Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 3-20-24

32 I HEALTH I
March 20, 2024
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
Just as spring allergies are starting to kick in, medical researchers say
many allergy sufferers may actually have a different condition called CRS.
(Adobe Stock photo)
HEALTH
CAPSULES
By LISA RUSSELL
Many cases of spring allergies
may actually be CRS
As April approaches and the blooming
season begins, so does the suffering of
many St. Louis area residents with allergies.
For many, however, treating the symptoms
with antihistamines and decongestants may
not provide much relief from the runny
noses, clogged sinuses and watery eyes
that plague them every spring.
That’s because many people who think
allergies are their problem actually have a
different condition called chronic rhinosinusitis
(CRS) – a condition which should be
treated differently than allergies, say medical
researchers from the University of Cincinnati.
“We have seen in our clinical practices
many instances where patients have
believed that they have allergies for many
years and have sought treatment for allergies
for years,” said Dr. Ahmad Sedaghat, director
of the Division of Rhinology, Allergy
and Anterior Skull Base Surgery at the UC
College of Medicine. “They have never
found relief from their sinus/nasal symptoms
because all along they’ve had CRS, an
inflammatory condition of the sinuses.”
Sedaghat was the lead author of a recent
UC study including more than 200 patients
whose main complaint was nasal allergies.
Thorough testing was conducted to measure
the severity and cause of their nasal
and sinus symptoms. Although 91% of
them did have environmental allergies, just
over 45% were also diagnosed with CRS.
The preferred treatment for the condition
is nasal corticosteroid medication; but only
half of the people who were diagnosed with
CRS in the study had received it, Sedaghat
said. The study results suggest that patients
should consider the possibility of CRS when
their nasal blockage or discharge symptoms
become moderate to severe, or if they notice
any decreased sense of smell, he added.
According to the National Institutes of
Health, CRS may impact about 15% of the
entire U.S. population. The UC study was
recently published in the journal Otolaryngology
– Head and Neck Surgery.
Like Cincinnati, St. Louis is also a
national hotspot for seasonal allergies. Our
city was ranked No. 58 on the Asthma and
Allergy Foundation’s most recent Allergy
Capitals Report listing the top 100 most
difficult places to live for people with allergies
in the U.S.
Snacks serve up large
helping of daily calories
Nearly a quarter of the calories consumed
by American adults come from
snacks, a new study conducted at Ohio
State University has found.
On average, Americans eat 400 to 500
calories’ worth of snack foods every day.
In order of preference, they include convenience
foods high in carbohydrates and fats
(like chips or pretzels); sweets; alcoholic
beverages; sugar-sweetened beverages; milk
and dairy foods; fruit; grain-based products,
and – lagging far behind – svegetables.
The vast majority of these snacks are
lacking in nutritional value, contributing
little in the way of protein, vitamins
or minerals, the researchers said. At the
same time, they account for about a third
of added sugar and fat.
“The magnitude of the impact (of snacking)
isn’t realized until you actually look
at it,” said senior study author Christopher
Taylor, an Ohio State professor of medical
dietetics. “Snacks are contributing a meal’s
worth of intake to what we eat without it
actually being a meal. If you ate a meal
of what you eat for snacks, it becomes a
completely different scenario of, generally,
carbohydrates, sugars, not much protein,
not much fruit, not a vegetable. So it’s not
a fully well-rounded meal.”
Data for the study came from surveys
of nearly 24,000 adults over age 30 who
participated in the National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
between 2005 and 2016. These surveys
detail exactly what, and when, participants
ate over a particular 24-hour period. The
study was recently published in PLOS
Global Public Health.
On the calendar
BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital sponsors
a Babysitting 101 virtual class on
Tuesday, March 26 from 6-8:30 p.m., live
via Teams Meeting. This interactive class is
a great introduction to the basics of babysitting.
The cost is $25 per child; parents may
sit in on the class at no additional cost. Register
online at bjc.org/babysitting-class.
• • •
A St. Luke’s Nutrition Class is on
Wednesday, March 27 from 2-3 p.m. at
Schnucks Eatwell Market, 220 THF Blvd. in
Chesterfield. A St. Luke’s Hospital dietitian
will discuss how to find and make healthier
choices at the grocery store, how to read a
food label, and nutrition recommendations
for optimal health. The registration cost is
$5; all participants will receive wellness
resources, samples and a $10 Schnucks gift
card. Register at stlukes-stl.com.
• • •
BJC presents a Family and Friends
CPR virtual course on Wednesday, April
10 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., live via Teams
Meeting. This class uses the American
Heart Association curriculum to teach
hands-on CPR skills (course does not
include certification upon completion).
The cost is $50. Registration for a seat in
this class is for two people. Register online
by visiting bjc.org/cpr-class.
• • •
St. Luke’s Hospital offers Let’s Cook!!
Herbs and Spices on Tuesday, April 23
from 4-5 p.m. in the St. Luke’s Cardiac
Rehab Kitchen, 121 St. Luke’s Center Drive
in Chesterfield. Join a St. Luke’s dietician
for a free, live cooking demonstration and
sample some fresh herbs along with a delicious
chicken dish prepared with whole
grains and cherry tomatoes. Register at
stlukes-stl.com.
• • •
St. Luke’s Hospital presents Make
Peace with Food: Basics of Mindful
Eating on Wednesday, April 24 from
6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Desloge Outpatient
Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center Drive in
Chesterfield, in Classroom 3 of Building
A. Join us for a free in-person class to
learn the basics about how to eat mindfully
and move closer to feeling at peace
in your relationship with food. Sign up at
stlukes-stl.com.
• • •
St. Luke’s Hospital presents Mom &
Baby Expo on Thursday, April 25 from 5-8
p.m. at the hospital’s Institute for Health
Education, 232 S. Woods Mill Road in
Chesterfield, in the North Medical Building.
Join us for this event designed to help
parents in pregnancy planning through the
transition to parenthood. An expert speaker
panel will be on hand to answer questions.
The free event also features vendor booths,
tours of St. Luke’s Birth Care Suites, light
refreshments and attendance prizes. Register
at stlukes-stl.com.