/oss/taxonomy/term/845/all en /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking/will-taking-benadryl-sleep-aid-give-me-dementia <p>It took me by surprise. The claim was made on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@drcharlesmd1/video/7330371646370549038">TikTok</a> by a very popular dermatologist, Dr. Charles Puza, and was picked up by <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristatorres/benadryl-dementia-risk-tiktok">BuzzFeed</a>. Puza grew concerned when many of his patients confessed to regularly taking Benadryl, an old allergy medication, to help them sleep. Drowsiness is a well-known side effect of the drug, so many people use it precisely <i>because </i>it puts them to sleep.</p> Fri, 16 Feb 2024 15:36:53 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 9833 at /oss /oss/article/medical/allergic-penicillin-you-sure <hr /> <p><em>This article was originally posted in the <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-allergic-to-penicillin-you-sure">Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> Fri, 07 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 9467 at /oss /oss/article/medical-environment/curious-sexual-and-asexual-habits-mighty-mite <p>Have you ever heard of pancake syndrome? No, it’s not the medicalization of having breakfast for dinner, nor is it a skin rash reminiscent of those delicious flat cakes. It’s a severe allergic reaction that follows exposure to wheat flour. But there’s a twist.</p> Thu, 02 Mar 2023 22:33:42 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 9421 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-health/thunderstorms-cause-asthma-attacks <p>On November 21st, 2016 a thunderstorm swept across Melbourne, Australia. It brought with it the usual flooded basements, wet shoes and ruined picnics, but it also brought <a href="https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/storm-thunderstorm-asthma-victoria/">a strange outbreak of asthma</a>. Asthmatics and non-asthmatics alike suddenly found themselves unable to catch their breath, coughing and in extreme cases not being able to breathe at all.</p> Fri, 07 Jul 2017 20:38:50 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2569 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-environment/latex-emitting-dandelions <p>Ever snap off a dandelion head and see the white liquid seeping out from the stem? It turns out that fluid isn’t sap or poison, but a defense mechanism, in the form of latex! The Lithuanian word for dandelions is ‘pienė’, which literally translates to milky, for the white liquid. Latex is produced by cells called laticifers, which exist in more than 20 000 plant species, as well as some fungi. Dandelions are fairly special though, as only 6% of temperate plants produce latex, versus 14% of tropical ones.</p> <hr /> <p><a href="http://twitter.com/adamcvean">@AdaMcVean</a></p> Tue, 30 May 2017 19:16:13 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2502 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-history/anesthesia-allergies <p>A woman became allergic to her husband after twenty five years of marriage. She developed pain all over her body every time he approached her. The cause? A pain killer!  The husband was a dentist and his unfortunate wife developed an allergy to the anesthetic he used in his office. There was enough of a residue on his clothing to cause a reaction. The couple was forced to live apart until the mystery was solved. Eventually it was. The answer then was simple. The dentist took off his work clothes before coming home. Presumably, he put other clothing on.</p> Sat, 20 May 2017 22:55:21 +0000 OSS 2463 at /oss /oss/article/environment-health-news-toxicity/dont-get-burned-polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons <p>With every breath we take we come closer to death. And if those breaths contain a good dose of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, we may be getting to the end faster. These compounds are nasty pollutants, associated with respiratory disease, but the big concern is that several of them are known carcinogens. They are composed of carbon atoms joined together in various ring structures, very much like chicken wire. Indeed their chemistry is often referred to as chicken-wire chemistry.</p> Wed, 07 Aug 2013 00:02:07 +0000 Alexandra Pires-Ménard, OSS Intern 1996 at /oss /oss/article/drugs-environment-food-health-you-asked/you-asked-what-histaminosis <p>Mention “histamine” and the word “allergy” pops to mind. Rightly so, because during an allergic reaction certain white blood cells known as mast cells and basophils release an inordinate amount of histamine, a chemical that then travels through the bloodstream and fits into “receptors” in cells that make up our tissues much like a key fits into a lock. And when the “key” fits, it unlocks the typical symptoms such as the watery eyes, runny nose, hives, itching and breathing problems we associate with allergies.</p> Sun, 30 Mar 2014 12:59:05 +0000 Alexandra Pires-Ménard, OSS Intern 2121 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-environment-food-health-news/streptomycin-and-blueberries <p>A story is blazing around the blogosphere about a ten year old girl having an anaphylactic reaction to a blueberry pie. Physicians supposedly traced the reaction to streptomycin used as a pesticide on the blueberries. The account is spreading like wildfire with warnings about how an “antibiotic reside in food may cause severe allergies.” The reference is to a paper in the September issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, a reputable publication. But there is a problem. The September issue is not yet out. So how do we know about the case?</p> Fri, 05 Sep 2014 01:13:32 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2193 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/does-pollen-transfer-directly-flower-stamen-my-nose <p>And then when I sneeze, can the pollen travel to pistil and pollinate a flower?</p> <p>An interesting question. Given that an allergic reaction is caused by the transfer of pollen to the nasal cavity, the reverse path is theoretically possible when a person sneezes. However the chance that  the amount of pollen transferred is significant enough to cause pollination is minimal.</p> Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:01:07 +0000 OSS 1858 at /oss