Asthma and Allergy Foundation

Many people with one allergic condition often have another condition because of the same underlying type 2 inflammation. Swipe right to uncover these connections ➡️ Learn more about allergic conditions and how a new generation of treatments target the source - link in our bio. #AllergyAwareness #Inflammation #NEAW

💜 May 17–23 is National Eosinophil Awareness Week! Eosinophils are white blood cells and help us fight infections. When too many of them collect in a body part they can cause inflammation. People with eosinophilic asthma have too many eosinophils in their lungs. This causes swelling in the lungs and leads to wheezing, coughing, chest tightness/pain, and shortness of breath. People who have eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) have too many eosinophils in their esophagus. This causes damage to their esophagus and makes eating painful and difficult. #NEAW #AllergyAwareness #Inflammation

Did you know? Many kids are not able to use their #asthma #inhaler correctly to get the medicine into their lungs. This can lead to worsening asthma. A spacer or chamber attached to the inhaler helps! (And it helps adults, too.) Learn more at the link in bio. #AsthmaAwareness

For our Food Allergy Awareness Week episode, I was honored to have Kenny Mendez from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) join me to talk about advocacy, progress, and the power of community collaboration. In this clip, he talks about AAFA’s role in passing the groundbreaking ADDE law (@addie.tells.all ) in California requiring restaurant chains with 20+ locations to label menu items containing the top 9 allergens beginning in July 2026. Thank you AAFA for supporting our community, centering patient voices, and helping to start this wave of change. Efforts to pass similar bills are already underway in other states, including New Jersey, Michigan, and Maryland. 🎧 Our full conversation is available in episode 75 of Don’t Feed the Fear, available on all pod platforms and at DontFeedTheFear.buzzsprout.com (link in bio and my stories) #foodallergies #foodallergyawareness #aafa #dontfeedthefear #thefoodallergypsychologist

🚨 When to call 911: 👉Asthma that is getting worse quickly 👉 Asthma medicines aren’t helping 👉 Severe shortness of breath 👉 Hard to walk or talk due to breathing difficulty 👉 Chest is sucking inward 👉 Pale or changing color around mouth, fingertips, or nails Learn more about the signs and symptoms of asthma and make a plan of action. Link in bio!

There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to choosing a food allergy treatment for your or your child. It’s a big decision and it starts with understanding the current options. Then thinking about what is important to you and your family, and assessing the requirements, benefits, and side effects. Our podcast episode, The Confident Table: Food Allergy Treatment Options, features Dr. Dave Stukus (@allergykidsdoc ). Subscribe and listen to AAFAnoon Chats wherever you listen to podcasts or visit: aafa.org/podcast Link in bio. Disclosures: Dave Stukus, MD, is a board-certified allergist/immunologist and a member of AAFA’s Medical Scientific Council. This episode was produced by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and made possible in part by support from Genentech. Its contents are solely the responsibility of AAFA and the guest speakers and do not necessarily represent the official views of the sponsors. #TheConfidentTable #FoodAllergyAwareness

From worried to ready: Severe allergic reactions can be scary, but with a clear plan and understanding, confidence follows. When anaphylaxis is treated promptly with epinephrine, the symptoms usually stop and get better without additional medical care needed. With a “decision aid” approach, people can assess (after using epinephrine) when they can watch and wait vs when to call 911. Our food allergy anaphylaxis action plan is the first to use updated treatment guidelines, age-specific symptoms, and all current forms of epinephrine. Get a copy of this plan and ask your doctor to fill it out and review it with you. This will help you be prepared and confident to treat an allergic reaction. Download action plan (available in 12 languages) at the link in our bio! #FoodAllergy #FoodAllergyAwareness #AllergyConfident

The invisible side of asthma: #Asthma causes long-term swelling inside the airways that makes it hard to breathe. Asthma medicines treat the swelling and squeezing of the airways to make breathing easier. There are many different options for asthma treatment. Your doctor may recommend a change to your medicine depending on how well-controlled (or not) your asthma is: aafa.org/control (link in bio) #asthmaawareness

Uncontrolled asthma can greatly affect well-being in several ways. It may even cause permanent lung damage, severe asthma attacks, and death. Do you know the signs of uncontrolled asthma? Check out aafa.org/control (link in bio) #asthma #asthmaawareness #itainteasybeingwheezy #lunghealth

🩵 It’s Allergy & Asthma Awareness Week! 🩵 For this week’s episode, I had the opportunity to speak with Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). As a psychologist working within the allergy community, I spend a great deal of time supporting the emotional realities families navigate every day: anxiety, vigilance, trauma, social exclusion, decision fatigue, and the ongoing work of creating safety in environments not always built with allergic disease in mind. One of the things I appreciated most about this conversation was the reminder that effective advocacy is deeply collaborative and patient-centered. Kenny shares how AAFA supported the passage of California’s new restaurant allergen labeling law (the ADDE Law @addie.tells.all ), and explains the behind-the-scenes work required to create meaningful policy change. I’m grateful to organizations like AAFA and to the many advocates, families, healthcare professionals, and community leaders continuing this work every day. You can listen to episode 75 of the Don’t Feed the Fear podcast on your favorite podcast platform and at DontFeedTheFear.buzzsprout.com #dontfeedthefear #thefoodallergypsychologist #foodallergyawareness #asthmaawareness #allergyawareness

Feeding babies diverse foods starting at 4-6 months of age teaches their immune system to tolerate foods. This can reduce the risk of food allergies for many children. Talk with your child's pediatrician at their 4-month well child visit to make a food introduction plan. Remember: there are over 300 risk factors that can influence the development of food allergies. Even if you introduce foods early, other factors not in your control may cause food allergies. So while taking this step can lower the odds, it does not completely prevent all food allergies. Link in bio! #FoodAllergy #EarlyIntroduction

#FoodAllergies can affect people at every stage of life. While the most common food allergies in children are milk, eggs, and peanuts - food allergies in adults are most commonly shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts. Food allergies can develop at any age, even without a prior history of allergies. Learn more at the link in our bio.