We all make errors. Some we can control, others simply are part of our biology. Such is the case with ‘refractive errors,’ a collection of common eye distortions that affect vision.

Love to report new places opening up: The Sweet Divine's new Soulard location at 1801 S. Ninth St. is now open for business. Likewise, Piccione Pastry at 6197 Delmar Blvd. in the U-City Loop is now up and running.

MAY

I am blessed with five grandchildren; and two of them are blessed—or cursed—with allergies. I’ve previously discussed food allergies; and this month, we talk about springtime environmental allergies. Once again, I called on my colleague, Mercy Clinic pediatric allergist Dr. Laura Esswein, to share her expertise.

APRIL 29

SweetArt Bake Shop in the Shaw neighborhood is a marriage of food and art. And that works out beautifully for owners Cbabi and Reine Bayoc, who happen to be husband and wife.

When Nicki Myers’ son, Reece, was 18 months old, he itched so much he bled from scratching. Reece suffers from eczema, a non-contagious, inflammatory skin condition that may be caused by an array of triggers. “He had a moderate to severe rash on his lower legs and arms that became so inflamed and irritated he would scratch in his sleep,” says Myers. “He’d wake up with open wounds, and it was quite hard to manage.” The Ladue mom recalls slathering her child’s legs with various prescription and over-the-counter creams and ointments, and then wrapping them with gauze and compression bandages to prevent Reece from continuing to scratch.

When speaking with an allergist, there’s a chance you may briefly forget you’re talking with a doctor and imagine you’re chatting with a botanist. These medical specialists can reel off plant names, expected dates of pollination and various pollen attributes.

About one in seven people experiences a random nosebleed at some point in his or her life, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Children and people older than 50 are the most likely to have a sudden nosebleed, and the trigger can be as minor as blowing one’s nose too hard or as serious as a clotting disorder.

March

Through Thursday 14

I have five grandchildren, one as much fun and as charming as the next. Two of them are allergic to foods: One has allergies to tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds and melons; the other is allergic to milk, soy and eggs. When I was a kid—in what my children refer to as ‘the olden days’—I can’t remember any of my friends having food allergies. And when I began practicing pediatrics in 1980, food allergies were quite rare. In recent years, food allergies seem to be more common. I asked my colleague and Mercy Clinic pediatric allergist Dr. Laura Esswein, who cares for both of my allergic grandchildren, about this. Here are some of her thoughts:

I have no proof or reasonable explanation about some things veterinary—things that were never learned in school; rather, just acquired on the job. One of those things is that every five years or so, all animals in St. Louis shed at an even more alarming rate that usual: 2012 has been one of those years. In the summer, people told tales of living room tumbleweeds, even for cats that live indoors! Shedding is one of the peeves of all pet owners, especially for the head vacuumer in the household. Let us discuss what we can do about it:

November

Saturday 3

Cancer is often hard to pin on a particular cause. Lung cancer, however, is one of the few that is clearly linked to a specific behavior: smoking.

Asthma is one of the most common childhood ailments. Children who suffer from this pulmonary condition may find themselves wheezing, coughing and struggling for breath while their friends play and participate in sports.

In the past several weeks, a number of concerns regarding cats have come to the examination table. Some were pressing, but others were mundane. How can you tell which is which? It’s time to discuss a potpourri of varied kitty oddities.

The key to beautiful makeup application starts with foundation that makes your skin glow. We caught up with Sephora PRO artist Sheranda Curtis to get her tips on making your natural beauty shine. A licensed cosmetologist representing Sephora nationally, she has more than 15 years of experience in hair, makeup and wardrobe styling.

May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 7 million American children have asthma. That’s almost one in 10 kids who suffer the wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing associated with an asthma attack.

What a wondrous spring we had—although allergy sufferers may disagree. It came on early, strong and stayed around a whole lot longer than usual. I’m talking about that powdery pollen that coats your car in an envelope of green fog and lines your window sills daily, scoffing at your attempts to clean them. It also wreaks havoc on your sinuses. Yes, this is the time of the year where a human condition often gets transposed to a pet condition. It is easy to do, but it’s likely not the same type of illness/allergy.

No parent likes to see his or her child feeling miserable. And in children, the common cold can mean a week or two of runny-nosed, cough-induced, scratchy-throated misery. But even though we long to do something to make everything OK again, curing kids’ colds primarily requires time and a little TLC.