According to the Americam College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology:

• More than 50 Million people in the US have allergies
• Adults and children of any age can be tested
• Testing options include Skin tests, or Blood tests
• 2 types of skin tests:
  • Drop of suspected allergen is scratched on the skin surface, usually on the back or forearm; can test many possible allergens at same time
  • Tiny amount of suspected allergen is injected just under the skin (“intra-dermal”); intra-dermal allergy testing is restricted to testing for allergy to insect stings or penicillins
  • For skin tests (both types), positive reactions usually appear within 20 minutes
  • Both types of skin test have little or no pain; positive reactions can cause annoying itching red bumps, like a mosquito bite
  • Note that some medications interfere with allergy testing – especially allergy meds like antihistamines
  • Both kinds of allergy skin tests are thought to be mediated by a type of antibody (IgE) that we make against the allergen
  • Allergy Blood Tests detect the presence of IgE that is made against an allergen.
    The Allergy Blood Tests can be used when: 
    • Patient is taking a medication that can interfere with skin testing, but the medication cannot be stopped for a few days
    • The patient suffers from severe skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis that would either be exacerbated by the testing, or interferes with interpretation of the results
    • Testing with a strong allergen might cause an extra large positive reaction
    • For babies and young children, a single needle stick to draw a small amount of blood to be used for allergy blood testing may be better tolerated than several skin tests
    • Allergy blood tests can take many days to get results
    • Allergy blood tests are generally less sensitive than skin testing methods

Which Test is Better?

Each test type has pluses and minuses.  Using either type of test, the results alone do not diagnose allergies.  Like all test results, they must be interpreted with the medical history.

The Benefits of Testing:

Some people with severe allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, otitis, or asthma (think Unified Airway Disorders), that is not controlled with standard therapy may benefit from allergy testing, if test results enable allergen avoidance or help guide allergy treatment using immunotherapy – either sub-cutaneous or sub-lingual immunotherapy (SCIT or SLIT).

If you enjoy these articles, please share them with others: scroll to the bottom of the page and click on one of the “Be Sociable, Share” buttons – send the link to your Facebook page, or Tweet it, or even just email it to a friend that you think may benefit from the information here! Thanks.

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For More Information on Allergy Testing:

• Allergy Testing. A Review by JAMES T. LI, M.D., PH.D., Mayo Clinic; Published in:
  Am Fam Physician. 2002 Aug 15;66(4):621-625:
  http://www.aafp.org/afp/2002/0815/p621.html
• Allergy Testing, According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology:
  http://www.acaai.org/allergist/allergies/Treatment/diagnosing-allergies/Pages/allergy-testing.aspx
• From this blog: How Rhinitis, Asthma, Sinusitis, Tonsillitis, Otitis, Are All Connected – the Unified Airway:
  http://www.boogordoctor.com/wp-admin/rhinitis-sinusitis-otitis-laryngitis-adenoiditis-tonsillitis-are-all-connected

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Image Credit:

Wolfgang Ihloff: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benutzer:Wolfgang_Ihloff

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Hi, I’m Russell Faust, author of this medical education blog.

Let me know what topics are important to you and your child’s respiratory health.

Join the conversation by leaving a comment / reply below, or email me any time.

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Until next time, remember … you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose (unless you’re a boogor doctor ;~D)

Cool name. Sounds a little futuristic. In my mind, any name with X’s or Z’s sounds like something from a 1950’s scifi movie. Maybe an alien name.

First, to see the full image, click on the image that accompanies this blog post – it is the cover from a 1938 publication of Amazing Stories. Not only is that appropriate for the story of Xylitol, but it’s just a cool image.

Sounds alien. But it’s not. It’s natural, grown right here on Earth.

Xylitol is a naturally-occurring sugar substitute. It is found in nature in various fruits and vegetables, but is usually prepared for human consumption by extracting it from corn or other vegetable sources.

Xylitol was discovered late in the 19^th century.

Since then, it has been shown to have many benefits:

1. Xylitol has about 1/3 fewer calories than table sugar (sucrose)
2. Xylitol has about the same sweetness for taste as table sugar
3. Xylitol has a low glycemic index – this makes it safer for diabetics
4. Xylitol consumption reduces growth of yeast (Candida)
5. Xylitol in the diet reduces dental caries
6. Xylitol inhibits the growth of various species of bacteria
7. Xylitol inhibits the attachment of various bacteria to the mucosal lining of our respiratory tract
8. Xylitol increases neutrophil activity in experimental models (rats)
9. Xylitol reduces sinusitis in experimental models (rabbits)

Most of these benefits have been demonstrated from human studies. The features #5-7 above are probably responsible for the reduction in ear infections in clinical trials!

Only those last couple – #8 & 9 – are from experimental animal studies. Those have not yet been studied in humans, but the findings are encouraging.

Bottom line: most bacteria and yeast (fungus) cannot easily metabolize Xylitol. They prefer a 6-carbon sugar like glucose (Xylitol is a 5-carbon sugar). Incorporation of Xylitol into the surface polysaccharides of our mucosal cells – lining our aero-digestive tract – prevents bacteria from adhering to the surface. If the bacteria cannot stick to the lining of your nose, or your throat, they cannot have their evil way with you. You win.

What HAS Been Studied in Humans?

Xylitol and Otitis Media

Xylitol has been found to reduce the incidence of acute otitis media – ear infections – in children.

Now we’re getting to the interesting stuff, no?

In the 1970’s there were studies from Finland that showed significant reduced ear infections in children who chewed gum that was sweetened with Xylitol instead of sucrose or fructose. These results have been reproduced in multiple clinical trials in children.

So now you’re thinking, “Well, that doesn’t do me much good, my 1-year-old with the ear infections can’t chew gum.”

That thought occurred to Dr. Lon Jones, too.

Image: Dr. Lon Jones, and Jerry

He was treating otitis media in children, looking for ways to prevent it, to treat it, without surgery.

So he asked whether there were other ways to get Xylitol into children. His goal was to get Xylitol into children without changing their diets, but to get the Xylitol to the area it is needed to achieve the benefits listed above – namely, to reduce adherence of bacteria, to inhibit growth of bacteria and yeast – in the upper respiratory tract of children.

Dr. Jones settled on a simple solution: he added Xylitol to salt water and used it as a nasal spray in children. His clinical trials found a similar reduction in ear infections to those already seen for Xylitol-chewing gum.

So: Xylitol can reduce ear infections. Big up-side benefit.

What is the downside?

None known.

Xylitol in saline nose spray is a safe means of reducing ear infections, and reducing upper respiratory infections in general.

If this is so effective, must cost a lot, no?

No. Xylitol is cheap, cheap. The Xlear patented brand of Xylitol nasal spray can be found online for less than $10. This brand has the optimal concentration of Xylitol to help prevent ear infections and sinus infections, based on medical studies. (Most other sprays that list Xylitol on their ingredients contain only the minimal concentration to be able to meet legal requirements to list it as an ingredient. Scammy.)

If this is so effective, why haven’t I heard about it before?

Perhaps it’s because there are no big pharmaceutical companies behind the product. No advertising.

I’m not a conspiracy-theorist. It is just a simple fact that a generic, inexpensive product like Xylitol cannot make a company a lot of money. As a result, there are no big advertising campaigns behind Xylitol.

So, what are you waiting for?

Image: Xlear Saline Nasal Spray with Xylitol

If YOUR child has recurrent or chronic ear infections, frequent URI’s, rhinitis, or sinusitis, why not give Xylitol a try?

Transparency:

1. I have no financial arrangements with any sources of healthcare products that contain Xylitol.
2. After reviewing the medical literature and all available data, I DO use Xlear Xylitol products for myself and my family, and recommend them for my clinic patients.
3. After using Xlear products, and reading Dr. Jones’ books, I made an effort to meet him (and his wonderful wife, Jerry). For complete transparency, I consider them friends.
4. This site is an Amazon affiliate, and will make some pennies from any purchase through the Amazon Store link. Yes, pennies :))

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Hi, I’m Russell Faust, author of this blog, and I appreciate your comments and questions.  Keep ‘em coming.  Please, “be excellent to one another.”

I invite you to subscribe (it’s FREE) to this blog for weekly updates – you won’t be swamped by updates, I simply cannot write for the blog everyday.

Click here to receive free weekly updates: (http://eepurl.com/FGnP)

Type in your best email address (the one you actually use).

Your email is safe - will never be shared or sold. Ever.

Click here to read our Privacy Policy: http://wp.me/PR4iB-r

When the confirmation email from boogor doctor arrives, click on the link to give your okay to receive free weekly updates, occasional book reviews or product reviews, occasional discount-coupons for products that I use (not affiliates), all without needing to visit the website.

It’s free, it’s convenient. No ads. No spam. You can un-subscribe at any time. How cool is that?

Stay Informed.

Stay Healthy.

Best of health and success to you and your families.

Until next time, remember … you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose (unless you’re a boogor doctor :~D)

I usually  try to take a poll down once a couple hundred results are recorded. This poll has reached over 290 results, and the results were not what I had expected:

What Methods Do We Use for Nasal Saline Rinses?

51% still use the Neti pot, as you can see from the figure, the majority of us.

42% use the Squeeze-bottle – from Nasopure, NeilMed, there are several available (more on this below).

4% still use the Suction-bulb! That is a surprise.

For those of you who don’t know what that is, think back to those blue or green rubber-like bulbs that many people use to suction a baby’s nose out.

There were a couple of wise-alecs who claimed to use their garden-hose to rinse their noses out!! Nice image.

boogordoctor Nasal Saline Poll Results

What Are Saline Nasal Rinses Good For?

I have reviewed nasal saline rinses elsewhere on this blog, but let’s briefly review their value. Saline Nasal Rinses are good for those with:

• allergic rhinitis
• rhinitis from any cause (chemical rhinitis, say in a swimmer from chlorinated pool)
• sinusitis – acute or chronic
• simple viral URI syndrome
• asthma – optimizing nasal hygiene will benefit your lungs!
• otitis (ear infections) – again, optimal nasal hygiene reduces ear infections
• anyone who is exposed to air pollutants – either indoors or outdoors
• anyone with reflux that contributes to otitis or rhinitis/sinusitis
• once you have achieved a healthy nose – best way to keep it that way!

Whatever is bothering your nose, this will rinse it away. Think of nasal saline rinses like a car-wash for your nose – rinse off the dirt: mold, virus, bacteria, particulate pollutants, chemical toxins, etc.

You get the idea. Basically, ANY “Itis” or inflammatory disorder of the respiratory tract will benefit from optimal nasal hygiene.

Why is that?

Read about the Unified Airway Model to find out:

• What is the Unified Airway?
• It’s All Connected: the Unified Airway

Let Me Make A Recommendation

If you are doing nasal saline rinses …

First: stop using a suction-bulb. Primitive. Too risky for nasal trauma, likely to cause nose-bleeds. The goal here is to be nice to your nose, not to hurt it.

If you are using a Neti pot, time to switch to a squeeze-bottle.

There is an easier way to rinse your nose with saline – especially if you are doing saline rinses with a child.

For those of you who are struggling with the Neti pot to rinse a child’s nose, you know what I mean. Rinsing a child’s nose can be enough of a wrestling match without also struggling to get the positioning just right.

There is now a “Nicer Neti,” as the Nasopure bottle is referred to.

Of all the possible methods for doing nasal saline rinses, this is by far the easiest. And their bottle is BPA-free!

No odd head/neck contortions to get the positioning just right.

And if you have children who need nasal saline rinses, be sure to check out the videos on the Nasopure site: they show 3- and 4-year-old children easily doing nasal saline rinses. By themselves. Without the wrestling match. It’s that easy.

For Transparency:  I have NO financial or other arrangements with Nasopure.com or Dr. Hana Solomon. It is simply that this is the easiest system that I have found (and I have used them ALL), and the one that I use personally for myself and my own children, and the one that I recommend for my patients in clinic.

For those who might be interested in signing up for FREE email updates from this blog – no SPAM ever – you will receive a decent discount for everything on the Nasopure site.

If you or your child(ren) struggle with rhinitis or sinusitis, Dr. Hana’s book is a must-have:

Clearing The Air One Nose at a Time, by Dr. Hana Solomon.

Readers of this blog will recognize this as the book that I was intending to write!

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Thanks for visiting.

Thanks especially to Kim, Jenna, and Lisa, for taking the time to leave comments, ask questions, and most importantly – to share their experiences with all of us. Your contributions to our little community of boogor-heads is greatly appreciated!

I appreciate your comments and questions.  Keep ‘em coming.  Please, “be excellent to one another.”

I invite you to subscribe (it’s FREE) to this blog for weekly updates – you won’t be swamped by updates, I simply cannot write for the blog everyday.

Click here to receive free weekly updates: (http://eepurl.com/FGnP)

Type in your best email address (the one you actually use).

Your email is safe - will never be shared or sold. Ever.

Click here to read our Privacy Policy: http://wp.me/PR4iB-r

When the confirmation email from boogor doctor arrives, click on the link to give your okay to receive free weekly updates, occasional book reviews or product reviews, occasional discount-coupons for products that I use (not affiliates), all without needing to visit the website.

It’s free, it’s convenient. No ads. No spam. You can un-subscribe at any time. How cool is that?

Stay Informed.

Stay Healthy.

Best of health and success to you and your families.

Until next time, remember … you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose (unless you’re a boogor doctor :~D)

I recently thanked y’all for making my first ever blogging experience a good one. I have met many friends through this blog, and according to emails and comments, have helped some children (and a few adults) reduce or eliminate symptoms from their respiratory disorders.

My mission is to educate, and help families make informed choices regarding the health of their children.

From my perspective, this blog – boogordoctor.com – has been a success. It has been a great year, thanks to all of you – the readers of this blog site, and subscribers of email updates.

I want to especially thank those of you who take the time to leave comments or email me with comments and questions. I really appreciate your commitment to our little community of “boogor heads”.

In case you are new to this site, or joined us only recently, here is a list of the Top 15 Most Popular articles over this first year (most popular first):

8 Dangerous Complications of Sinusitis, But 3 That Can Kill

Illustrated review of the complications of sinusitis, categorized into intracranial, orbital, and local.

Nasal and Sinus Anatomy (and Histology)

Extensive illustrated review of nasal and sinus anatomy. Helpful foundation for understanding your child’s sinusitis.

Top 10 Food Allergens

A review of the 10 most common food allergies, and what to do if you suspect that your child has food allergies.

Anatomy of Nose Bleeds in Children

An illustrated review of the anatomy of nose bleeds in children.

Saline Sinus Rinses

The last in a series of how-to articles on saline nasal rinses for managing rhinitis and sinusitis: recipes, things that can be added to improve results, how often to do the rinses, etc.

TESTING: CT Imaging the Sinuses

Illustrated guide to Sinus CT scans: how to “read” a sinus CT image.

Reflux and Otitis: Does GERD Cause Ear Infections?

Illustrated review of the medical evidence for the role of reflux in ear infections, and how to use that information for you child.

3 Year Old Boy Hospitalized for Sinus Infection: Simple Cure

Illustrated case review of a young boy who was hospitalized for severe chronic sinusitis, and how we saved him some major surgery.

8 Choking Hazards for Babies and Infants

Illustrated review of food choking hazards for little tykes, how to minimize the risk, and what to do if you suspect that you infant has choked on something.

Honey: Nature’s Antibiotic

Review of nature’s strong antibiotic – honey: why it is such a strong anti-bacterial, and how to use that information.

Your Child’s Nose is Bleeding: What to do Right Now

Brief review for managing your child’s nose bleed.

Use Plants to Purify and Detoxify Your Air

An interesting story about how a man dying from severe asthma in India, and some NASA research, found that plants can purify our air.

It’s All Connected (Unified Airway and Sinusitis, Otitis, Rhinitis, Asthma, …)

How the Unified Airway model explains the connection between reflux, ear infections, sinusitis, and many other disorders of the aero-digestive tract.

8 Principles to Control Your Child’s Sinusitis

8 simple steps that can help you eliminate your child’s sinusitis.

What is the Unified Airway?

Illustrated explanation of the Unified Airway Model.

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Image Credit:

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Thanks for visiting.

I appreciate your comments and questions.  Keep ‘em coming.  Please, “be excellent to one another.”

I invite you to subscribe (it’s FREE) to this blog for weekly updates – you won’t be swamped by updates, I simply cannot write for the blog everyday.

Click here to receive free weekly updates: (http://eepurl.com/FGnP)

Type in your best email address (the one you actually use).

Your email is safe - will never be shared or sold. Ever.

Click here to read our Privacy Policy: http://wp.me/PR4iB-r

When the confirmation email from boogor doctor arrives, click on the link to give your okay to receive free weekly updates, occasional book reviews or product reviews, occasional discount-coupons for products that I use (not affiliates), all without needing to visit the website.

It’s free, it’s convenient. No ads. No spam. You can un-subscribe at any time. How cool is that?

Stay Informed.

Stay Healthy.

Best of health and success to you and your families.

Until next time, remember … you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose (unless you’re a boogor doctor :~D)