Allergies at Cure Help Health Tips

 

While much of the information at Cure Help Health Tips can be beneficial and empowering, we'd just like to remind you that the suggestions found on this web site are intended for informational purposes only and are not medical advice.

 

Allergies Articles, Tips and Information

How to Manage Your Allergies Better

It's not those beautiful roses that make us scratch, sniff and wheeze. It's the pollen from trees, grasses and low-growing things like ragweed (ah choo!).

Avoid lots of ground cover near the swimming pool. Get rid of paper grocery bags.

Here are some of the things you can do to ease your allergies:
1.Keep windows and doors closed.

2.When you come in from outside, if you've been exposed to allergens, take a shower and shampoo your hair. Same for the kids.

3.When allergens are at their peak, stay inside. This site ( http://www.pollen.com ) will tell you how your city is doing, and generally speaking allergens are worse in the mornings.

4.Avoid fans because they circulate the air, especially that ceiling fan over your bed.

5.Get your bedrooms more friendly. Remove anything that collects dust - curtains, drapes, stuffed toys, rugs, books, and, alas, Fido needs to sleep elsewhere. Use blinds and linoleum or tile for flooring.

And speaking of Fido, best allergy-friendly choices for a dog are Maltese, bichon frise and poodle. For a cat, the sphinx or the rex. (Source: Dr. Kross, DVM, http://familyfun.go.com/raisingkids/learn/activities/expert/petvetbestbreeds/petvetbestbreeds.html )

6.Avoid places where molds are - basement, lawn mowing and raking leaves, humidifiers, and leaving clothes in the washing machine. Don't let wet towels lie or hang around. Take care of plumbing and roof leaks immediately. Also beware of mold in refrigerated jams and jelly, and on cured, salty meats like ham, bacon and salami, certain cheeses. Don't sniff it, just throw it out. For more on mold and food, go here: http://food.oregonstate.edu/misc/mold.html .

7. Wash bedding frequently at a temperature of at least 130 degrees F. Use hypoallergenic covers for mattress, pillows and box springs. (Your bed is full of dust mites).

8. Keep your house and lawn as uninviting to cockroaches and bug as possible. Keep food sanitary and in the garbage, not lying around. They can harbor cockroach eggs.

9.Avoid irritants such as scented candles, eucalyptus, perfume, potpourri, chalk dust, newspaper print, tobacco smoke, and markers. Use hypoallergenic makeup and cleaning products.

10.If you're allergic to a food, avoid it. Also certain foods cross-react with certain pollens to give a double wallop. For example, elm is pollinating in January and February, and milk products should be reduced or eliminated. Check out the list here: http://www.wfaa.com/weather/allergy/allergy7.html .

For more resources, go here: http://www.aaaai.org/patients opicofthemonth/0201/default.stm .

 

Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach™, http://www.susandunn.cc . I offer coaching around emotional intelligence - relationships, career, transitions, retirement, and personal and professional development. I offer distance learning courses, and an EQ library - http://www.webstrategies.cc/ebooklibrary.html . Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for FREE ezine.

 

 

As always, before you attempt to self medicate or try a new health regimen or program we suggest you retain the services of a qualified health care professional.

 

Surprising New Info about Children, Allergies and Pets

 

Have you wondered whether to get your child a pet or not? Does your family have a history of allergies and have you been told by your pediatrician it's not a good idea?

 

Dr. Dennis R. Ownby, chief of MCG's Section of Allergy and immunology has followed 474 babies from birth to age 7 and has found that children exposed to two or more in-door pets were half as likely to develop common allergies.

There's interesting news from the Medical College of George (MCG), evidence from a new study about children and pets published in the Journal of the American Medical Associatio that having pets may actually help with allergies.

"Allergists have been trained for generations that dogs and cats in the house are bad because they increase the risk of you becoming allergic to the; we know that before you become allergic to something, you have to be repeatedly exposed to it."

He and his staff were just as surprised at the results of their study as you may be reading it! "The data didn't look the way it was supposed to; as a matter of fact, it was very strongly the opposite of what we expected to find," said Ownby. Ownby speculates that the reason so many kids have allergies and ashthma now is because we live too clean a life.

When kids play with cats and dogs, he says, they get licked. And that lick transfers a lot of Gram-negative bacteria that may change the way the child's immune system responds, says Ownby. The "lick" gives them exposure to higher levels of what's called "endotoxins," the breakdown toxin from the Gram-negative bacteria. According to an article from the Medical College of Georgia, studies from southern Germany and Switzerland are confirming that children of farmers, regularly exposed to animals, have less allergies than city kids. Check it out with your pediatrician, but it may be getting a pet or two would be beneficial for your children's allergy resistance, as well as all the other benefits we drive from our beloved pets.

 

Susan Dunn, MA Clinical Psychology, The EQ Coach, ttp://www.susandunn.cc . Coaching for all your needs, including increasing your child's emotional intelligence and your own. EQ matters more to success and happiness than IQ and it can be learned. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for FREE ezines. Put "EQ Work" or "EQ Personal" (or both) for subject line. Start increasing your EQ today.

 

Living with Asthma/Allergies

 

Why Are So Many Children Getting Asthma?
Go to any grade school or high school sporting event! Take a peek at the sideline bench and note how many inhalers you see. Did you know that the number one reason children miss school is asthma? Why the explosion of asthma and respiratory problems in children?

Many of the items we furnish our home and school with are outgassing contaminants continually.

4 Reasons Respiratory Problems are on the Rise!
1) 'Couch Potato Generation' - kids weigh more, exercise less and spend more time indoors.

2) Too much antibiotic use - Immune systems never get much opportunity to fight infections, and then react abnormally to airborne contaminants.

3) Air Pollution - Pollution does not cause asthma but can be a trigger for an attack. Cars and factories now have stricter controls on emissions but the problem is still there.

4) Indoor Air Pollution - 20 years ago no one ever heard of Indoor Pollution! Since the Energy Crisis in the 70's, buildings became more energy efficient. This meant all pollutants became trapped inside. Carpeting, curtains, cleaning products, particle board furniture and more! With people spending 90-% of their days indoors, this becomes a problem!

 

4 Things You Can Do To Protect Your Kids from Allergy & Asthma Reactions!
1) Watch for days when pollen counts are high and restrict vigorous exercise on hot days.

2) Avoid Wood Stoves and fireplaces in the home and NEVER allow smoking in the home of an asthmatic.

3) Keep pets out of the bedrooms.

4) Make sure kitchen, bathrooms, and basement are well ventilated to cut down on mold in humidity.

5) Put pillows and mattresses in allergen-impermeable covers to cut down exposure to dust mites.

6) Use non-toxic cleaning products and avoid perfumes and scented products.

7) A filter-less air purifier is highly recommended since a filter can only capture a small portion of allergens. To learn more about products for a healthier indoor environment, please visit my website at www.myhealthysolutions.com or register here for my bi-weekly issue of The Achoo Review…an online newsletter to help you and your family with allergies and asthma.

Why Are So Many Children Getting Asthma?
Go to any grade school or high school sporting event! Take a peek at the sideline bench and note how many inhalers you see. Did you know that the number one reason children miss school is asthma? Why the explosion of asthma and respiratory problems in children? 4 Reasons Respiratory Problems are on the Rise!

1) 'Couch Potato Generation' - kids weigh more, exercise less and spend more time indoors.

2) Too much antibiotic use - Immune systems never get much opportunity to fight infections, and then react abnormally to airborne contaminants.

3) Air Pollution - Pollution does not cause asthma but can be a trigger for an attack. Cars and factories now have stricter controls on emissions but the problem is still there.

4) Indoor Air Pollution - 20 years ago no one ever heard of Indoor Pollution! Since the Energy Crisis in the 70's, buildings became more energy efficient. This meant all pollutants became trapped inside. Many of the items we furnish our home and school with are outgassing contaminants continually. Carpeting, curtains, cleaning products, particle board furniture and more! With people spending 90-% of their days indoors, this becomes a problem!

4 Things You Can Do To Protect Your Kids from Allergy & Asthma Reactions!
1) Watch for days when pollen counts are high and restrict vigorous exercise on hot days.

2) Avoid Wood Stoves and fireplaces in the home and NEVER allow smoking in the home of an asthmatic.

3) Keep pets out of the bedrooms.

4) Make sure kitchen, bathrooms, and basement are well ventilated to cut down on mold in humidity.

5) Put pillows and mattresses in allergen-impermeable covers to cut down exposure to dust mites.

6) Use non-toxic cleaning products and avoid perfumes and scented products.

7) A filter-less air purifier is highly recommended since a filter can only capture a small portion of allergens. To learn more about products for a healthier indoor environment, please visit my website at www.myhealthysolutions.com or register here for my bi-weekly issue of The Achoo Review…an online newsletter to help you and your family with allergies and asthma.

 

Deborah Mumm has been an Indoor Environmental Consultant for 7 years. She has helped hundreds of people with her tips and healthy products. http://www.myhealthysolutions.com

 

Are Allergies and Asthma Related?

When we hear of allergy and asthma studies, we often find them lumpted together. Is there really a connection between allergies and asthma? To get to the answer to this, we must first learn what allergies and asthma actually are.

 

Allergies are immune system reactions to things that others would find harmless. Certain foods, pollen, even dust are all considered allergens that can trigger an allergic reaction. The immune system produces antibodies that release chemicals

 

Asthma is a chronic lung condition, characterized by difficulty in breathing due to extra sensitive or hyper-responsive airways. During an asthma attack, the airways become irritated and react by narrowing and constructing, causing increased resistance to airflow, and obstructing the flow of air to and from the lungs. Common early warning signs of asthma include fatigue, coughing (especially at night), wheezing, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, runny nose, and itchy throat.

 

Allergies, on the other hand, are immune system reactions to things that most people would experience as harmless. Certain foods, dust, pollen ... these are allergens that can trigger an allergy attack. When they're encountered, the body's immune system produces IgE antibodies to fight the allergen. These antibodies create the release of chemicals into the bloodstream, one of which (histamine) affects the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, and skin, causing the allergy's symptoms.

 

So now that we have a better picture of how these two health conditions work, the question becomes ... is there a relationship between allergies and asthma?

 

It's true that those with certain allergies (usually allergies that affect the nose and eyes, such as dust mites, animal dander, mold or pollen) are more likely to develop asthma than say ... those without allergies or those with allergies in other classifications, such as food allergies. But it's also true that many of those with allergies never develop asthma at all.

In addition, there are other factors that can contribute to a person's asthma. Unmonitored exercise, for example. Or other illnesses, such as colds or the flu.

 

Scientists aren't sure what lies at the root cause of asthma. Various studies are looking at a variety of factors, including air pollution, obesity, and as strange as it might sound, even the lack of exposure to viruses and bacteria in childhood (which may prevent the immune system from growing stronger).

 

What we do know is that exposure to indoor allergens, pollen, animal dander, grass ... in other words, allergy-related factors, are often found in asthmatics. Often, but not always. And it also appears that asthma tends to run in families. If both parents have asthma, there's actually a 40% probability their children will develop the disease as well.

 

Current research efforts have been exploring the influence of environmental factors, genetics (as mentioned above), and even stress on asthma. This creates the potential to dramatically reduce a person's asthma severity levels by altering his or her exposure to the aggravating factors. This can be particularly successful when the culprit is something that's relatively easy to control. Dust, for instance. Or something only encountered in a work environment. Or, though it's certainly much more difficult because of the emotional component, a family pet.

 

Unfortunately, the most common allergy that appears to have a direct influence on asthma is an allergy to dust mites. Eliminating these mites to the extent that it might make a difference in the severity of your asthma requires a major change in lifestyle and can often be quite expensive. That doesn't mean it can't be done, only that it's not as easy as simply staying indoors during the pollen season or switching to a less stressful job.

 

Of course, new treatments are coming along all the time, and considerable research is currently dedicated to finding ways to modify, abolish or diminish the affect allergies have on the body. It's believed that with the successful control of allergies can come the successful control of asthma, particularly in younger sufferers.

 

In the meantime, here's what we know ... asthma can be triggered by allergic reactions, but it can also be triggered by nonallergic reactions. Most asthma attacks result from exposure to allergens such as pollen, household dust, and mold. These attacks can be influenced by indoor or outdoor environments. Because a majority of asthma sufferers are affected by some form of allergies, it's worth the effor to work closely with your doctor to try to identify and control all potential allergens within your influence.

 

Amanda Baker writes for http://tobeinformed.com - a website for health, fitness and wellness.

 

Are Allergies and Asthma Related?

 

When we hear of allergy and asthma studies, we often find them lumpted together. Is there really a connection between allergies and asthma? To get to the answer to this, we must first learn what allergies and asthma actually are.

 

Allergies are immune system reactions to things that others would find harmless. Certain foods, pollen, even dust are all considered allergens that can trigger an allergic reaction. The immune system produces antibodies that release chemicals

 

Asthma is a chronic lung condition, characterized by difficulty in breathing due to extra sensitive or hyper-responsive airways. During an asthma attack, the airways become irritated and react by narrowing and constructing, causing increased resistance to airflow, and obstructing the flow of air to and from the lungs. Common early warning signs of asthma include fatigue, coughing (especially at night), wheezing, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, runny nose, and itchy throat.

 

Allergies, on the other hand, are immune system reactions to things that most people would experience as harmless. Certain foods, dust, pollen ... these are allergens that can trigger an allergy attack. When they're encountered, the body's immune system produces IgE antibodies to fight the allergen. These antibodies create the release of chemicals into the bloodstream, one of which (histamine) affects the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, and skin, causing the allergy's symptoms.

 

So now that we have a better picture of how these two health conditions work, the question becomes ... is there a relationship between allergies and asthma?

 

It's true that those with certain allergies (usually allergies that affect the nose and eyes, such as dust mites, animal dander, mold or pollen) are more likely to develop asthma than say ... those without allergies or those with allergies in other classifications, such as food allergies. But it's also true that many of those with allergies never develop asthma at all.

 

In addition, there are other factors that can contribute to a person's asthma. Unmonitored exercise, for example. Or other illnesses, such as colds or the flu.

 

Scientists aren't sure what lies at the root cause of asthma. Various studies are looking at a variety of factors, including air pollution, obesity, and as strange as it might sound, even the lack of exposure to viruses and bacteria in childhood (which may prevent the immune system from growing stronger).

 

What we do know is that exposure to indoor allergens, pollen, animal dander, grass ... in other words, allergy-related factors, are often found in asthmatics. Often, but not always. And it also appears that asthma tends to run in families. If both parents have asthma, there's actually a 40% probability their children will develop the disease as well.

 

Current research efforts have been exploring the influence of environmental factors, genetics (as mentioned above), and even stress on asthma. This creates the potential to dramatically reduce a person's asthma severity levels by altering his or her exposure to the aggravating factors. This can be particularly successful when the culprit is something that's relatively easy to control. Dust, for instance. Or something only encountered in a work environment. Or, though it's certainly much more difficult because of the emotional component, a family pet.

 

Unfortunately, the most common allergy that appears to have a direct influence on asthma is an allergy to dust mites. Eliminating these mites to the extent that it might make a difference in the severity of your asthma requires a major change in lifestyle and can often be quite expensive. That doesn't mean it can't be done, only that it's not as easy as simply staying indoors during the pollen season or switching to a less stressful job.

 

Of course, new treatments are coming along all the time, and considerable research is currently dedicated to finding ways to modify, abolish or diminish the affect allergies have on the body. It's believed that with the successful control of allergies can come the successful control of asthma, particularly in younger sufferers.

 

In the meantime, here's what we know ... asthma can be triggered by allergic reactions, but it can also be triggered by nonallergic reactions. Most asthma attacks result from exposure to allergens such as pollen, household dust, and mold. These attacks can be influenced by indoor or outdoor environments. Because a majority of asthma sufferers are affected by some form of allergies, it's worth the effor to work closely with your doctor to try to identify and control all potential allergens within your influence.

 

Amanda Baker writes for http://tobeinformed.com - a website for health, fitness and wellness information.

Inhalant Allergies In Dogs And Cats

Several objects in the environment can be inhaled by pets and can trigger allergic reactions in dogs and cats. These objects induce the cells of the pets to release substances such as histamine. With histamine, the irritation begins.

The objects in the environment that cause this type of allergies are called allergens. Some examples of these allergens are the following:
· Pollen from the surrounding flowering plants
· Dusts that have accumulated in several areas in the house
· Mites and similar tiny creatures that survive and live on dust
· Molds, fungi, and other similar low forms of plants. The spores from these can be inhaled by pets

Pets, upon exposure to the above allergens will show several symptoms. Among dogs, the major symptoms are:
· Unstoppable itching in the face and in the feet
· Other itching and irritation in several parts of the body
· Occurrence of sores and discharges
· Loss of hair

Among cats, the symptoms of inhalant allergies are:
· Unspecific itching
· Intolerable itching in the face, neck, and thighs
· Inflammation and sores in different parts of the body
· Loss of hair

When the above symptoms are displayed, especially on certain seasons, such as spring and summer, dogs or cats are most likely affected by pollen allergy. To accurately determine the occurrence of inhalant allergies, pets should be taken to the vet. The vet will carry out a skin test to find out if, indeed, the dog or cat is suffering from inhalant allergies. Some vets also conduct blood tests, but the results of this type of test are oftentimes uncertain.

The best treatment is prevention of further worsening of the allergy. That is, the source of the allergens should be removed. Sometimes, this is easy if the allergens are dusts and mites that live in them. A good cleaning is all that a pet owner needs to do. But sometimes, removing the allergen could be difficult. That is, taking away the flowering plant may not be feasible.

Thus, owners resort to other treatments. Two of these allergy treatments are:
· Anti-itch medicines – These medicines suppress the production of histamines. These can be taken orally or gently rubbed on the irritated area.
· Allergy shots – These can make the pets less sensitive to the presence of allergens. Vets can provide these allergy shots.

Not all cats and dogs suffer allergies when exposed to pollen and other inhaled allergens. The reason for this is their heredity. Other pets have genetic characteristics that predisposes them to have allergies.

 

Peter Garant's pet meds site http://www.pet-meds-101.com/ concentrates on cat http://www.pet-meds-101.com/your-cat.php and dog health and medicine http://www.pet-meds-101.com/your-dog.php.

 

Here are some related articles on allergies

 

Itchy Watery Eyes - Foods account for most cases of anaphylaxis in children, whereas drugs are more often the cause with increasing age. For potentially life-threatening reactions, injectable adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, should be administered rapidly, no matter how mild the early symptoms appear.

 

Lose Weight Quickly - Almost everyone has some sort of allergy that makes the different seasons seem unbearable. Most people have a hard time controlling their allergies in the fall and spring seasons because of all the pollens that are in the air. In the winter, you make have a hard time controlling your allergies if you have mold or dust allergies.

 

Managing Skin Allergies - Odds are good that you know someone who suffers from food allergies – possibly a mild aversion to nuts, dairy, eggs, fish or some other food. You may even know someone who suffers from extreme allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis, and must carry an epinephrine injector with them at all times in case of such a reaction.

 

Mold Spores - Allergies are prevalent these days, not only in children but in adults as well. In fact, according to the FAAN (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network) the prevalence of allergic reactions to peanuts has doubled over a period of five years.

Breast Cancer Screening - It is generally accepted that by the time a cancer is found by mammography or palpated during a clinical breast exam, the cancer has been growing for 8-10 years.

Cold Laser Therapy - Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints and is characterized by pain, stiffness, swelling, decreased range of movement and at a more serious stage deformity. Aromatherapy is a holistic approach to health and wellness by means of aromatic, plant derived scents.

 

Asbestos Cancer - The major causes of breast cancer are obesity and overweight. The effect of obesity on breast cancer risk is based on a woman's menopausal status.

 

Skin Cancer - Chances are someone close to you such as your friend, mother, wife, sister or even yourself has been touched by breast cancer in one way or another. That's why it is so important that we never give up fighting for a cure.

 

Cancer Patients - However, if our cells are exposed to carcinogens, viruses or ionizing radiation, for example, the DNA can become damaged creating havoc with this once orderly process.

 

More coming soon!

 

New Articles - Just Added

 

Major Depressive Disorder - Depression is a serious medical condition. In contrast to the normal emotional experiences of sadness, loss, or passing mood states, clinical depression is persistent and can interfere significantly with an individual's ability to function.

 

Sudden Hair Loss 02 - Most of the human population consider hair loss as a social embarrassment. Occurrence of hair loss in mid twenties of either sex will definitely affect one's self-confidence. There are various therapies available to prevent hair loss.

 

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Cure Help Legal Disclaimer: Allergies articles, news, tips and information presented as a public service. Cure Help offers information for entertainment and educational purposes. None of the viewpoints or tips and suggestions presented in the articles are endorsed by Cure Help. Please consult a health care practitioner (your doctor) before appl,ying any cure tips,a dvice or suggestions. We care about your health! Be smart and get several opinions before you implement any changes in your life! Please consult the FDA Compliancy Policy Guide for information on drugs and standards.

 

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