Allergy Relief

John Froelich, 52, was a registered nurse who has been convicted in an allergy testing health care fraud scheme. As the ringleader among nine defendants, he was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall in Federal Court in Chicago to nine years in prison and ordered to pay $2.6 million in restitution.

Froelich plead guilty to federal charges for submitting fraudulent bills totaling $11.5 million to more than 200 insurance companies. The insurance companies paid approximately $2.6 million in false claims.

Matrixx, replying to FDA's Zicam warning says FDA's action is "unwarranted," and thinks Zicam products are safe and "do not cause anosmia," but may issue a Zicam recall after determining it's response to FDA.

Earlier FDA had told consumers to stop using three products marketed over-the-counter as cold remedies because they are associated with the loss of sense of smell (anosmia). Anosmia may be long-lasting or permanent.

It is a complicated process to know all about allergy causes and treatments. Typical allergy causes like pollen from trees and grasses aren't the only items that might have you reaching for the tissues.

It's a right of passage as in tune with the seasons as the swallows returning to Capistrano: as the trees bloom and a thin veil of pollen cover the cars, allergy sufferers serenade the world with sneezes and calls to the doctor for antihistamines.

A new study indicates there may be yet another reason to reduce childhood obesity — it may help prevent allergies. The study published in the May issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology showed that obese children and adolescents are at increased risk of having some kind of allergy, especially to a food. The study was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), both parts of the National Institutes of Health.

Spring has sprung and warmer weather is on the way, bringing with it signs of the season such as tree blossoms and green grass. While most welcome the opportunity to tuck away winter clothes and spend more time outdoors, the turn of the season can pose challenges for the more than 35 million Americans who suffer from allergies. With predictions of an intensified allergy season this year, experts at Northwestern Memorial Hospital offer suggestions for helping allergy sufferers find relief.

Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and at Ghent University in Ghent, Belgium, have identified a new role for certain lung cells in the immune response to airborne allergens.

Millions of Americans will sneeze, sniffle and wheeze their way through another spring. But no one needs to put up with these symptoms. New tools, including a simple online test to gauge whether you need help with your allergy and asthma symptoms plus a personalized plan explaining how to achieve relief, are now available to help eliminate suffering.

More than 12 million Americans have food allergies. These allergies include peanuts or tree nuts, seafood, milk, eggs, and wheat (gluten). Food allergy related reactions result in an estimated 30,000 emergency room visits each year. The reactions result in an estimated 200-300 deaths each year.

Tolerance toward peanut allergy has been successfully built up in UK where the British scientists say they have succeeded doing that even in children with severe peanut allergies.

The study included four children who were given small daily doses of peanut flour mixed into yogurt. Over six months, the doses were increased to the equivalent of five whole peanuts. By the end of the trial, the children could eat at least 10 peanuts without suffering any allergic reaction, Agence France Presse reported.

The findings appear in the journal Allergy.

This allergy season, a new medication is available to manage the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis, a condition that impacts as many as 40 million people in the United States. ASTEPRO Nasal Spray contains azelastine in a unique vehicle formulated for enhanced patient benefits. Azelastine is the active ingredient in ASTELIN (azelastine hydrochloride), a leading antihistamine nasal spray. Prescription ASTEPRO Nasal Spray 137 mcg offers powerful efficacy, rapid relief and improved tolerability.