Dr. Laura L Somerville MD, PHD

Peanut allergies are one of the most common allergies in children, and often result in serious allergic responses. Moreover, with peanut allergy, even a small amount of allergen may result in a serious response. It is easy to predict the presence of nuts in some foods, while in some others, like...

What is a persistent cough?It can be annoying to have a cough that lasts for more than a couple of weeks. A cough is considered chronic or persistent if it does not go away after four weeks in children and eight weeks in adults. However, most persistent coughs are due to colds, flu, infection, or...

Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a very common condition that occurs in most individuals either during their childhood or in adulthood. It is not a very serious condition, however depending upon the age and intensity with which it occurs, it could result in a lot of discomfort for the...

Anaphylaxis refers to a severe allergic response, which can become life threatening if not treated immediately. It is often characterized by swelling, sudden lowering of blood pressure, difficulty breathing, and dilation of blood vessels. In some severe cases, the person may go into a state of...

What are Allergies?An allergy is basically a disorder of the immune system response that leads to certain symptoms, such as coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, and a runny nose. When the immune system reacts to a foreign substance, such as dust mites, pollen, pet dander, bee venom, or any kind of food,...

The chance of getting infected by Lyme disease from a single bite depends on the type of the tick, how long it has been attached, and where it is acquired from. There are many types of ticks and not all of them can cause Lyme disease. The symptoms of Lyme disease are rash, fatigue, fever, facial...