The Allergist

“I can’t think of any medical condition where you can have this type of fry but not that type of fry.” —Dr. Vish Avanashi Pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Vish Avinashi joins Dr. Mariam Hanna for an episode that jumps head first into the overlapping world of allergy and GI. From ARFID to EOE, they talk about the murky middle ground where food fears, immune triggers, and gut symptoms collide—and ho...

“They may worsen, they may improve, or they might not change at all, and it really is patient-dependent.” —Dr. Lana Rosenfield On this episode of The Allergist , Dr. Mariam Hanna welcomes Dr. Lana Rosenfield to unpack the complexities of managing allergic conditions during pregnancy and postpartum. With hormones shifting, the immune system recalibrating, and anxiety about medication safety running...

“Have a high clinical suspicion for contact allergens or irritants in anyone presenting with eczematous rash.” —Dr. Rebecca Pratt Creams that sting and rashes that won’t quit —welcome to the complex world of contact dermatitis. Dr. Rebecca Pratt joins Dr. Mariam Hanna to unpack why diagnosing and managing this condition is anything but straightforward. Dr. Pratt is an allergist and clinical immuno...

“If you're already wondering if a patient has an underlying inborn error of immunity, then it’s worthwhile to do that testing.”  — Dr. Catherine Biggs What if that tough case in your allergy clinic isn’t just unusually severe, but fundamentally different? On this episode of The Allergist , Dr. Mariam Hanna speaks with pediatric immunologist Dr. Catherine Biggs about primary atopic disorders,...

“It doesn’t have to start with a huge trial. It starts with a patient and it starts with a problem.” —Dr. Gord Sussman How do we move from the exam room to the frontlines of discovery? On this episode of The Allergist , Dr. Mariam Hanna talks with Dr. Gord Sussman about how curiosity—not a research grant—launched his decades-long contribution to allergy science. From identifying the early signs of...

“We have to keep in mind that urticaria has to be treated until it's completely gone. So, absolute control of the disease.”  — Dr. Herminio Lima Chronic spontaneous urticaria has long been managed with the goal of complete symptom control. But for many patients, that goal remains elusive. In this episode of The Allergist , Dr. Mariam Hanna talks with dermatologist and clinical immunologist Dr...

  "The emergence of biologics has really significantly transformed the management of these patients for me."  — Dr. Yvonne Chan When it comes to nasal polyps, the landscape is shifting fast. On this episode of The Allergist , Dr. Mariam Hanna is joined by otolaryngologist Dr. Yvonne Chan to talk about how biologics, surgery, and multidisciplinary care are working together to reshape care...

"We are all learning and we are all teaching." – Dr. Lori Connors What makes a great medical educator—and how do you actually become one? On this episode, Dr. Mariam Hanna is joined by Dr. Lori Connors, an allergist, seasoned teacher, and newly appointed Associate Dean of Continuing Professional Development and Medical Education at Dalhousie University.  They explore the journey to becom...

“We need time to fix our time problem. And we can get stuck in this loop where we’re like, ‘I have no time to find time to make time to fix time.’”                                                          – Dr. Scott Cameron Is your schedule running you—or are you running your schedule? On this episode of The Allergist , Dr. Mariam Hanna is joined by pediatric allergist and clinical immunologist D...

"The key to the diagnosis of these disorders is the suspicion of these disorders." — Dr. Luis Murguia Favela Immune dysregulation isn’t just about infections—autoimmunity, inflammation, and even malignancy can be clues that something deeper is at play. With over 500 known inborn errors of immunity, allergists are increasingly on the front lines of identifying these conditions. But when s...

“Most penicillin allergy labels are not indicative of any meaningful penicillin allergic reaction, and the vast majority can be de-labelled with direct oral challenges of amoxicillin."  — Dr. Kimberly Blumenthal Penicillin allergy is one of the most commonly reported drug allergies—but here’s the twist: most people who carry this label aren’t actually allergic. So how did we get here, and wha...

"We use thresholds every day without even thinking about it. When we do a food challenge in our office, whether we know it or not, we're relying on the fact that there is a threshold for every patient. Some are going to be on the first dose, some are going to be at the last. And that's just part of what a threshold is."  – Dr. Doug Mack Food allergies aren’t one-size-fits-all,...

"Although omalizumab is not a cure, it's a major step forward for patients as the first monoclonal antibody or biologic therapy to become FDA-approved to treat food allergy."     — Dr. Brian Vickery Is omalizumab set to change the food allergy landscape? And how should clinicians use it in practice? On this episode of The Allergist , Dr. Mariam Hanna sits down with Dr. Brian Vickery...

"I think that asthma’s at a great time right now for some really cool interventions moving ahead that can maybe make big differences in our patients’ lives."    —Dr. William Anderson On this episode of The Allergist , Dr. Mariam Hanna is joined by Dr. William Anderson to explore one of the most pressing and evolving questions in asthma care: remission. Together, they unpack the concept o...

“I do think it's important that we understand that not all the foods are the same, and I think anyone who's seen patients in clinics understands this.” – Dr. Edwin Kim Could sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) be the peanut allergy solution allergists have been waiting for? In this episode, Dr. Mariam Hanna welcomes Dr. Edwin Kim, Division Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at the Uni...

This is an encore presentation of our most downloaded episode of 2024. “Early introduction is the time-proven and research-proven prevention target for every child and every food.” -- Prof. Jonathan Hourihane Venture into the evolving landscape of food allergy management as Dr. Mariam Hanna welcomes Professor Jonathan Hourihane, a leading figure in pediatric allergy and immunotherapy from the Roya...

“If that medicine is associated with fear of an injection, then we are giving the impression that a diagnosis of food allergy is worse than a life sentence.” — Dr. Paul Turner When it comes to managing anaphylaxis, epinephrine is the gold standard. But even with its life-saving potential, misconceptions abound, and newer delivery methods like nasal and sublingual formulations are raising questions...

"Plastic has been found everywhere—lungs, breast milk, liver, spleen, placenta, even blood." – Dr. Magdalena Zemelka-Wiecek Every week, we’re ingesting the equivalent of a credit card’s worth of plastic—through food, water, and even the air we breathe. In this episode, Dr. Mariam Hanna speaks with Dr. Magdalena Zemelka-Wiecek, associate professor of clinical immunology at Wroclaw Medical...

“I do not think families typically should be getting rid of pets if they're having symptoms. There are very, very well tolerated medications that we can use. We can use desensitization therapy with immunotherapy, and I think that's the discussion that should revolve around how to manage these.”  — Dr. Shahzad Mustafa For many, pets are like family, which makes pet allergies a particularl...

“A lot of people are either being diagnosed or self-diagnosing (with MCAS), I would say somewhat inappropriately, without any actual evidence of mast cell activation. We're seeing it more and more commonly.” -- Dr. Tim Olynych On this episode of The Allergist , Dr. Mariam Hanna teams up with Dr. Timothy Olynych, a clinical immunologist and allergist and PhD in mast cells, to unravel the myste...

 “Introduce those allergens early, diversify that microbiome, and don't let fear rule you.”  -- Dr. Priya Bansal On this episode of The Allergist , Dr. Mariam Hanna teams up with Dr. Priya Bansal, a triple board-certified allergist, to tackle the challenges of managing food allergies and the anxiety that often comes with them. Together, they walk through real-world cases that allergists frequ...

“A desensitization is really the assumption that they're allergic. It's not a test, it's not a test dose, it's not a graded challenge. A desensitization is the assumption or the confirmation that they are truly allergic to this drug.” -- Dr. Christine Song Managing drug allergies can be a delicate balancing act, especially when life-saving medications are involved. On this epis...

“Don't give a bad antihistamine masking as a sedative. If a person truly needs help with their sleep, then give them a proper sedative.” -- Dr. Marcus Maurer As allergy seasons ebb and flow, there’s one drug that maintains its place in household medicine cabinets: Benadryl. On this episode, Dr. Mariam Hanna sits down with Dr. Stuart Carr, Chief Medical Officer at Snö Asthma and Allergy in Abu...

"History, history, skin test or serum IgE, and then consider doing the other test just to round out your testing until you're sure you've detected everything you need to detect.”  -- Dr. David Golden As the leaves begin to fall, and the wasps begin to invade every patio lunch, Dr. Mariam Hanna sits down with Dr. David Golden, a leading expert on venom allergies and retired associate...

“FPIES is real, both acute and chronic FPIES. It's not a myth, and it can be an allergic emergency.” -- Dr. Nowak-Wegrzyn Join Dr. Mariam Hanna for a comprehensive discussion on Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) with Dr. Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, a leading expert in pediatric allergy and immunology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Nowak-Wegrzyn sheds light on this unique an...