New York City's street trees may be aggravating your allergies

Allergy season is upon us. If you're an allergy sufferer, you're probably stocking up on medications and planning new routes to avoid all those scenic but sneeze-inducing flower patches. But did you know that some of the biggest pollen producers aren't flowers? Many species of trees produce wind-blown pollen as well. While pollination is crucial for trees to reproduce, it can do a number on your allergies. It also doesn't help that some of the most popular street trees in New York City are also some of the top offenders when it comes to pollen and allergies.

With approximately 5.2 million trees growing on public and private property in New York City, it's likely you'll find yourself face-to-face with a pollen-producing tree. For the 2005-2006 NYC Street Tree Census, the City of New York Parks & Recreation created a handy resource to help in the identification of the most common street trees in the city.

If you're looking for tree identification on-the-go, you can also check out the LeafSnap app, which we previously mentioned in our "Three helpful mobile apps for people with allergies" post.

If you think you've got tree pollen allergies and want to be tested or have questions about other resources available to people with allergies, give us a call. We can be reached at 212-729-1283 or send us an email at info@hudsonallergy.com.

Hudson Allergy and the Skinny Chef Host a Community Roundtable Event to Educate People With Food Allergies on How to Safely Dine in a Restaurant

Don’t let food allergies prevent you from dining out. Attend Hudson Allergy’s roundtable discussion and learn quick tips and tools to dine out safely.

Leading Tribeca Allergy Practice, Hudson Allergy, teams up with The Skinny Chef, Jennifer Iserloh, to host a free community event in Tribeca aimed at educating the public on how to consider food allergies when dining in a restaurant.

Restaurant culture and dining out drives the New York City life style, however ordering at a restaurant can prove challenging for people with food and alcohol allergies, especially as restaurants continue to evolve their menus to keep up with consumers appetites. It has become imperative that people who have allergies understand what they need to consider when ordering food in a restaurant.

Two of Hudson Allergies top physicians, Dr. Tim Mainardi and Dr. Julie Kuriakose, regularly advise patients on things they need to consider when eating food that has been prepared by a third party. Be it reviewing ingredients on the side of packaging or asking a server if the bread has egg wash, there are many things that people with allergies have to consider when dining. Hudson Allergy has paired with The Skinny Chef, Jennifer Iserloh, to host a community roundtable to educate the public about tips and resources available to them to help prevent allergic reactions to food in restaurant situations.

Chef Iserloh was invited to participate in the discussion to give advice on eating out with allergies from a chef’s perspective. Additionally, the Skinny Chef will be giving away some of her latest super-food sauces.

Topics to be discussed include, questions to ask at a restaurant, what to do if you feel the onset of symptoms, dining out resources, reasons to see an allergist, and a question and answer segment. Space is limited at this free community event and RSVPs are requested at hudsonallergy(at)gmail(dot)com. Specific questions are encouraged to be emailed before the event, however can be asked during the Q&A part of the discussion.

“It is our duty as physicians to foster a more educated and healthier community,” stated Dr. Julie Kuriakose, co-founder and allergist at Hudson Allergy. “While it’s estimated that up to 15 million people in the US live with food allergies, this shouldn’t inhibit them from eating at some of the amazing restaurants that New York City has to offer. As a practice we are glad to offer free events and educate the community on how to do their own due diligence to minimize their chances of having an allergic reaction while enjoying a night on the town.”

About Hudson Allergy

Hudson Allergy was formed in early 2012 and offers a new standard of medical care. Hudson Allergy is lead by two Columbia University trained physicians who strive to provide personalized, evidence based care that best serves the need of their patients.

Hudson Allergy offers the highest level of care, with same-day appointments, comprehensive services and electronic medical records. The doctors at Hudson Allergy spend more time with patients and patients spend less time waiting. Hudson Allergy strongly believes in patient education, which is at the center of the practice. An educated patient is a healthier patient.