2005. "You have a hallway up the middle of your nose and sinus cavities on each side," said Hamilton, whose addiction to drugs and alcohol led to a ban from baseball from 2003-2005. "When you breathe air, it goes up and down the hallway. "Same thing when you do drugs, it goes up the hallway, not into the sinus cavities.

Josh Hamilton said he has changed sinus medication and is scheduled to be tested for allergies, but he wanted to make one thing about his weakened condition perfectly clear. "This has absolutely nothing to do with my .200 batting average," he said. The Angels limited Hamilton to designated hitter Tuesday, one day after the right fielder came out of a game with what Manager Mike Scioscia called dizziness. Hamilton said he has had sinus and throat discomfort for about 10 days and said he hoped a change in medication would help.

Josh Hamilton said he has changed sinus medication and is scheduled to be tested for allergies, but he wanted to make one thing about his weakened condition perfectly clear. "This has absolutely nothing to do with my .200 batting average," he said. The Angels limited Hamilton to designated hitter Tuesday, one day after the right fielder came out of a game with what Manager Mike Scioscia called dizziness. Hamilton said he has had sinus and throat discomfort for about 10 days and said he hoped a change in medication would help.

Daesang America Inc. is recalling  packages of sesame- and garlic-flavored mixed soy bean paste because they may contain undeclared peanuts, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. People who are allergic to peanuts run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products, according to the FDA. The packages were sold in stores nationwide, and online. No injury or illness has yet been reported. "The product comes in a 500 gram (17.64 ounce)

Hershey Co. is recalling 7.25-ounce plastic bottles of Hershey's Chocolate Shell Topping because the ice cream topping contains undeclared almonds, which could cause a severe or life-threatening reaction in people who have allergies to almonds. The Hershey, Pa., company has received three consumer complaints, spokesman Kirk Saville said. There have been no reports of incidents or injuries. The recalled product, which has the code "69N" printed on the back of the bottle, was sold nationwide after July 8 this year.

IN Jane Engle's article "From Soap to Nuts" [Travel Insider, Jan. 7], she went into extensive detail about the problem with nut allergies, all of which are true. However, never once did she mention another common and very difficult-to-deal-with allergy, and that is allergy to eggs. So many things contain egg: mayonnaise, salad dressings, some breads, almost all cookies and muffins, some pastas, frying batter etc. Hopefully, you will play catch up and address that subject. ALICE N. BESSMAN Los Angeles

Good Lord! Don't you read Harry Shearer? One week after he provides insight into the horrors of perfume ("Making a Stink," Oct. 13), I get hit with a surprise allergy attack and the weapon is none other than a fragranced page in The Times itself. I'm only amazed that you didn't put the stinky stuff on the page facing "Man Bites Town." EVAN C. HENRY Costa Mesa

Re articles on Dr. George R. Borrell (Jan. 4 and 6): About 10 years ago, after many years of misery with frequent colds and flu, blocked nose, having to sit up all night, I went to a qualified MD allergist. I was given the 200-plus skin test injections, was told that I was allergic to practically everything in the air and put on a twice-a-week allergy injection program. After some months with no improvement, I was informed that the only solution was to have an operation, in fact two operations, one for each side of my face (sinuses)

Regarding "Ask About Hotel Rules for Fido" [Letters, Feb. 15]: I share my life with a German shepherd who accompanies me wherever she is allowed. If a hotel is involved, its pet policy dictates my choice. I certainly understand allergy concerns, and if you have an allergy to animals, you have the added responsibility to make sure you don't come into contact with them -- much as one with a food allergy must exercise care eating in a restaurant. This surely doesn't mean others in the restaurant can't have what you are allergic to. Dogs are essential to the health and well being of many people, and, as such, they and their human companions deserve equal and fair treatment.

Lifestyle Evolution Inc. has voluntarily recalled a number of its NuGO nondairy bars because the products contain milk, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Individuals with allergies to dairy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume products containing milk protein, according to the FDA. (Lactose intolerance is not a milk allergy and should not be confused with a milk protein allergy.)  The products were distributed nationwide.

Daesang America Inc. is recalling  packages of sesame- and garlic-flavored mixed soy bean paste because they may contain undeclared peanuts, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. People who are allergic to peanuts run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products, according to the FDA. The packages were sold in stores nationwide, and online. No injury or illness has yet been reported. "The product comes in a 500 gram (17.64 ounce)

Gesundheit! If it seems to you allergy sufferers that you're reaching for Kleenex and hay fever pills earlier and earlier each spring to ward off sneezing fits, you may be right. A panel of climate scientists and plant physiologists said Tuesday that higher temperatures and carbon dioxide levels are linked to longer and more intense pollen production. "What we're seeing with additional warming and earlier springs is that the trees are flowering earlier and producing more pollen," said Lewis Ziska, a research plant physiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Acupuncture gave some relief to people suffering from seasonal allergies, but the improvements didn't last much beyond treatment, researchers said. The researchers, from several institutions in the United States and Germany, studied seasonal allergic rhinitis, characterized by a runny and stuffy nose caused by plant pollen allergies. They divided 422 people in Germany into three groups: one treated with acupuncture, one with sham acupuncture and one with antihistamines. The people in the first two groups also were allowed to take antihistamines if needed.

Actress Julie Bowen of "Modern Family" doesn't want other parents to go through what she and her husband did when their toddler experienced a life-threatening allergic reaction that sent him into anaphylactic shock. Her son recovered completely, but the incident inspired Bowen to become an activist in educating the public about kids' allergies. Here, she talks about how parents can prepare themselves for the possibility of such an incident and what she's done to keep her family safe.

If you thought peanut allergies were bad, meet what may be a far worse affliction: Approximately 2% to 3% of the population suffers from severe allergies to spices, according to a presentation Friday at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Anaheim by its past president, Dr. Sami Bahna. Spices are everywhere. So while it may be possible to avoid peanuts and other common allergens when dining at restaurants, the ubiquity of spices makes eating out extremely difficult, and can also restrict the use of store-bought and processed foods, as spices are not always listed on packaging.

There is no "controversy over moderate drinking" to a recovering alcoholic or one who lives with such a person. You just can't drink! What's shameful about psychologist Roger Vogler's pitch--it helps sell his book, and with his TV interviews, makes him a personality--is that in using the word moderate, an appeal to a health truth in everything one does, he's snickering at reality. True, there may be some people who can drink in moderation, or even in excess and get drunk, without becoming alcoholic.

I was pleased to see several recipes in recent weeks highlighting fava beans and their many uses. However, I was surprised to see them printed without any warning about the potential dangers of fava beans to those carrying the gene for favism, an extreme allergy to favas. Favism is most common among Mediterranean populations, especially those from the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, Crete and Rhodes. The allergy can cause a host of symptoms, from hives and sneezing in mild cases to death from the explosion of hemoglobin (a blood component)

The market for gluten-free foods and beverages is booming, with double-digit growth over the last four years as more consumers find themselves diagnosed with celiac disease and food allergies. The market for products without the gluten protein — found in wheat, barley, rye and some other grains — is valued at $4.2 billion this year, according to a report from Packaged Facts. Since 2008, it has grown at a compound annual rate of 28% and is expected to exceed $6.6 billion by 2017.

Shari and Judi Zucker became vegetarians as teenagers, shared high school records in the mile and two-mile and became authors together at 17. "We've been walking our talk - running our talk - since we were 16," says Judi. Their first book, "How to Survive Snack Attacks Naturally," was featured in the Los Angeles Times on Jan. 10, 1984. Even then it was clear why their father, publicist Irwin Zucker, named them the Double Energy Twins - which conveniently has become http://www.doubleenergytwins.com.