The New Rochelle, New York police department has a new kind of criminal to deal with: bed bugs. The blood sucking critters have infested patrol cars and jail cells, according to the local newspaper The Journal News.

The jail’s tenants have been complaining about bed bugs for weeks. While none of the cells have mattresses, the bugs were uncharacteristically found crawling all over the floors. The police department called in an inspector who quarantined the jail for three days. Unfortunately for the department, it didn’t end there. Bed bugs were found in three separate squad cars used by three different officers, revealing the true extent of the problem.

Luckily, for the police department and the city of New Rochelle, there isn’t much else going on as far as criminal activity goes. There’s plenty of time to handle the infestation.

Symptoms of allergic diseases can certainly give strong hints that a person is indeed suffering from allergies. However, in most cases, various tests are required to confirm a diagnosis. Testing depends on the type of allergic disease in question.

Atopic Dermatitis

There is no laboratory test that can be used to diagnose atopic dermatitis. Instead, a physician must examine a patient and review the history of her symptoms.There are three criteria that must be present in order to diagnose atopic dermatitis:

• Allergies — The person must have allergies (at least one positive skin test) and/or a family history of allergic diseases in close relatives. There may be rare cases in which a person has atopic dermatitis without evidence of allergies.
• Itching — The patient must have itching and scratching in order for the rash to occur.If the skin or areas of the rash do not itch or have not been scratched, then the person does not have atopic dermatitis.
• Eczema — Eczema refers to the appearance of the rash in patients with atopic dermatitis; it also occurs in those with other skin diseases. The rash appears red, with small blisters or bumps. These may ooze or flake with further scratching. Over the long-term, the skin appears thickened and leathery.

In most cases, people with atopic dermatitis should have skin testing performed to aeroallergens (pollens, molds, pet dander and dust mite) as well as to common food allergens. Avoiding allergic triggers is an important step in the treatment of atopic dermatitis.

Food Allergies

The diagnosis of food allergies is made when typical symptoms occur after eating a specific food and a patient receives a positive result after undergoing an allergy test to the food in question. Testing for the allergic antibody is best accomplished with skin testing, although can be done with a blood test as well.The blood test, called a RAST, is not quite as good of a test as skin testing, but it can be helpful in predicting if a person has outgrown a food allergy. This is especially true since, in many cases, the skin test can still be positive in children who have actually outgrown the food allergy.

If the diagnosis of food allergy is in question despite testing, an allergist may decide to perform an oral food challenge. This involves having a person eat increasing amounts of the suspect food, over many hours, under close medical supervision. Given the potential for life-threatening allergic reactions, this procedure should only be performed by a physician experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases.

Nasal Allergies

In many cases, allergic rhinitis is diagnosed when a person has convincing symptoms and physical exam findings consistent with this disease. However, in order for allergic rhinitis to be properly diagnosed, allergy testing is needed. Positive allergy tests are required to diagnose allergic rhinitis; negative allergy testing suggests non-allergic rhinitis. While allergy testing can be accomplished with skin testing or blood tests (RAST), skin testing is still the preferred method of testing.

Asthma

The diagnosis of asthma is suggested by the presence of asthma symptoms; however, spirometry is needed to make a firm diagnosis. Spirometry can easily be performed in people 5 years and older. It may show a specific pattern in a person with asthma, which can make the diagnosis more concrete. For example, someone with asthma may display a certain increase in lung function after using a bronchodilator, such as Albuterol.If the diagnosis of asthma is still in question despite performing spirometry, asthma specialists can perform additional tests to determine if a person has asthma. These include bronchoprovocation (causing a drop of lung function with the inhalation of certain chemicals, such as methacholine) and measurements of markers of inflammation in exhaled air, sputum, blood and urine.

We can’t believe we missed this video on YouTube, especially since it has about a quarter of a million views already! This is a special National Geographic did on bed bugs. It’s very informative, so enjoy!

Not sure which over-the-counter medications to buy? Pharmacologist Joe Graedon from “The People’s Pharmacy” shares some of his wisdom about allergy treatments that you can find at the grocery store.

It’s time to kick back and go on vacation, but are you gonna let allergies ruin your trip? As you may already know form experience, hotel rooms can be a hot bed for allergens. Here’s a great list of ways to make your hotel room allergy free, from the Allergy Buyer’s Club:

1. Very few hotels have “green rooms” but it’s worth asking. Green rooms carry less allergen than traditional rooms. They are specially equipped with hardwood floors rather than carpets, blinds rather than drapes, hypoallergenic bedding, and allergy free dust mite encasings.

2. Get a non-smoking room and if you are allergic to pets, a room that has not had pets stay in it.

3. Take a spray along to kill the mold and remove the dust in the air conditioning system. I recommend “Filter Plus”, available at Home Depot.

4. Ask that the air conditioner filter be changed before you arrive.

5. Hotel room a little dry? Throw a few wet towels around, or turn on the shower to fill-up the room with steam and keep your sinuses moist. Keep using your saline spray frequently. We don’t recommend asking the hotel for a humidifier - many of them only spray around ugly bacteria.

6. Allergic to dust mites? Take your own dust mite pillow encasings with you. You might try taking your own allergy free pillow if you travel by car.

7. If you are allergic to mold, do not get a room near the swimming pool- it is likely to have a higher concentration of mold spores.

8. Ask the hotel to provide you with a hypoallergenic, feather free pillow.

9. Ask that the room not be sprayed with scented air freshening sprays before you arrive.

According to Dr. Clifford Bassett, the dark circles beneath your eyelids are directly related to allergies and inflamed sinuses. How do you prevent them this allergy season?

Dr. Basset says:

The best way to prevent this is to choose your parents wisely! No joke, allergies are generally inherited from our parents and when they affect us we need to act and get proper treatment, which in many cases will improve the “shiners.” Allergy injections, medications and sinus care may provide relief, allowing your dark circles to lessen.

Another strategy that helps is to place a cool compress at the end of a long work day over your eyes, too. Also, gently irrigating your eyelids once a day with tear-free shampoo can assist in removing airborne pollutants and those pesky seasonal allergens thus lessening your “allergic shiners.”

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Americans spent $11 billion on doctors’ bills, prescription drugs and other allergy treatments in 2005. That’s an average of $500 per person.

In 2000, Americans spent only $6 billion on allergies—nearly half of the 2005 figure. The question is, how much of the increase has to do with an increase in allergies, and how much has to do with a rise in prices? In both 2000 and 2005, popular medications such as Zyrtec and Claritin were strictly prescription drugs. Now, the two are over the counter—our guess is that there will be a significant increase in spending evident whenever they do the study next.

Brian Humphries experienced such a bad bed bug infestation in his Denver, Colorado, apartment that he was able to fill a quart-sized Ziploc bag. He shared the evidence with his landlord who took two weeks to address the problem. According to Humphries, the problem never went away.

Five months later, Jackie Howe moved into the same complex, also suffering an infestation. She claims that she was never told of the preexisting problem—the Denver Environmental Health department had three complaints from that complex prior to her moving in.

The complex is run by Shockcor, Inc., which owns and maintains many properties in the Denver Metro area. Well, it looks like Shockcor is in for a shocker—the Denver Daily News is all over the story.

The summer is back, as we’ve already mentioned several times during the past two weeks, but we’ve taken little time to talk about how that effects your risk of bed bug infestation. Have any travel plans? Well, these unwelcome travelers can very easily find their way from your hotel room to your luggage to your home if you don’t take some precautions.

Here are some tips we stumbled upon on the Web:

• Survey for signs of an infestation, such as dark brown or red spots on sheets.
• Lift and look for all bed bug hiding spots, including the mattress, headboard and furniture. Bed bugs are nocturnal and tend to hide near their food source—you!
• Elevate your belongings on a luggage rack away from the bed and wall, where bed bugs often hide behind headboards, picture frames and electrical outlet panels.
• Examine your luggage while repacking and when you return home. Remember, bed bugs are only 3/16 of an inch and can easily fit in cracks and crevices.
• Professionals can treat these resilient pests, which are extremely difficult to kill and can survive extreme temperatures.