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Author Archives: Trudy
Bless You!
A Q&A about allergies and testing with Dr. Janice Rutkowski
After the winter season of 2014-2015, we are enjoying the onset of beautiful spring days, but unfortunately not everyone is enjoying the good weather. Maryland is one of the most allergy-prone states, both in air-born allergens and those in food.
In this article, Dr. Janice Rutkowski answers questions about allergies and testing for them.
Q: What are allergies?
A: Allergies happen when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance (allergen), such as plant pollen, dust, certain foods, insect stings or bites, or pet dander. When you come into contact with an allergen, your immune system’s reaction can inflame your skin, sinuses, airways or digestive system.
Q: What are the signs I may have allergies?
A: Allergic symptoms include itchy eyes, nose or throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, chest congestion, cough or wheezing, itchiness or eczema (inflamed or irritated skin). The severity of allergies can range from minor irritation to anaphylaxis — a potentially life-threatening emergency.
Q: Can allergies be cured?
A: Most allergies can’t be cured, but treatment can help relieve your symptoms. In the case of seasonal allergies, many people find relief with over-the-counter medications. But when they don’t respond to the usual treatments, they require testing to determine the cause.
Q: What allergy tests are available?
A: There are two standard tests: skin tests and blood tests.
Skin tests (known as scratch tests) are the most common and are administered by allergists or dermatologists. A very small amount of certain allergens are put into your skin by making a small indentation or “prick” on the surface of your skin. If you have allergies, a small swelling that looks and feels like a mosquito bite will quickly occur where the allergen(s) is introduced.
However, under certain conditions, a blood allergy test is preferable to the skin test. Allergy blood testing is recommended if you:
- Might have an extreme reaction during skin testing or have a history of life-threatening allergic reactions.
- Have severe skin disorders.
- Are using a medicine known to interfere with test results and cannot stop taking it for a few days. This would include antihistamines, steroids, and certain antidepressants.
- Cannot tolerate the many needle scratches required for skin testing.
- Have an unstable heart condition.
- Have poorly controlled asthma.
MPCP can administer the blood test in our offices for people who have skin disorders or are at risk for an extreme reaction. We can test for many substances in one sitting.
If you are one of many who suffer from cold-like symptoms with the change of seasons or have one of the symptoms listed above, see your MPCP doctor for evaluation and treatment so you can enjoy this wonderful season in good health!
Janice Rutkowski, M.D. is an MPCP partner and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She sees patients at the Arundel Mills office.
Gardening as Exercise
by Clare Ross, CRNP
Working in the garden on a pleasant day is certainly good for the soul, but how about your body ─ does it count as exercise?
Yes, indeed. Gardening is similar to other moderate to strenuous forms of exercise like walking and bicycling. Gardening works all the major muscle groups: legs, buttocks, arms, shoulders, neck, back and abdomen. Tasks that use these muscles build strength and burn calories.
Digging, lifting bags of mulch and pushing wheelbarrows all provide strength training similar to weight lifting, which leads to healthier bones and joints. Yet there is minimal jarring and stress on the body, unlike aerobics or jogging.
Gardening can help keep you limber since there can be a great deal of stretching involved, like reaching for weeds or branches, bending to plant or extending a rake.
It takes at least 30 minutes of exercise several days a week to really receive any health benefits from gardening. However, you can break that time up into shorter active periods throughout the day. So you can do a little weeding in the cool of the morning and go back out to the garden in the evening to prune and trim.
Gardening can also help you burn calories and lose weight. The number of calories burned depends on several factors, including your size and the task you are performing, but the National Gardening Magazine provides these examples:
| Activity | Calories Burned Per 30 Mins.* |
| Watering | 60 |
| Planting seedlings | 160 |
| Weeding | 180 |
| Trimming shrubs (manual tools) | 180 |
| Digging & tilling | 200 |
| Gardening with heavy power tools | 240 |
* Based on a 180-pound person. Lighter people generally burn fewer calories, and heavier people typically burn more.
If you’re new to gardening, start slowly and build up the length of time of your workouts. Avoid injuries by using your legs to lift heavy loads. Don’t stretch too far to reach awkward shrubs; this will prevent muscle strain. Vary your tasks and your movements and make use of the major muscle groups to get the most benefit. Make sure you incorporate a little stretching before and after gardening and take things slowly on hot days. Drink plenty of water if you are outside for more than 30 minutes. Use gloves and wear long sleeves to prevent cuts and scratches.
After you are done, have a hot shower to soothe your muscles, wash off any possible poison ivy residue, and check for ticks. And as with any other form of exercise, check with your doctor first if you’re not used to strenuous activity.
So go out into your garden, enjoy the lovely spring weather, and get some exercise!
Clare Ross, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, sees patients in the Queenstown office. She is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in Family Practice, and joined MPCP in 1997.
Tired & Weak? You May Have an Iron Deficiency
by Andrea Cuniff, MD
Do you feel weak and tire easily? Are you short of breath? Look pale?
When I see patients with these symptoms, I suspect they may be suffering from anemia caused by an iron deficiency. Iron deficiency is due to too little iron in your body. It is the most common nutritional deficiency and the leading cause of anemia in the United States, especially among women.
Iron is important because your blood needs it to carry oxygen through your body. If you do not have enough iron, your body makes fewer and smaller red blood cells, and you cannot get enough oxygen.
In my practice, I’ve seen people develop iron deficiency for different reasons:
- Adolescent girls and women of childbearing age due to menstruation
- Young children and pregnant women because of rapid growth and higher iron needs
- People with internal bleeding due to ulcers, hemorrhoids or cancer
- Those with medical conditions that prevent absorption of iron, such as celiac disease or having part of their stomach or small intestine removed
- People whose diets do not provide enough iron sources
You may not notice the symptoms of anemia at first because it develops slowly. But as anemia gets worse, you may:
- Feel weak and tire out more easily
- Feel short of breath
- Feel dizzy
- Have headaches
- Look very pale
- Have trouble concentrating
- Have an inflamed tongue (glossitis)
Also, babies and small children with anemia may:
- Have a short attention span
- Grow more slowly than normal
- Develop skills such as walking and talking later than normal
Left untreated, anemia may cause fatigue so severe that you can’t even complete everyday tasks. It may also lead to a rapid or irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) and even congestive heart failure.
If you suspect you or someone in your family has anemia, see your MPCP doctor. We will do a physical exam and ask you questions about your medical history and your symptoms. We will also run some blood tests. These tests may include a complete blood count to look at your red blood cells and an iron test that shows how much iron is in your blood.
Treatment for iron-deficiency anemia will depend on its cause and severity. Treatments may include dietary changes and supplements, medicines or surgery.
I also recommend that people help prevent nutrition-based iron deficiency with a diet that includes good sources of iron. For a list of dietary sources of iron, see this article by the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements.
Dr. Andrea Cuniff sees patients in MPCP’s Annapolis office. She is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.
