Dr. Bassett

Allergy season in many areas of the US has had a big impact on all of allergy sufferers, particularly on children.  As children often spend a larger amount of time outdoors during the summertime they may be more so affected by the onslaught of daytime seasonal pollens and mold spores.  

 If one parent has allergies there is at least a 25 to 33 percent chance of the child developing allergies and the risk goes up over 50 to 75 percent if both parents are allergic sufferers.  So family history is a key factor in whether or not your children will develop seasonal allergies, indoor allergies and/or asthma.

 Recent studies have looked at impaired sleep as a result of poor breathing due to congested nasal and sinus passages during the night.  This may have a direct impact on daytime behavior and performance in the classroom.  Fatigue and daytime drowsiness may also be a sign of sleep disturbances that occur due to poorly controlled allergies.

Some suggestions I typically discuss with the parents of children suffering from seasonal allergies are:

  * Change clothes after spending time in the park where pollens are plentiful

  * Washing hair and taking a bath later in the day after being outside on a “high pollen day

  * Pre-treat to prevent daily symptoms during peak seasonal pollen periods

  * Vacation at peak allergy times by a body of water such as a lake, river or by the beach, where pollen levels are typically lower

* Ask your pediatrician or allergist if your child should be on “anti-inflammatory” nasal sprays to reduce congestion from seasonal allergies that may assist in better quality sleep at night

Be proactive and develop a sensible allergy management program for your child to successfully combat seasonal allergy triggers!  Learn more at www.acaai.org and www.aaaai.org.

 Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine.  He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.  No information in this blog is intended to diagnose or treat any condition.

With as many as 70 million Americans suffering from insomnia, according to a 2007 report by the Institute of Medicine, the need for ZZZs has led to a booming market for a new class of non-narcotic sleep drugs, like Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata.

Americans spent almost $1.8 billion filling more than 16 million prescriptions for Ambien and Ambien CR last year, and almost $713 million on over 6 million prescriptions of Lunesta, according to Drug Topics digital magazine.

The new sleep aids fall into two classes — selective gamma-aminobutyric acid medications and sleep-wake cycle modifiers — and they have been billed as safer than the older class of sleep drugs, known as benzodiazepine drugs. The older drugs, which include Halcion, have been shown to be both habit-forming and addictive.

Still, the new drugs carry side effects that users should be aware of.

Addiction, sleep driving, sleep eating, and sleep sex are a few of the serious side effects reported by some patients who take the new medications.

But many doctors believe the most harmful aspect of these newer drugs is a potential overdose. Mixing them with other substances or taking doses exceeding a physician’s recommendation can result in over-sedation and death.

A three-year-old Rhett Lamb boy has fallen asleep for the first time in his life.  This after, doctors performed an experimental surgery to fix his rare brain condition called chiari malformation.

The condition puts pressure on his brain stem.  The surgery allowed doctors to remove pieces of bone from the Florida boy’s skull and spine to relieve the pressure off his brain stem.

The surgery appeared to have worked, Rhett’s father, David said Thursday.

“Last night, we didn’t wake up,” David Lamb said. “It was amazing.”

Working long hours or worried about losing your job? No problem.

Stressed about the conflicts between your boss and co-workers? That’s more likely to make adults lose sleep, according to a study.

Even those working the graveyard shift are sleeping better than those who are stressing over interpersonal relationships at work, the study said.

What do you think?