Allergy - Allergy Relief

The Basics About Allergies Allergies are defined as immune malfunctions that occur when an individual's body is oversensitive to certain substances. These substances that cause allergies are called allergens. Allergies cause the body to produce excessive amounts of immunoglobulin E. This overproduction can result in inflammation, runny noses, itchy eyes or even shock or death, depending on how extreme an individual's allergies may be. Common symptoms of allergies include redness and itchiness of the eyes, wheezing or other breathing problems, skin rashes or hives. Some people with severe allergies might even experience anaphylaxis or death in extreme exposure situations. There are many common allergies from which many people suffer. Animal dander (particularly from cats), pollen, dust mites and certain medications can all be causes of allergies. Some individuals are also allergic to certain foods or even whole food groups. The most common way for doctors to identify a person's allergies is to conduct a skin test. Skin allergy tests are typically conducted on a person's back because of the large amount of surface area, and also because of the limited sensitivity experienced in that area of the body. Doctors make pricks in the patient's skin, and they introduce small amounts of substances that commonly cause allergies. The allergens are labeled, and within a thirty-minute period a reddening of the skin surrounding the allergens will occur if the patient is allergic to one or more of the substances. Want more information on Allergy Relief? Eyeforhealth.com has all the information and important links you need to stop suffering. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Miller Allergy - Choosing the Right Holmes Air Purifier for You Homes today are virtually airtight in an effort by homeowners to reduce the expenses of heating and cooling them. Most homes have air conditioners and heaters that use recycled air. This is typically fine, but there comes a point when the air can become stale and carry many particles, which are harmful. Many consumers wish to select an air purifier that has the same standards of quality as a Holmes air purifier. Important considerations for consumers include visual appeal, noise levels, how often the filter must be changed, how long it is expected to work and how well it works. These are the major things that people are looking at when trying to decide upon the air purifier for their home. The Department of Energy is responsible for setting standards for air filters. Many consumers prefer a HEPA filter, as they are more effective at removing a greater amount of particles from the air. The Holmes air purifier always includes a HEPA filter. Holmes air purifiers are quite popular among homeowners because they are built with a quiet motor. These are two of the most important factors that many people consider when they are looking for an air purifier. While using an air purifier is quite effective at improving the quality of the air, there are other actions that can be taken. Other effective means include using plastic covers on mattresses to reduce the number of dust mites as well as using a good quality vacuum cleaner. Replacing a wood burning fireplace with an electric fireplace is another way to clean the air in your home. When you are cooking, always ensure that the exhaust fan above the stove is on and that it is functioning properly to help pull the particles out of the air. Ensuring that filters in the furnace and air conditioners are changed frequently will also help the air quality in your home. Windows and doors should also remain closed as much as possible; if you wish to open them, ensure there is a screen in place to keep out the larger pieces of debris. If you or other family members are especially sensitive to pollen or have allergies, avoid going outside unless necessary on days when the pollen count is extremely high. Using a Holmes air purifier can assist all of the other discussed methods, but should never be your only method in order to produce the best possible results. With some work, you will be breathing cleaner, healthier air in no time.

Allergy - Help I Am Allergic To Chocolate

If you are allergic to chocolate then you suffer from Allergies Type 1, also called Contact Allergies. Scientists do not clearly understand why the immune system of people allergic to chocolate considers some food proteins as harmful by the body. The immune system can mount a variety of defenses mechanisms against proteins that is considers as harmful or foreign. Symptoms can be very mild to life-threatening depending on the severity of your chocolate allergies. They usually occur within a few minutes to a few hours after eating or inhaling chocolate. True allergies to chocolate or cocoa are very rare. Other ingredients, additives or chemicals found in processed chocolate such as nuts, milk, gluten from wheat, soybeans, corn, syrup, caffeine, Theo-bromine, and Phenyl-ethylamine, cause most allergic reactions to chocolate. The higher the quality of chocolate the lower the chances of other additives being found in chocolate. Cocoa is made from the seeds of the cocoa tree that have been fermented, roasted and then ground up. The cocoa tree originated in Central America but is now grown in tropical climates around the world. The proteins found in chocolate trigger the immune system to reaction. Antibodies and histamines are releases into the blood stream in an attempt to neutralize the chocolate protein. These chemicals trigger the allergic symptoms. In sever cases Epinephrine, also call Adrenaline, is administered to control the anaphylaxis reaction. If you are unsure if you are allergic to chocolates then one of the tests you could be given is called Food Challenge Test. Avoid all chocolates for several weeks. The doctor will then give you pure chocolate without any of the other ingredients usually found in processed chocolate. This test needs to be given under close supervision by an allergist. If you are truly allergic to chocolate a violent reactions may occur and emergency medical attention may be needed. If symptoms appear within two hours after the taking the pill then you are allergic to it and will need to avoid it. Avoidance can be very difficult because cocoa is often hidden in other foods. Read the labels of every food that you bring into your home. Because the manufacturing processes change continuously re-read the labels each time you purchase a product. On January 1, 2006 a new law was passed stating that all labels should be designed in such a way that a 7-year-old child could read and understand the ingredients. Some of the health benefits of eating chocolate, in moderation of course, are reducing the risk of hart disease, increase longevity, increases libido and increased sexual fulfillment. Antioxidants are also found in chocolate and are believed to lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood stream. Just because it tastes good does not mean that it is bad for you so enjoy the occasional teat, you deserve it. Always consult your doctor before using this information. This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice. David Cowley has created over 50 articles about the relationship between diseases and vitamins. For other articles on Allergies click on Articles on Allergies and for other articles click on Other Articles Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Cowley Allergy - Learn About Allergies and The Relationship To Food Allergies are the hypersensitive response of the body to foreign substances. These foreign substances are called antigens, which stimulate the body to produce antibodies, whose normal function is to combat antigens by destroying them or otherwise making them harmless. In allergic individuals, for poorly understood reasons, the body's antibody defense mechanism goes awry and injures the body instead of protecting it. The most familiar allergies are hay fever and asthma, which are caused by a wide variety of inhaled pollens, dusts, and other agents. However, food can also be a cause of allergic reactions. Food does not often cause allergic reactions. Food allergies are more common in infants than in older children and adults, probably because the infant's immature digestive tract permits more ready absorption of offending food molecules. Manifestations of food allergies in adults are usually of the immediate kind, including hives, angioderma, eczema, gastrointestinal disorders, and general systemic reactions of the anaphylactic type. Systemic reactions occur quickly after eating. They are most frequently caused by legumes, nuts, seafoods (especially shellfish), and berries, but carbohydrates, fats, food additives, and contamination by drugs may be implicated. In infants and children, eczema is the prominent manifestation, and the most frequent causative agents include milk, wheat, eggs, fish, and soybean products. Food allergies are diagnosed on the basis of the patient's allergic history together with trial eliminations of suspected foods from the patient's diet. Skin tests and tests for antibodies in serum are less significant, because the hypersensitive reaction may be provoked by the breakdown of products of the food resulting from digestion, and not by the food itself. The management of food allergy is based mainly on the avoidance of the offending foods. An antihistamine taken before a meal may be helpful if a food to which one is allergic is to be eaten. Food allergies in children tend to lessen or disappear with age, but the anaphylactic types manifested in adults do not usually improve over time.

Allergy - Learn About Allergies and The Relationship To Food

Allergies are the hypersensitive response of the body to foreign substances. These foreign substances are called antigens, which stimulate the body to produce antibodies, whose normal function is to combat antigens by destroying them or otherwise making them harmless. In allergic individuals, for poorly understood reasons, the body's antibody defense mechanism goes awry and injures the body instead of protecting it. The most familiar allergies are hay fever and asthma, which are caused by a wide variety of inhaled pollens, dusts, and other agents. However, food can also be a cause of allergic reactions. Food does not often cause allergic reactions. Food allergies are more common in infants than in older children and adults, probably because the infant's immature digestive tract permits more ready absorption of offending food molecules. Manifestations of food allergies in adults are usually of the immediate kind, including hives, angioderma, eczema, gastrointestinal disorders, and general systemic reactions of the anaphylactic type. Systemic reactions occur quickly after eating. They are most frequently caused by legumes, nuts, seafoods (especially shellfish), and berries, but carbohydrates, fats, food additives, and contamination by drugs may be implicated. In infants and children, eczema is the prominent manifestation, and the most frequent causative agents include milk, wheat, eggs, fish, and soybean products. Food allergies are diagnosed on the basis of the patient's allergic history together with trial eliminations of suspected foods from the patient's diet. Skin tests and tests for antibodies in serum are less significant, because the hypersensitive reaction may be provoked by the breakdown of products of the food resulting from digestion, and not by the food itself. The management of food allergy is based mainly on the avoidance of the offending foods. An antihistamine taken before a meal may be helpful if a food to which one is allergic is to be eaten. Food allergies in children tend to lessen or disappear with age, but the anaphylactic types manifested in adults do not usually improve over time. Discover how you can naturally and safely free yourself from the annoying symptoms of allergies. Sign-up to get this FREE natural allergy remedy info-kit today. http://AllergyandAsthmaTreatment.com Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Herrington Allergy - Help I Am Allergic To Posion Ivy If you are allergic to poison ivy then you suffer from allergies Type 1 or contact allergies. Up to 90 percent of people are allergic to the urushiol oil that causes the poison ivy rash. Over half of the population will experience a rash with the first contact of the poison ivy plant and is considered the most common allergy in the country. Symptoms of poison ivy allergy is a severe itching of the skin that later develop into an inflammation of the skin. Red oozing sores or blisters can develop in sever cases and the fluid will have a slight yellowish color. Some of us can roll in poison ivy and come out without any problems, while others can merely brush up against a few leaves of the stuff and they are scratching for weeks. In most cases, allergies are more annoying that debilitating but to the extreme allergy suffers life can be pure misery or even death. Just because you do not develop systems the first few times you come into contact with poison ivy does not mean that you are immune. It may take several exposures to poison ivy before symptoms develop. The more times you are exposed to the usushiol the more likely it is that you will break out in a rash. Symptoms usually occur within 2 to 3 days. It only take 1 billionth of a gram to cause the rash. 1/4 of an ounce of urushiol is all that is needed to cause a rash in every person on earth. The usushiol oil can still be found on dead poison ivy plants for up to five years. Direct contact is the most common way of catching poison ivy however, you can catch poison ivy by just being close to the plants if the urushiol oil becomes airborne due to the plants are being burned, like in a forest fire, or because of the actions of a lawnmower or weed trimmer. Scratching or rubbing the rashes will not spread the poison ivy rash unless you still have the urushiol oil on your hands. This also means that poison ivy is not contagious and you will not be able to give it to another person. Scratching can lead to scaring and infection of the affected area so it is not recommended. Over the years I have developed poison ivy rash numerous times and I have tried many different treatments and I have found only two treatments that work for me. The first is with my Doctor giving me a steroid shot of Prednisone. Symptoms usually start to improve within 24 hours. The second treatment is one that I have never found documented anyplace else. Back in the early 60s an old country doctor told me of this treatment. Go to your pharmacy and get a solution of 5 percent carbolic acid in olive oil. Rub the solution on the rash. Within minutes you will see a yellowish fluid appearing on top of the red sores or blisters. Mop up the fluid and when no more fluid develops after several minutes reapply the carbolic acid in olive oil solution. This treatment will start to relieve the symptoms with an hour or two but will take 1 to 2 weeks to cure the poison ivy rash. The carbolic acid in olive oil solution seems to act as some type of drawing agent and I have successfully used it on bee stings and insect bites. Leave of three then let them be. Always consult your doctor before using this information. This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

Allergy - Help I Am Allergic To Posion Ivy

If you are allergic to poison ivy then you suffer from allergies Type 1 or contact allergies. Up to 90 percent of people are allergic to the urushiol oil that causes the poison ivy rash. Over half of the population will experience a rash with the first contact of the poison ivy plant and is considered the most common allergy in the country. Symptoms of poison ivy allergy is a severe itching of the skin that later develop into an inflammation of the skin. Red oozing sores or blisters can develop in sever cases and the fluid will have a slight yellowish color. Some of us can roll in poison ivy and come out without any problems, while others can merely brush up against a few leaves of the stuff and they are scratching for weeks. In most cases, allergies are more annoying that debilitating but to the extreme allergy suffers life can be pure misery or even death. Just because you do not develop systems the first few times you come into contact with poison ivy does not mean that you are immune. It may take several exposures to poison ivy before symptoms develop. The more times you are exposed to the usushiol the more likely it is that you will break out in a rash. Symptoms usually occur within 2 to 3 days. It only take 1 billionth of a gram to cause the rash. 1/4 of an ounce of urushiol is all that is needed to cause a rash in every person on earth. The usushiol oil can still be found on dead poison ivy plants for up to five years. Direct contact is the most common way of catching poison ivy however, you can catch poison ivy by just being close to the plants if the urushiol oil becomes airborne due to the plants are being burned, like in a forest fire, or because of the actions of a lawnmower or weed trimmer. Scratching or rubbing the rashes will not spread the poison ivy rash unless you still have the urushiol oil on your hands. This also means that poison ivy is not contagious and you will not be able to give it to another person. Scratching can lead to scaring and infection of the affected area so it is not recommended. Over the years I have developed poison ivy rash numerous times and I have tried many different treatments and I have found only two treatments that work for me. The first is with my Doctor giving me a steroid shot of Prednisone. Symptoms usually start to improve within 24 hours. The second treatment is one that I have never found documented anyplace else. Back in the early 60s an old country doctor told me of this treatment. Go to your pharmacy and get a solution of 5 percent carbolic acid in olive oil. Rub the solution on the rash. Within minutes you will see a yellowish fluid appearing on top of the red sores or blisters. Mop up the fluid and when no more fluid develops after several minutes reapply the carbolic acid in olive oil solution. This treatment will start to relieve the symptoms with an hour or two but will take 1 to 2 weeks to cure the poison ivy rash. The carbolic acid in olive oil solution seems to act as some type of drawing agent and I have successfully used it on bee stings and insect bites. Leave of three then let them be. Always consult your doctor before using this information. This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice. David Cowley has created over 50 articles about the relationship between diseases and vitamins. For other articles on Allergies click on Articles on Allergies and for Other Articles Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Cowley Allergy - Anaphylactic Shock - My Allergic Reaction To A Yellow Jacket Bee Sting Most yellow jacket bee stings are a bit painful, but they can be treated at home without any lasting problem. Home treatment usually consists of an ice pack or baking soda to the site of the sting. However, some people have a very severe allergy reaction to these kinds of stings which require immediate emergency treatment. In fact, insect stings can cause a life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylactic shock. What Is Anaphylactic Shock Anaphylactic shock, also known as anaphylactic reaction, is an immediate, severe allergic reaction that occurs within minutes of exposure to a substance that produces the allergy, such as a bee sting, and involves the entire body. The body's immune system responds to allergens in the system by sending protection in the form of histamines. Normally the cells of the body send just the right amount of histamine necessary to combat the allergen. However, in some cases, as in anaphylactic shock reactions, the released histamine causes the effects commonly associated with severe allergic responses, such as dilated blood capillaries, red skin, swelling, itching and rapidly appearing hives, known as urticaria. More than 10,000 people in North America are afflicted each year by anaphylaxis. Of these, more than 750 episodes end in death. Because symptoms of anaphylaxis resemble those seen in other diseases, the true numbers are not known. Symptoms of Anaphylactic Shock The symptoms are many, and they are progressive. They can include skin redness, cough, nasal congestion, itching, hives, swelling, anxiety, sensation of feeling the heart beat (palpitations), rapid or weak pulse, fainting, light-headedness, dizziness, confusion, extreme anxiety, blueness of the skin, and difficulty breathing. If not treated, death results. Emergency Treatment of Severe Allergic Reactions Prompt emergency treatment should be immediate to reduce the likelihood of death. Treatment includes the injection of adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, to constrict the blood vessels and counteract the effects of the histamine. Further measures might includes the administration of oxygen or even the performance of a tracheotomy may be needed A Personal Experience - My Near Fatal Encounter With A Yellow Jacket Living in exurbia, I have had many red ant bites and have been stung once or twice by a regular wasp. These bites have always caused a mild to moderate reaction, such as swelling and blistering. But nothing prepared me for the experience of being stung by a yellow jacket. On a beautiful morning, I was walking through the woods in the back of my house when I disturbed a yellow jacket nest which was under a small branch. Although I slowly backed away, I was suddenly stung on my right elbow. The site of the sting immediately caused a blister about the size of a quarter. I quickly made it back to the house, and put an ice pack on the site. I began to feel very warm all over, my ears and earlobes became swollen and rubbery, my heart began to race, and I felt very, very anxious. When I looked into the mirror, my face was as red as a beet. Luckily my husband was home and rushed me to the emergency room. When I looked at my right hand, I could not even recognize it as a hand. It was so swollen and full of hives. It was just one big, terrible looking lump. By the time we got to the hospital, my nose and lips were numb, my heart was beating even faster, anxiety was overcoming me and my blood pressure was falling. I felt vague and confused, unable to even tell the nurse my birth date. All of this had happened within 20 to 30 minutes of being stung. I was rushed into a treatment room and given epinephrine and benadryl, which are anti-histamines, as well as a form of prednisone (a steroid) intravenously. I was monitored closely and kept there for about two and a half to three hours. I was discharged with prescriptions for benadryl and prednisone to take daily for a week. I was also given a prescription for Epipen. Epipen is a pressure activated syringe device that delivers the correct dose of epinephrine to combat anaphylaxis in the event I ever have an episode such as this again. This should be kept within reach at all times, and replaced yearly. When I got home, I slept for several hours, but otherwise everything was alright. Needless to say, I felt very grateful. Some Precautions To Avoid Attracting Flying Insects If You Have Allergy 1. Avoid fragrances, scented, soaps, lotions and oils 2. Avoid wearing bright colors 3. Wear shoes 4. Wear long pants, long sleeve shirts, and a hat