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'It's Working': Child Overcomes Peanut Allergy At Cleveland Clinic

CLEVELAND (WJW) – Six-year-old Harper has overcome reactions to food allergies, including her reaction to peanuts, with treatment at the Cleveland Clinic.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, when Harper was only six months old, red blotches appeared on her face after she ate very small amounts of certain foods, like anything containing peanuts.

Harper's mom, Katie Hoosenally, also has 8-year-old twins, Ava and Davis, who don't suffer from food allergies. Hoosenally said she knew she had to do something to help her daughter overcome the effects of her food allergies, the Cleveland Clinic said.

Harper has gone to Cleveland Clinic allergist Sandra Hong, MD, since she was an infant.

According to Dr. Hong, introducing small doses of the foods that cause allergic reactions to children diagnosed with food allergies is often effective in building tolerance without severe allergic reactions.

According to Dr. Hong, administering these foods daily, while under supervision and with guidance from an allergist, is an important part of the process.

"If you can catch the little ones, like Harper, early in their lives, their immune systems are still quite flexible," Dr. Hong said. "When they acquire a sustained tolerance for these foods, any allergic reactions are not nearly as significant as they get older."

In the past, food allergy treatment centered around avoiding certain foods, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Now, introducing troublesome foods into the person's diet earlier is the preferred treatment method.

"When you hear that, at first it doesn't make sense," said Hoosenally. "Now, Harper can eat as many peanuts as she wants without a reaction."

According to the Cleveland Clinic, this form of treatment is called oral immunotherapy and is transforming how allergists treat patients with food allergies.

"Exposing Harper to little bits of peanuts every day, as long as the reaction remains mild and doesn't progress, will help her overcome the allergy so she won't have it as an adult. And it's working," Hoosenally said.

This is a primary component of the treatments practiced at the Cleveland Clinic Food Allergy Center. The center includes a nutritionist and a psychologist to address any heightened anxiety of patients dealing with food allergies.

"Many children with food allergies are bullied. They have to endure eating lunch alone at the 'peanut table' or don't go to parties and other events in order to avoid getting an allergic reaction," Dr. Hong said.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, patients and their caregivers must be mindful because the body is constantly changing.

Harper, who had not previously tested positive for tree nut allergies, suffered a severe reaction when she was two years old after taking a bite of an energy bar that contained cashews.

Almost instantly, her face swelled and she had difficulty breathing until she was given a dose of auto-injectable epinephrine, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

"We learned the hard way that you can develop a food allergy at any time in your life," Hoosenally said.

Hoosenally is now introducing tree nuts into Harper's diet, with the guidance of Dr. Hong.

Hoosenally said she encourages parents who have babies or children with food allergies to be diligent advocates for their children.

"Get up to speed on all the research and follow up with an allergist to see what treatment might be best for your child," she said. "You do not want him or her to avoid these foods and then always be susceptible to a life-threatening reaction."

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.

Suffering From Allergies In Boise? It's Not Just High Pollen Count That Can Make You Sneeze

When Benjamin Bonneville first spotted the mass of cottonwood trees surrounding a river, and exclaimed, "Les Bois! Les Bois!" — French for "The woods!" — he was right about one thing: Many trees were spread across the valley below him. Although the story can't be confirmed by the Idaho State Historical Society, the society does believe it's a plausible reason for the city being named Boise.

The story of Bonneville is also why Boise is nicknamed the City of Trees. With so many trees, the spring can only mean one thing: severe allergies.

The worst spring allergies in the United States occur on the east side of the country, according to a study by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. But Boise helps carry the allergy banner for the western U.S. The City of Trees is the fourth-highest-ranked city west of the Rocky Mountains for worst allergies, trailing only Las Vegas (31st), Tucson, Arizona (43rd), and Riverside, California (49th).

While most people are familiar with typical allergy symptoms — including symptoms like a runny nose, itchy eyes and a scratchy throat — there are also some lesser-known facts regarding allergies.

The Idaho Statesman talked to Boise CVS Pharmacy district manager Jessica Chenoweth to find out more.

One theory behind Boise's name comes from French-born army officer Benjamin Bonneville, who shouted "Les Bois" when he first saw the Treasure Valley. Boise's trees can be difficult to handle for some residents with allergies.

Boise spring allergies

Discerning between allergies and a cold

Although there tends to be a line in the sand between a winter cold and spring allergies, it can be quite blurry. Spring is the second-most-likely season to catch a cold, according to St. Luke's, and there are ways to tell the difference.

While colds and allergies can involve congestion and other head-cold symptoms, the most significant difference is the color of the nasal drip.

"Usually, that nasal drip is clear, which is very specific to allergies," Chenoweth said. "A cold will sometimes be accompanied by a fever, and you may have phlegm of a yellow or green color, which are differentiated."

Allergies can be late onset

Just because someone didn't suffer allergies as a kid doesn't mean they can't later in life. Depending on where a person is health-wise and the condition of their immune system, they can experience variations throughout their life in their susceptibility to allergies.

"Individuals that have comorbidities, so something like hypertension, diabetes, cancer, people that are immunosuppressed, are going to have a different immune response than a healthy individual," Chenoweth said.

It's not always the pollen causing allergies

Tree, grass and weed pollen are the most common causes of seasonal allergies. According to the study by AAFA, tree pollen is the first to appear each year and is primarily responsible for allergies between February and June.

But sometimes, the reason for allergies is a little closer to home.

"People that are maybe around animals that they're not typically around can oftentimes experience an allergic response to that animal," Chenoweth said.

She also said that combining animal allergens with pollen allergens can result in more severe symptoms, such as facial pain from nasal congestion, chest tightness and skin rashes or hives.

Alcohol can make symptoms worse

Alcohol doesn't necessarily cause an allergic reaction, but it can interact with the body's immune system and make a person more susceptible to lower levels of allergens.

According to Pinnacle ENT, an ear, nose and throat, allergy and audiology practice, the manufacturing process of alcohol can even result in an allergic reaction. For example, alcohol aged in a wooden barrel can cause a reaction in people with tree nut sensitivity.

Alleviating allergy symptoms

Over-the-counter pharmaceutical remedies like oral antihistamines and nasal sprays can help alleviate allergy symptoms, but lifestyle changes can also help.

"Avoid being outside on the days that pollen counts are really high," Chenoweth said. "Changing your clothes after you're outside, making sure that we're leaving our shoes in a garage or outside and not tracking that pollen into our homes."

Cottonwood trees are producing the most pollen right now in Boise, according to the Boise Valley Asthma and Allergy Clinic, but birch and maple trees and grass are also producing pollen.

Chenoweth also recommended using an air purifier, vacuuming and dusting your household more frequently. She also said people can contact their local pharmacist to help alleviate symptoms.

"People can absolutely feel comfortable consulting their local pharmacist for their allergy needs," Chenoweth said. "Pharmacists are a wealth of knowledge and are always happy to help provide guidance as someone walks through that allergy aisle in a pharmacy."

Originally published May 14, 2023 at 6:00 AM

Metro Allergy Clinic Helping Out After Other Clinic Suffers Alleged Cyber Security Breach

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A northeast metro allergy clinic is stepping in to help out some patients that were originally left with nowhere to go after another clinic suffered, and is still dealing with, an alleged security breach.

"We're working to try to schedule people and to try to really help them out so we can hopefully make their transition better," said Dr. Dean Atkinson with the Oklahoma Allergy and Asthma Clinic.

Atkinson is working to fill up the calendar with patient appointments after the Oklahoma Institute of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Edmond suffered an alleged cyber security breach at the beginning of May. The breach left patients like Dawn Booth who gets injections for chronic hives with nowhere to turn and their personal information hanging in the balance.

"This past month has been really a roller coaster," Booth said. "I'm more concerned about what's going to happen in the future."

A word of warning, however, for patients seeking to come over. Get whatever medical records you can, because if not, you may have to start over.

"The only way we can get our medical files is through the attorney general," Booth said.

"Hopefully they can obtain records, which would help us a lot," Atkinson said. "If not, we may have to do a full battery of testing to figure out where they are and what they need done."

Regardless, Atkinson said this doesn't mean they won't do their best to help however they can. He added that if anyone needs medication refills or to get in quickly and can't see a family physician…

"We can try to work with that," he said.

Atkinson also said if you can't get your records and need quick help to try and call your family physician first and make an appointment. He also said they have dedicated computer specialists on staff to make sure your information is protected.

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