Patch tests are used to identify substances which cause a type of allergy called delayed-type hypersensitivity. A chronic or worsening skin rash is the most common reason a patch test is done.

Penicillin is one of the most commonly reported drug allergies. However, at least 80% of people who were penicillin allergic will no longer be allergic 10 years after the reaction. In fact, 95% of people labeled allergic turn out to have negative testing and can take penicillin again without problems. Simply avoiding penicillin anyway may sound simple, but there are risks:

Your immune system is constantly fighting germs that could cause infections. While everyone’s immune system loses a battle occasionally, suffering from lots of infections, or even just a few very severe infections, can be a sign of an immune system problem.

It is almost October which means that Halloween is upon us! Halloween should be a fun time for children, but it can be a challenge for families with food allergies. In order to better serve our community, we have an annual Trunk or Treat at our office that is free of the top 8 allergens (egg, peanut, milk, fish, nut, soybean, shellfish, wheat). This is an awesome opportunity for your child to experience trick-or-treat in a safe environment where you don’t have to worry about allergies! In addition to trick-or-treating, we will have a fire truck, teal goodie bags, prizes, games, and the Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train! Trunk or Treat 2019 will be October 28 at 6:30pm-8:00pm at our Flower Mound location (3051 Churchill Dr, Flower Mound, TX 75022).   We have also compiled some creative tips and an allergen-free candy list you can use to ensure your kids have a fun and safe Halloween while trick-or-treating in your neighborhood.   Trick-or-Treating Tips Enforce a “no eating while trick-or-treating” rule, so that you have time to review all food labels. Use sorting through your child's candy as an opportunity to teach him or her about hidden allergens and reading labels. Stock up on safe treats to trade for any unsafe candies your child might receive. Be careful with chocolate candies, which often contain some type of nut or nut contamination Always have an epinephrine auto-injector available Look for teal pumpkins. They mean that the house has food allergy friendly candy or non-food prizes Start a tradition by allowing their kids to leave their unsafe candies out for the “Good Witch” to collect and leave behind small gifts and safe treats. Instead of trick-or-treating, have a Halloween party instead, featuring safe and delicious treats. Let your kids trick or treat as normal, and then switch out their candy bucket with an allergen-safe bucket when you get home. Consider passing out non-food goodies such as glow sticks, stickers, finger puppets, bubbles, silly glasses, kazoos, etc. Keep the emphasis on the fun, rather than the candy. Food Allergen Safe Lists As...

Dr. Marie Fitzgerald shares insights with CBS 11 News for continuing heat and fall allergies beginning to appear in August.

Are you an adult suffering from chronic dry, itchy skin or rashes? Do you have red patches of skin? You could be experiencing adult eczema. Eczema is also know as atopic dermatitis. Adult eczema is a chronic condition that involves inflamed, red, itchy patches of skin that can erupt in oozing flare-ups. Different areas of the body can be affected for adults, including face, hands and even eyelids. The itching for adults can feel unbearable as a flare-up can affect skin all over the body. Triggers can include soaps, detergents and lotions, and perfumes. Click here to contact our office to speak with a board-certified allergist regarding symptoms you are experiencing or questions you have. We are here to help you!

Cast your vote now for Dr. Mary Hudelson, Best Allergist and Family Allergy & Asthma Care, Best Allergy Center in Denton County! Voting ends August 21. VOTE NOW! Best of Denton County is an annual award that is given to community nominated and voted businesses within Denton County. With over 450 business categories awarded and over 2 million nominations by community residents in 2018, we strive to give every business in Denton County the chance to be voted as “The Best of Denton County”.

I picked up a new book at the bookstore last month because the title caught my eye – Compassionomics – The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference.   My personality lends itself to an internal response of – “Well, duh!  That’s a no brainer!”   But my internal scientist was curious!   I’d like to see that scientific evidence!   Well it turns out that these 2 doctors – Stephen Trzeciak  (a research physician specializing in intensive care medicine) and Anthony Mazzarelli (an emergency medicine physician, lawyer, and bioethicist) – set out to gather all the scientific data they could find to linking compassionate care with healthcare outcomes.   They wanted to answer the question – Does treating patients with more compassion really matter in measurable ways or is it simply a moral imperative?   And what they found is truly powerful stuff. Compassion matters!  Compassion really matters!   It matters for patients!  It matters for health care providers!  It matters for our world!  Dr’s Trzeciak and Mazzarelli believe that the most pressing problem of our time is the compassion crisis!   The book resonates with me on many levels – as physician, a business owner and employer, as a parent and as a human being. Here’s the thing – I believe I am a compassionate person.   Maybe that’s even why I chose to be a physician.   But compassion has not necessarily been on the forefront of my mind when I show up to work every day.   Until reading this book, I guess I believed compassion was an innate character trait residing in my heart – the authentic desire to help relieve another person’s pain or suffering.    Now, I believe compassion is also an actionable item that can be practiced.  And must be practiced intentionally because it positively changes givers and receivers in meaningful and measurable and transformative ways. Here’s my very personal example.   After reading about a study which showed that the number of hugs a person received over a 14 day period directly correlated to their ability to fight off the common cold, I decided to do my own ad hoc  experiment –...

April 7-13 is World Allergy Week 2019 (www.worldallergyweek.org). This organization has dedicated the 2019 week to raise awareness of the global problem of food allergy. Often, I tend to get so focused on the food allergic patients and families we care for in north Texas that I fail to remember the global impact of food ...

If asthma is affecting your child’s school attendance, our board-certified allergists and staff can provide a personal plan to find relief. “Asthma is the most common chronic illness in childhood, accounting for 13.8 million missed school days each year,” says allergist Todd Mahr, MD, ACAAI president.