| Vol.
I, No. 7 | May
Day / Mother's Day | Apr.
20th, 2001 |
Health
& Medicine
Links to Health & Medicine On-Line . Links
to Health & Medicine On-Line
The amount of info on the web is enormous, as anyone who's ever tried to run a
search can attest to. And, to put it all in context, best estimates say
that only a fraction, maybe 20 - 40 % of what's out there is actually making its
way to the search engines.
Well ...
Here at DownStreet, we'd like to try to help. So each issue, we
post a few links in Health & Medicine to sites that might interest
you. Sometimes the links will be related to one another ...
sometimes we'll just offer up a somewhat random sampling. In either case,
we think we might be able to help you find the kind of site you've been looking
for.
Of course, while we can't vouch for the fact that
every link we provide will be of interest to everyone, we do our best to filter
out the noise and the bustle. ... Resources
for Allergy Sufferers
To accompany this month's Health Focus On "The
Host of Allergies," we are providing links to sites with important and
useful information regarding allergies in this month's Links to Health &
Medicine On-Line. - Nat'l
Inst. of Allergy and Infectious Disease / Focus on Allergy
This
is a starting place for allergy sufferers. ...
.
This
NIAID site includes several sections that give you a solid understanding of
allergies and what you can do for them. The FAQ section on pollen
allergy really does answer some of those questions that you've always
had. The site also includes Fact Sheets and Brochures which cover
titles such as Living with Allergies, Asthma and Allergy Statistics, Food
Allergy and Intolerances, Resources to Fight Indoor Pollution, Sinusitis,
and Understanding the Immune System. Make sure you read the Allergy
section in Understanding the Immune System for an excellent explanation of
the physiology of allergy.
.
National
Institutes of Health online sites are all very good at presenting information
that is clear and accessible without being oversimplified. For anyone who has
lived with allergies, it's comforting to see a non-commercial site like this
take your condition seriously. Allergies can really undermine quality of
life and in some cases is life threatening. This site acknowledges that and
gets down to hard facts and practical suggestions.
.
There
are a few allergy-related news items that may be of interest. The links
section is the weakest, with most links connecting to administrative
information about allergy organizations. But you will find some valuable
resources you can contact for help. We recommend this site as a helpful
background resource.
Rating: *** [3 stars]
.The
Online Allergy Center: Food, Airborne, Hormone Allergies
This
is a fascinating site with very in-depth articles on the different types of
allergy including airborne allergy, hormone allergy, food allergy, and
asthma. It was started in 1995 by Russell Roby, who has degrees in both Law
and Medicine.
.
Be aware that some of Dr.
Roby's ideas and approaches are unconventional. For instance, he claims that
lack of physical exercise contributes to allergy and that 50% of the relief
available to allergy sufferers can be attained from exercise. His site also
emphasizes the role of nutrition, and he discusses hormone imbalance as an
allergic condition. He includes extensive articles on the relationship
between allergy and headaches, allergy and ear infections, and allergy and
sinus infections.
.
This site's
organization is only fair. You would miss a lot of content if you worked
only from the menu on the homepage. Some of the most interesting articles
are only accessible as links in other articles, so it's really worth
browsing. If you suffer from allergy, we feel it's worth the inconvenience
to get this different look at allergy and how to treat it. Many of Roby's
treatment suggestions are lifestyle changes, environment changes (see
Weekend Warrior) or simple remedies like using buffered Vitamin C for food
reactions. A solid resource for its in-depth information, and a
different look at allergies.
Rating ***1/2 [3-1/2 stars] Allergy,
Asthma & Immunology Online
After
visiting Dr. Roby's maverick Online Allergy Center site, let the pendulum
swing the other way to this site, published by the American College of
Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. This site will give you conventional
wisdom from the Medical Establishment. The information is
well-organized and easy to understand. Just know that there's a strong
bias towards immunotherapy (allergy shots) for allergy sufferers.
.
Start
with the quiz. This will not only give you some basic facts about
allergies; it will let you see the stance of the College. There are
some good introductory articles on allergies and asthma in the Information
for Patients section. Most of the more specific articles have been
moved to another website, Medem.
The links to these articles take you there, where you can search by article
or look for the section on allergy ... or click on Medem
Medical Library. There's a helpful mix of general,
easy-to-understand articles, and more technical ones, too.
.
One of
the most helpful features of this site is the press release section.
This section lists important news items related to allergy and asthma going
back to 1998. You won't get to it from the main menu; you'll find it
at the bottom of the Information for Patients page. Learn here about
studies and trends. You'll also get a sense of where mainstream
medicine is in relation to allergy. Or use the search. It works
nicely, giving you a good sense of how closely the listed article matches
your key search words. ... Overall, a comprehensive, attractive,
and informative site.
Rating
**** [4 stars]
. *******
******* If you know of any
links that you think are worthwhile, why not send them along to
...
links@downstreetmagazine.com
... If we agree, we'll be happy to
include them in an upcoming issue to pass the word along. ...
Thanks. *******
******* .
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