Japan’s notorious pollen season is peaking in Tokyo and other cities this week, leaving millions battling itchy eyes, runny noses, and relentless sneezing fits. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/03/14/japan/science-health/hay-fever-peak/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #allergies #pollenallergy
To whom do I complain about Whatever Is Going On with regard to plants/weather/allergens? Because I had a headache on Sunday, and now I'm at the point where my nose is raw from blowing it and sneezing. This is Not Reasonable! 
Hey, @nowthis ! Aren't you the Chair of the Committee to Prevent This Kind of Thing? Get on it! 
Hey, FediFriends! Professor Shakespeare needs more participants for her prelim study on food allergies and social access.
Do you have celiac, food allergies, sensitivities, and/or restrictions that impact your ability to go out with friends? Please take her quick survey -- she really wants to better understand the complexities involved! (And she's super great. I really hope she gets enough responses to do this research.) #allergies #research #socialimpact
https://tufts.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkYwFhBUp5jWTeS?Q_CHL=qr
#NCI employees can’t publish information on these topics without special approval
… received internal guidance last week to flag manuscripts, presentations or other communications for scrutiny if they addressed “controversial, high profile, or sensitive” topics. Among the 23 hot-button issues, according to internal records reviewed by ProPublica: #vaccines , #fluoride , peanut #allergies , #autism.
@ScienceDesk @abc Higher velocity winds caused by #ClimateChange also exacerbate #allergies - even when #pollen levels are not that high.
Climate change is making allergy season worse, study finds.
@abc reports: "Using data from NOAA, a nonprofit climate research group studied the warming trends of 198 cities from 1970 to 2024. It found that 87% now have a longer freeze-free growing season."
Google took over my favorite pollen/pollution website, Breezometer. And it nixed all of the information there.
So I'm looking for another pollen tracker for Europe, and if it shows pollution levels, all the better. It would be most wonderful in website, not app format.
Does anyone have a (free) favorite?
Japan might be famous for sushi and pork ramen, but tourism, climate goals and animal rights concerns are sparking a plant-based renaissance in the country. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2025/01/29/sustainability/veganism-rise-japan-climate/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #environment #sustainability #climatechange #food #diets #vegan #vegetarian #allergies #japanesecuisine #meat #fish
Cedar pollen was observed in Tokyo on Jan. 8 — a month earlier than last year and the earliest since the Tokyo Metropolitan Government began pollen counts in 1985. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/01/20/japan/science-health/cedar-pollen-season/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #sciencehealth #pollenallergy #allergies
@AirSupportProject Great blog on how to use Air Support Project's new Airwareness tool to create accessibility in classrooms #COVID #RSV #Allergies #WildfireSmoke
https://airsupportproject.com/using-the-airwareness-app-for-accessibility-in-classrooms-and-beyond/
The lovely waitress who took my order at the coffee shop asked if I had any allergies. I told her, only the government, any flavour of government.
For those of you who have the following issues with earplugs:
*Allergy to acrylic substances, polymers, dyes or latex foam
*Small ear canals that tend to push out any ear device you force inside them
*Pain from the pressure of foam expanding inside the ear after fitting
these silicone earplugs are a godsend. They're malleable, so they conform to your ear's design. You press them over the cartilage ridge between the tragus and the external auditory canal, and they make a seal around it.
They block out about 90% of sound, a bit less than the foam types, but they stay in place and won't dislodge.
They also need to be discarded after 3-5 uses.
But I highly recommend them if you have skin sensitivities.
Cerebrospinal fluid surrounds your brain and spinal cord, and its importance can’t be overstated.
And unfortunately, CSF leaks are often misdiagnosed as #migraine, sinus #infections or #allergies.
https://buff.ly/4fdwosL
#health
Influencer Dominique Brown Dies of Food Allergy at 34
Anaphylaxis needs to be taken much more seriously than it is.
Epi is great - but it’s only buying you time. Biphasic reactions can be lethal.
Also - especially if you have MCAS - make sure to learn the various ways anaphylaxis can present.
It doesn’t always involve the airway.
This was (in my opinion) a preventable death. It was an egregious disregard for Dominique’s life to suggest she take photos before going to get medical care.
Even “if” you think your reaction isn’t progressing quickly - it could change in an instant.
You should never delay medical attention
If you’re new to anaphylaxis and/or new to MCAS - I highly recommend learning the various ways it can impact your body.
I didn’t realize I was having anaphylaxis the first time it happened to me. I thought it was the flu.
I had diarrhea & vomiting, sore throat, fever and bone pain.
I finally went to ER after three days of suffering not because I suspected anaphylaxis - but because my throat was so sore I couldn’t keep fluids down.
The triage nurse took one look in my airway, stabbed me with an epi pen and whisked me into a code room.
My “sore throat” was actually swelling
My vomiting and diarrhea was classic GI anaphylaxis - and I was also having significant cardiac symptoms.
Thankfully I got medical care in time - and the team who treated me explained what to look for in the future.
Many of us think of wheezing, hives, hoarseness and throat closure when we picture an anaphylactic reaction.
In reality - it can spare the airway AND the skin. It can impact your gut, your heart and your reproductive organs.
In fact - my doctors can actually tell when I’m going into anaphylaxis by the changes in my EKG (highly recommend reading about Kounis Syndrome if your MCAS causes cardiac issues)
When it comes to anaphylaxis - treat early & get to hospital. Make sure you always have an epi pen (or two) with you and check regularly to make sure they haven’t expired.
If you’re unsure if you’re in anaphylaxis - go to ER to be certain.
Had I waited much longer my throat would have closed
Lastly - take people’s allergies seriously. In MCAS we don’t always know what the trigger will be - but when people do know what they’re allergic to - we need to be cautious and ensure they aren’t exposed
If we took allergies more seriously - Dominique would still be with us
For more on idiopathic anaphylaxis and the unique ways it can impact people with MCAS - check out my introduction to MCAS article: https://www.disabledginger.com/p/when-youre-allergic-to-everything
For more on Dominique’s death: https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/influencer-dominique-brown-dies-of-food-allergy-at-age-34/
One day I will get it through my thick skull Never eat food unless I prepared it!!!! So darned Stupid!!
Japan’s consumer agency is considering adding cashew nuts to the list of ingredients requiring mandatory labeling for allergy risks due to a rising number of cases of allergic reactions linked to their consumption. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/11/11/japan/science-health/cashew-nuts-allergy/ #japan #sciencehealth #allergies #food #consumeraffairsagency #nuts #cashewnuts
Will we look back on age-based #technology bans the way we look at age-based #peanut bans today?
Population-level peanut bans didn't reduce deadly peanut #allergies in kids — quite the opposite!
"Introducing peanut-containing #foods as early as 4 to 6 months of age could potentially prevent tens of thousands of cases of peanut #allergy each year."
#NIH: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/providing-lasting-protection-peanut-allergy
Policymakers: strategic (and early) #tech exposure may prepare #kids for modernity better than age-based #tech bans.
People who get scratchy throat from eating things they're allergic to - how long does it take for your throat to stop feeling raw afterwards?
If you live in Victoria, Australia then you want to dose yourself up with all the antihistamines tonight and tomorrow. Preventative treatment is better than trying to ensure your system does not shut down while it's trying to fail
