I’m having a brunch party this weekend and my friends’ daughter has an egg allergy.  It’s hard to find breakfast or brunch recipes without eggs, but I don’t want her to be excluded.  Do you have any advice?  —Cindy, College Park MD Cindy, You’re absolutely right. Many breakfast foods do contain eggs in the recipe, but as with most food allergy challenges, if you plan ahead, think creatively and substitute ingredients, you’ll have an amazingly diverse brunch that your guests will appreciate. I know about this specific scenario first-hand, as I recently planned a large brunch in my home. I got …

Q: My 5-year-old daughter, Grace, is allergic to everything under the sun – including peanuts, strawberries and apples. I'm nervous about taking her trick-or-treating this Halloween, but she's really looking forward to it! How do I keep her safe when going door-to-door? -Mercedes Severn, MD   A: Dear Mercedes, The only things that should scare you this Halloween are the haunts, not trick-or-treating with your child with food allergies. Rest assured, there are many ways parents can plan and be creative to guarantee that you are an anxiety-free mummy and that your pumpkin is safe and has a lot …

  Reader Question: Can someone be allergic to fruit but not the same fruit juice? My husband develops an itchy throat and hoarse voice when he eats apples, but he has no reaction when he drinks apple juice.   - Sarah M., Silver Spring, MD   Dr. Naba Sharif: The simple answer to your question is, yes – and it is not that uncommon! In fact, 60 to 70 percent of people with pollen allergy can have oral allergy syndrome (OAS), which results from cross-reactivity between the proteins in pollen and those found in raw fruits, vegetables, and some seeds, spices and nuts. Basically, your body confuses …

Reader Question: My 21-month-old daughter has had a stuffy nose and chest congestion since last fall.  Since October she has been on four rounds of antibiotics.  A month ago, she had a fever (which resolved with Tylenol) and a bad cough, which persists even after all this time.  She was getting better more recently, but when we put her back into daycare she started to get worse again.  Is it possible that she has allergies?  If so, what measures should we take to find out to what she may be allergic to? -Rupsha Dr. Naba Sharif: Dear Rupsha –The question about whether someone has allergies vs…

Q: Neither of my boys have diagnosed allergies, but they will not drink cows milk. They say they do not like the taste. Could this be their body's way of telling me they have an allergy? - Jenni, Riverdale Park, MDA: Dear Jenni,Thanks for your question.  I initially trained as a pediatrician, so I have definitely seen my fair share of little one's who either refuse to drink cow's milk or just "don't like" drinking it!  It's a common complaint, so don't worry.  Let me try to help by giving you some background information about cow's milk allergy first.  Cow's milk allergy is present in about 1…

This week is National Food Allergy Awareness Week, so Patch asked Dr. Naba Sharif, an Allergist practicing in Upper Marlboro, a few common questions about food allergies. Upper Marlboro Patch: At what age are most food allergies diagnosed?  Dr. Naba Sharif: Food allergies are most commonly diagnosed in infancy and childhood, but can present at any age.  Patch: Can a person "grow out" of a food allergy?  Sharif: Yes, particularly food allergies to milk, eggs, wheat or soy can be outgrown by five years of age, though it seems they are taking longer to outgrow than in the past, with about half …