Avoiding Allergens During the Holidays

Posted by Patricia: 2008-12-25 01:40:24

It's bad enough that I have to worry about calories and food temptation. I've noticed that my allergies act up too. It makes it even tougher to face the celebrations in a cheerful mood.

For those who like me are prone to allergies, here are a few tips. Keep everything clean. Vacuum regularly. Wear gloves and a mask when cleaning. Use an air-filtration system. Scented candles are a no-no; for that matter, use only unscented stuff as much as possible. Also, with regards to food, pay attention to what you'll be eating. Ask the caterer or the cook about the ingredients. And if you haven't ... more

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More People Getting Asthma?

Posted by Patricia: 2008-12-25 01:28:07

Genes are partly to blame but it seems the rapid increase in asthma cases can be mostly attributed to environment. Urbanization is said to be the culprit. Citing the State of the World Allergy Report of the World Allergy Organization, it is said that about 300 million persons worldwide have asthma, 50 percent of whom live in developing countries.

Asthma and allergies are serious health issues. Awareness must be raised so that patients and health care practitioners would be able to react appropriately and hopefully to develop more effective prevention and treatment strategies.

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Allergic to Spicy Foods?

Posted by Voltaire: 2008-12-08 11:39:14

It's bad enough that I have to be choosy about what I eat. Now I have to worry about a runny nose while eating my favorite spicy Mexican food. You'd be surprised to know that this probably isn't an allergy. Rather, it's gustatory rhinitis.

You'd know it isn't an allergy because there's no other symptom aside from the runny nose. And as soon as you stop eating the food, the sniffles will disappear. If it's an allergy, you'd have hives, nausea, and you might have difficulty breathing.

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Is it possible to outgrow a food allergy?

Posted by Voltaire: 2008-12-08 11:30:48

I asked an expert and he told me that it depends on the reaction to the allergen. Most kids outgrow allergies by the time they're 5 years old. A small percentage, especially those who are sensitive to peanuts, fish and shellfish, spend the rest of their lives avoiding these foods. If the allergic reaction is hives, there's a higher probability that this will pass. But if the person has difficulty breathing, and low blood pressure in addition to hives, then it's less likely he'll outgrow it.

To be sure though, you'd have to consult your doctor. He'd have to conduct an allergy testing or an ... more

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Allergies to Dogs

Posted by Voltaire: 2008-12-08 11:22:55

Although more people are allergic to cats, there is a higher demand for hypoallergenic dogs because well, they are man's bestfriend. It's ironic that having a dog at an early age can actually protect you from getting an allergic reaction to dogs. Scientists have discovered that endotoxin, a protein released from dogs, stimulates the immune system away from allergies. However, if a person has already developed allergies to dogs then measures must be taken to manage this.

There are several ways to decrease dog allergen exposure. First, bathe your dog twice a week. Wipe the dog with a wet ... more

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Allergies are Hereditary

Posted by Voltaire: 2008-12-08 11:14:28

I have food allergies. My mom does too. I guess I inherited that trait from her. I'm the middle child; both my siblings don't have allergies. That makes me very unlucky. It's such a hassle having to be careful of what I eat. My symptoms include an itchy nose and throat, then I get a rash...sometimes diarrhea. I'd have to be looking closely at nutrition labels and when eating out, I'd have to have a talk with the waitress/waiter serving us. It's a life-saving necessity. I do have medications at hand just in case symptoms start to appear. It's not so much a source of comfort to know that I'm ... more

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Testing for Allergies

Posted by Patricia: 2008-11-05 00:24:10

People frequently mistake a case of food poisoning to be allergies. They have similar symptoms. Some medications may have side-effects that would produce allergic-like symptoms such as rashes.

To determine if it's an allergy or a different condition, doctors do a skin test. It's the only way to know which substances to avoid and so that you'd be able to manage your allergies successfully. The scratch test is done by placing a small amount of the substance on the skin and then slightly scratching the area. We watch for swelling or redness. If you don't want a skin test, you can opt for a ... more

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Allergies Can Appear Later in Life

Posted by Patricia: 2008-09-21 12:50:43

Like most people, I had believed that people with allergies are either born with it or develop symptoms iin their childhood. In fact, an allergy can occur at any point in a person’s life. Some of us inherit a genetic predisposition to allergies. While most people have experienced an allergic reaction earlier in life, some have no history of sensitivity.

One theory is that adults who develop allergies were not exposed to high levels of allergens as children or that the immune systems became sensitive to an allergen over the years. The allergy is possible to have been triggered by a ... more

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Winter is Gone and So Are The Allergies

Posted by jillmadrid: 2008-09-05 23:16:14

With autumn comes the changing of the leaves and the reduction of allergens in the air. As the leaves fall from the trees, the allergens are reduced and that helps to cure any summer allergies you may have suffered from. The winter months are also the perfect time to help the body to heal from the stress it has been living through as a result of the allergen effects on the nasal passages and the lungs.

During the winter months, seeking attention from a medical professional on how to prevent future allergies and to treat the effects of the allergies before they begin is the best choice for ... more

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Five Steps to Allergy Prevention: Part I

Posted by cswanson: 2008-06-30 17:12:11

When it comes to preventing allergies, there are some steps that we all can take to keep those sniffles at bay. In this 5 part series, you will discover some of the most useful and easy tips for allergy prevention.

#1 Watch the news. The best bet for keeping allergy symptom free is to watch the local weather. The weather stations will often tell viewers when the worst times of the day and the worst days of the week are for allergy symptoms. On these days, staying inside with a great book and a glass of iced tea or coffee will serve you better tha heading out amid the pollen.  more

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