Ask An Expert: Allergies

I have woken up a few times in the past couple months gasping for breath. It feels like my airway is blocked. I gasp really hard and it wakes me up. The gasp is so loud that it makes my husband nervous. I have allergies and quite frequently my sinuses are clogged. So I can't breathe out of my nose, and have to sleep with my mouth open. I also have asthma but haven't had an attack in months. (I don't think these were asthma attacks.) Is my throat blocked because of post-nasal drip or could it be something more serious like sleep apnea?

I break out in hives when I get too cold. The hives go away once I become warm again. This can happen in the winter months or in the summer when the air conditioning is on. Is this some kind of imbalance? Is there anything I can do?

My five-month-old child was diagnosed with strep and was put on antibiotics, but now has a rash all over. How can I tell if this is scarlet fever or an allergic reaction to the antibiotic?

Can allergies cause a rise in blood pressure?

What is the earliest age when a child can be tested for allergies?

I'm pregnant. Are there any medications I can take for allergies?

Our 1-year-old child is allergic to dairy, eggs and nuts. Luckily he has never had a reaction. We have heard that exposing him to the cause of the allergy may be better than completely avoiding them. Do you agree with this?