����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | JUNE 4-JUNE 10, 2021 45
DO IT FOR EACH OTHER.
GET VACCINATED!
They’ve taken care
of you, now take
care of them by
getting vaccinated
together!
The COVID-19 vaccines are
safe, effective and free.
TO FIND WHERE YOU CAN GET
YOUR COVID-19 VACCINE:
· Call 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692)
· Visit nyc.gov/vaccinefinder
· Visit nyc.gov/vcc for a list of sites
offering vaccines without an appointment
· Fill out the form at nyc.gov/homebound
if you are a fully homebound and want to
get a COVID-19 vaccine at your home
Free transportation is available.
��or many parents, there’s
nothing more reassuring
than the good health
of their child. But there are
times when their discomfort
becomes alarming, particularly
if you see him suffering
with sneezing, wheezing,
cough, watery eyes, or shortness
of breath.
As trees, shrubs and flowers
start their annual bloom,
it’s a sight for the eyes to be
sure — but hidden dangers
may await your child — in
the form of allergies and
asthma. According to the
Asthma & Allergy Foundation
of America, allergic conditions
are the most common
health issues affecting children
in the U.S.
The first time a child suffers
with allergy or asthma
symptoms, it can sometimes
be mistaken for the common
cold, but there are differences
says Dr. Perdita Permaul, Director
of the Pediatric Allergy/
Immunology Program
at New York-Presbyterian
Queens’ Pediatric Asthma
Center. “Colds are usually
associated with low-grade
fever and discolored mucus,
and usually last only for a
week to 10 days. The common
cold will rarely cause itching
of the eyes, nose or throat.”
There’s also the matter of
consistency. Children who
suffer from allergies will develop
the same symptoms at
the same time of year—typically
starting in early spring
through end of June. They
may also redevelop the same
symptoms in late August,
continuing to the fall, as a result
of ragweed and mold allergens.
Dr. Kalliope Tsirilakis,
Director of Pediatric Pulmonology
and the Pediatric
Asthma Center adds, “Many
children with asthma present
only with a cough, and
asthma symptoms can often
be triggered by respiratory
viruses, so it’s important to
see an asthma specialist if
you notice these symptoms
recurring during particular
seasons.”
����������������������������������
“Pollen is the biggest
spring allergy trigger,” says
Dr. Permaul. “It’s that fine,
powdery, greenish-yellow
substance you often see coating
your car or the windows
of your home during the season.
These tiny grains are released
into the air by trees,
grasses, and weeds. Pollen
is virtually everywhere during
this time and can be airborne
for miles, so it’s pretty
hard to escape its effects. The
higher the pollen count, the
greater the discomfort.”
The body’s immune system
sees pollen as a foreign
invader, and so it produces
antibodies to fight it, by releasing
chemicals into the
blood called histamines. It’s
histamines that are responsible
for producing the classic
allergy symptoms— including
runny nose, watery
and itchy eyes, sneezing, and
coughing. For some, it may
also lead to allergic asthma
symptoms.
��������������������������������������������
��������������������������������������������������
��������������������������
No child should have to
suffer from the effects of allergies
and other respiratory
conditions. The Pediatric
Asthma, Allergy and
Pulmonary Center at New
York Presbyterian Queens is
led by a team of board certified
experts in their fields.
Drs. Tsirilakis and Permaul,
along with Nurse Practitioner
and Certified Asthma Educator
Jennifer Small and Respiratory
Therapist Jasmine
Bateau, are all dedicated to
providing comprehensive
care for children with a wide
range of respiratory and allergic
disorders.
Says Dr. Tsirilakis, “We
will assess your child’s symptoms
and perform the necessary
allergy and respiratory
tests to make an accurate diagnosis,
and develop a care
plan tailored to your child’s
personal needs. We also
make it a point to coordinate
with your child’s primary
care physician to ensure continuity
of care, and to educate
parents on what they can do
to help keep their child’s allergies
at bay and asthma under
control.”
The pediatric asthma, allergy
and pulmonary specialists
at NewYork-Presbyterian
Queens are available for consultations
to children and
young adults from infancy
to age 22. They are available
for telehealth visits and
at two outpatient locations:
the Pediatric Asthma Center
in Fresh Meadows and the
Pediatric Asthma Clinic at
the Jackson Heights Family
Health Center.
For more information or to
schedule an appointment, contact
the Pediatric Asthma Center
at NewYork-Presbyterian
Queens at (718) 670-1920.
/vcc
/vaccinefinder
/QNS.COM
/homebound
