You At Your Best

David L. Baker, DO By KArEN riCE NWA DEMOCrAT-GAzETTE I may be overreacting. In fact, I most surely am. Being a person with allergies means my immune system "overreacts" to common substances in our environment like pollen, dust, mold and pet dander. I have lived with allergies since I was a young child. Thanks to allergy testing, immunotherapy (allergy shots), improved over the counter allergy medication, HEPA air filters and a lifetime practice of avoiding allergens, my suffering has lessened over the years. What I learned researching this issue is that I am far from alone in my overreaction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put the number of U.S. adults diagnosed with hay fever at 19.9 million (8.1% of all adults). For children under the age of 18, allergy rates are: 5.6 million kids with hay fever (7.7%), 8.0 million with respiratory allergies (10.9%), and 9.9 million with skin allergies (13.5%). And, a recent study that showed warmer temperatures around that world may be extending the pollen season. Not good news for allergy sufferers. Then there are food allergies, which appear to be on the rise around the world. The latest numbers from the CDC say 4.8 million kids, or 6.5% of kids under age 18 years have food allergies. A person's chances of being an "over- reactor" can vary based on age, race, where they grew up and other factors. The age group most likely to be diagnosed with hay fever is 12-17 years old. One theory says that exposure to a farming environment reduces the prevalence of hay fever, so less farming in the U.S. may mean more kids are developing hay fever. And, our obsession with antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer may not be helping either. A study found that early exposure to infections and germs may keep kids from developing allergies. And perhaps for that reason, research shows kids born outside the U.S. develop fewer allergies than kids born in this country. If you're a white American, your chances for being diagnosed with seasonal allergies are a little higher, 8.5%, compared to about 6% of Americans who are black, Asian or Hispanic. If you suffer with allergies, it may help to know you are not alone. And, that you can't help overreacting. Am I overreacting? SpECiAl TO NWA DEMOCrAT-GAzETTE David L. Baker, DO, is a general, trauma and bariatric surgeon at Freeman Health System and is the medical director of both Freeman Breast Specialty Services and Freeman Surgical Center. He has also been Secretary and Treasurer for Freeman since 2014 and was the Chair of the Department of Surgery from 2013-2014. Dr. Baker graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Pittsburg State University in 2000 and received his medical degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Kansas City, Mo., in 2004. He completed his general surgery residency at OhioHealth Doctors Hospital in 2009. Dr. Baker is trained in all bariatric surgeries, including LAP-BAND®, and a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, American Osteopathic Association, American College of Osteopathic Surgeons and the Society for American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons. freeman HealtH SyStem physicianPROFILE: SATURdAY, mARch 30, 2019 | ApRil - AllERgiES nwAdg.cOm/YOUATYOURBEST | YOU AT YOUR BEST | 7

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