Respiratory Inspirations: A Cleveland Clinic Lungs, Allergy, Critical Illness and Infectious Disease Podcast

What if there was a future where food allergies didn’t exist? It could be closer than we think. Dr. Sandra Hong, founder and director of the Food Allergy Center of Excellence, discusses how they’ve found a way to increase the probability of children growing out of their food allergy from 20% to 80%. She covers the most common food allergies, the symptoms of a reaction, what the Food Allergy Center of Excellence offers and the different treatments and therapies available. Dr. Hong explains the multidisciplinary approach they use to improve the lives of their patients with food allergies through treatment and therapy options that aren’t available in every allergists’ office visits.

Dr. Rachel Taliercio, founder and director of the Chronic Cough Clinic, talks about chronic cough: how it’s defined, the most common causes and using over-the-counter options for short-term symptom relief. She discusses what a patient may experience if they make an appointment with the Chronic Cough Clinic and the importance of a thorough records review and history of medications already tried. Dr. Taliercio also covers cough hypersensitivity syndrome, behavioral cough suppression therapy and new therapies on the horizon.

In this podcast, Dr. Peter Mazzone, Director of the Lung Cancer Program for the Respiratory Institute and the Lung Cancer Screening Program for Cleveland Clinic, discusses why low-dose CT screening is essential for people at high-risk for lung cancer. You’ll learn about the eligibility recommendations for being screened, whether or not your insurance might cover it and what happens after you get screened. Dr. Mazzone also discusses why lung nodules don’t always mean cancer and the benefits of being screened as part of a high quality lung cancer program.

You’ve been told all your life that you’re allergic to penicillin, or to aspirin, or perhaps to a vaccine. And maybe you are allergic--or maybe not. In this podcast, Dr. David Lang, chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Department for Allergy and Immunology, explains why true penicillin and aspirin allergies are actually rare. He also discusses how testing and desensitization can be done safely. Dr. Lang describes why a vaccine allergy is often a reaction to one component that’s used with the vaccine, not the vaccine itself. So if you’re tired of not being able to use these drugs or get vaccinated, listen in and find out what to do next.

In this podcast, Dr. Sumita Khatri, vice chair of Cleveland Clinic’s Respiratory Institute and director of the Asthma Center, discusses how the environment, both indoor, outdoor and over a lifetime, impacts your lungs. You’ll learn about your “exposome” and how making changes in it can improve your lung health. You’ll also hear about HEPA filters versus air purifiers, understand the connection between dust and clutter and learn why not having a good winter frost can make allergies worse.