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Archive for the ‘Allergy’ Category

Breathing is basic to life, and allergies are an awful intrusion on the easy, regular, deep breathing we all need to stay active and healthy. Fortunately, there are many ways to breathe easier despite nasal allergies without expensive, sedating allergy drugs.

Here are my top 5

1. Use steroid nasal sprays sparingly if at all. Yes, they really work, but the have serious side effects.

Beconase AQ (beclomethasone), Flonase (fluticasone), Nasacort AQ (triamcinolone), Nasarel (flunisolie), Nasonex (mometasone), and Rhinocort Aqua (budesonide) supposedly offer the benefits of steroids for controlling allergies without the risks, namely, high blood pressure, stunted growth in children, osteoporosis in older adults, and a very long list of other potential complications.

The problem with these nose sprays is, other than the fact that they are very expensive, is that in rare instances they can cause nasal perforation (a whole between the nostrils), and more commonly they induce the very burning, irritation, sore throat, headache, nosebleed, and dry sinuses they are supposed to prevent.

2. Get your antihistamines from foods rather than the pharmacy.

Instead of pharmaceutical antihistamines like Benadryl (diphyenhydramine), Dimetapp and Dimetane (brompheniramine), Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine), Allegra (frexofenadine), Clarniex (desloratadine), or Zyrtec (certirizine), consider their natural alternatives.

Quercitin, a plant compound you can get from grapefruit or from eating an apple with the peel, is chemically similar to NasalCrom (cromolyn sodium); in fact, the active ingredient in NasalCrom was first found in bishop’s weed, an herb that is rich in quercitin. British studies have found that eating just one apple a week lowers the frequency of allergies.

You can also get some allergy relief from vitamin C, but it wears off quickly. It’s better to get 3-4 doses of 500 mg or even less throughout the day than to get one dose of 1,000-2,000 mg all at once.

3. Stop nasal allergies at their source.

If you got poison ivy every week, would it make sense to get a six months prescription for prednisone or maybe to stay out of the poison ivy? The same principle applies to ongoing nasal allergies at home. It doesn’t make sense to take medication constantly if you can stop allergies at their source. HEPA filters can remove mold and dust mites and nearly all pollen and cat dander. Even better, combine a HEPA filter with a dehumidifier. The combination greatly reduces mold spore counts.

4. And if you can’t afford to stop allergies at the source with an expensive HEPA filter, try an inexpensive HEPA filter.

The drawback to HEPA filtration is that you probably can’t install it yourself, and it’s expensive. Your next best method for cleaning the air you breathe indoors is an electronic air filter. You don’t need an ozone generator, because ozone is damaging to the lungs. And if you can’t afford either a HEPA filter or an electronic air cleaner, consider a do-it-yourself air filter such as 3M’s Filtrete for around $25 US. You can fit these into your existing air return system in place of any old-fashioned filter that may now be in use.

5. Don’t just clean your air, clean your floors (and especially your carpets).

Cleaning the air is only half the battle. You also need to clean your floors with a vacuum cleaner. What you want to avoid in choosing your vacuum cleaner is getting that sucks up dust through one end and sends out in the exhaust through the other. Vacuums with their own, smaller HEPA filters are much more expensive but go a long way toward cleaning up the air in your home.

Swimming in public pools is a popular activity during the hot months of summer. An allergy to chlorine can really put a damper on things. It’s important to understand the symptoms so you can tell if it’s a treatable allergy or something more serious.

There are five major symptoms to look for that can be caused when exposed to chlorinated pools. These symptoms generally show up either while you’re swimming or right after you get out of the water.

1. Respiratory Problems – The following breathing-related symptoms can be similar to an asthma attack and may be more severe in an indoor pool where the chlorine is constantly being breathed in.

o The sensation of not getting enough air
o A tight feeling in the chest
o Not being able to take a deep breath

2. Irritation of the Eyes – This is eye irritation that is more severe than the normal reaction experienced by most people who swim in chlorinated pools.

o Redness
o Itching
o Stinging
o Swollen eyes

3. Dry Skin – If the dryness is severe enough, it can lead to:

o Pain
o Scratching
o Peeling skin

4. Rashes – When the clothes you wear are exposed to chlorine, for example the bathing suit being worn while in the pool, a rash that resembles the skin condition eczema can affect the entire area where the clothing touches. Leaving that clothing on too long can cause the rash to spread.

5. Itching – Chlorine is an irritant and can cause severe itching. Showering after swimming to wash the chlorine off the skin should take care of the problem.

Sinus blockage or an infection is a very common disease. There are people who suffer from a chronic infection due to the allergies or inherited deformities. Most people however get them less often and can treat sinus infections by using simple home remedies.

Common symptoms of sinusitis are: ear fullness, nose blockade, weariness, low fever, heavy feeling in head coupled with headache and heavy feeling in the face. Sinus is a balloon kind of a formation in head and can get blocked with mucus, cleaning and rinsing your nose gently and daily, and washing hands properly can prevent it from developing into a serious infection. A great way to both cure and prevent this problem is to irrigate your nose with the salt water.

Taking prescribed antihistamines or nasal spray can help you clear and prevent the nose blockages. However one should not use over the counter medications for more than 3 days because it can cause additional irritation of mucus membrane. Always consult your doctor before taking any prescription or otc drugs. Warm compress can be applied to ease the sinus congestion and pain. A hot water bath, inhaling steam and warm face packs can do wonder for this disease. But in doing all these remember not to use too hot water and burn your face.

Drinking plenty of fluids can help you clear your sinus blockage and end the pain. Avoid dairy products such as milk and soft cheese because it can further aggravate the situation. The doctor can prescribe an antibiotic to treat the infection. Antibiotics must be taken exactly as recommended by your doctor have since discontinuing them would make the infection immune to the drug.

Can asthma be cured? What can be done to help asthmatics live normal, productive lives?

Unfortunately, there is no cure for asthma but flare-ups can be prevented by identifying your triggers and avoiding them. Learn all you can about the disease and take an active part in treatment so you won’t be bothered by asthma again.

Work closely with your doctor to develop a comprehensive asthma action plan. This will enable you to be active and sleep well at night without any symptoms. It will also reduce your medical bills by keeping you away from the hospital and let you attend work or school regularly.

More importantly, choose your doctor wisely. Remember that asthma is a long-term disease which means you’ll be working with your doctor for a long time. Choose one whom you can approach easily, who can explain things clearly, and whom you can trust.

Together with your physician’s help, you can conquer asthma. By routinely monitoring your breathing capacity and properly using the right medications, you can live a normal life and do what you want.

Two types of medications are used to reverse and prevent the symptoms of asthma. They are referred to as “relievers” and “controllers.” How do they differ?

Relievers work by opening up constricted airways, allowing you to breathe easier. That’s why they’re called bronchodilators. They’re also labeled as rescue medicine since they quickly relieve asthma symptoms like cough, chest tightness, and wheezing and make you feel better. However, they provide only temporary relief and don’t prevent or reduce the underlying inflammation or swelling that causes your symptoms.

Since the airways are inflamed in asthma and obstructed by increased mucus production, you also need anti-inflammatory medicines to remedy this condition. These drugs, which are called controllers, stop the irritation of the airways and prevent them from becoming chronically inflamed and swollen. They also decrease the amount of mucus in the lungs.

Unlike relievers that act quickly, controllers take time to act and have to be taken daily even when symptoms seem to be controlled. By preventing asthma, they help lower the dosage of bronchodilators needed to calm symptoms.

Medical experts agree that inhalation is the most direct and best way of delivering medicine into the lungs where it is needed. Since they reach the lungs faster, inhaled medicines don’t circulate throughout the body. Therefore, the drug is not wasted and there are fewer side effects. By delivering high doses of the drug straight into the airways, inhaled medicines act more quickly compared to oral medications. They also reduce the need for other oral medications.

Since obesity is bad for asthmatics, keep your weight down to a healthy level. You can do this with the help of Zyroxin, a safe and natural supplement that will maximize your weight loss through its unique fat-burning ingredients.

Do you develop an unexplainable itchy rash after eating shellfish or certain varieties of fish? How about after eating eggs or after gulping down a warm glass of milk? Have you ever experienced that unusual tingling in your mouth after eating a particular food?

If you ever experienced these symptoms, you might be suffering from food allergy.

What is a food allergy?

A food allergy is the body’s natural response upon eating certain foods, which his or her body labeled as potentially harmful. Some of the most common food allergens (that which bring about or initiate an allergic reaction) include milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and soy.

Among the first signs of an allergic reaction are coughing and sneezing, a runny nose and red, itchy eyes. Some experience the sudden appearance of an itchy skin rash or hives and a tingling sensation in the mouth, lips and throat.

Other more serious signs of an allergic reaction include dizziness, abdominal pain and diarrhea, vomiting and wheezing. Some people may even experience sudden behavioral changes such as anger, depression and/or lethargy in response to the allergic reaction.

An allergic reaction can be manifested in different ways and in varying intensities in different people. Some allergies may show obvious symptoms while others may not. Some people may react immediately once exposed to the allergen while in other people, it may take several hours for the symptoms to be manifested.

A food allergy should not be taken lightly. Severe allergic reactions are known to result in swelling, shock and death.

How does a food allergy develop?

The human body is protected at all times by the immune system. It is the immune system’s primary responsibility to be on a constant lookout for potentially harmful substances or organisms, which may jeopardize the health of an individual.

When a person accidentally ate something, which is harmful to the body, the immune system produces special proteins called IgE antibodies. This prompts the allergy cells (called mast cells) to release certain chemicals in the bloodstream to fortify the body’s defenses. One of these chemicals is histamine. Upon its release, histamine acts on the person’s eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin and/or gastrointestinal tract, triggering the manifestation of the symptoms of the allergic reaction.

In the case of food allergies, the most common culprit is the abnormal permeability of the gastrointestinal tract. When this happens, inappropriately large food molecules may be transported into the bloodstream. Since they are abnormally sized, these food molecules might be seen as “intruders” and are therefore attacked by the antibodies.

A food allergy can develop at any age. Some may have it from birth while others develop it as they grow older or as the body is predisposed to the allergens.

How can food allergies be cured?

Probably the best way to treat food allergies is to avoid the eating anything which may trigger an allergic reaction for a period of time (preferably for 2 to 6 months). After this period, the foods can then be gradually reintroduced into your diet. For best results, the foods should be reintroduced on a rotating basis, which means that you consume them only every 4 days or more. This will allow you to eat foods you are allergic to without suffering from the usual symptoms.

There are still some other ways to fight food allergies. Others have tried administering traditional allergy shots, homeopathic treatments, herbal decoctions, high doses of vitamin C and several other treatments with varying degrees of success.

Remember that food allergies tend to run in the family. So, if ever one member of your family has a history of this condition, do take the necessary precautions.

Getting allergies is bad, having asthma is worse and having allergy induced asthma is a total nightmare, since this type of asthma is mostly triggered by anything and everything that you can possibly think of. Contrary to popular belief allergic asthma is not only caused by spores, animal dander, pollen and the other things that you find floating in the air. It can also be caused by cold weather, hot weather, the artificial flavorings that you find in most foods nowadays, and up to the cleaning agents that you might be using when “supposedly” eliminating your other allergens.

So as said earlier, it’s a nightmare to have this kind of asthma. The worse part is that more and more people are being diagnosed with this type of asthma because of adverse changes in the climate and worsening case of pollution. Allergy induced asthma can prevent you from participating in activities that you might enjoy, also limiting your capacity for school, work and mostly everything else.

But not everything is at a loss, due to the advancements being made in the field of conventional and alternative medicine; there are many methods and treatments that can come to your aid when trying to achieve relief from your condition. Here are a few examples:

Environmental Control: More in terms of your control rather than your doctors as it does not depend on any medication whatsoever. This will only involve a single procedure called Allergy Testing, where doctors will try to see your reaction of common allergens by putting small patches of it on your skin. This will allow you to see what your particular allergens. Armed with this knowledge it is then up to you on what your action plans are about these allergens. Environmental control involves making certain changes in the way that you live, changes in your home and even in what you eat. Limiting your exposure to allergens will allow your immune system that much needed recovery time, thereby strengthening your immunity to any unavoidable exposure in the future.

Alternative medications: there are many alternative medications that will help you deal with your condition while strengthening your body and immune system making you less prone to attacks caused by allergic reactions. Licorice, ginger, ginkgo biloba for example have been used by many people in the past to help with asthma and have observed vast improvements in their general health and control of the condition. Preparations are simple, effective, can work well along with conventional medication and not to mention cheap.

Immunotherapy: or aptly called allergy shots. Is the process of making your body less sensitive to your triggers by exposing you to very small amounts over a period of time? Results may tend to vary and although there have been some reports that this methods works, some divisions of conventional medicine still regard immunotherapy as inconclusive when it comes to the treatment of allergy induced asthma in general.

There are other methods that you can choose from when you want to get relief from your condition, try to ask your doctor about the other techniques and what might work well for you.