Archive for the 'AIRBORNE ALLERGIES' Category

There are more than 35 million people in America who dread the approach of spring and the pollen it brings.

If you suffer from pollen allergies, your child is more likely to have seasonal allergies also known as hayfever.

In fact, your child is 75 to 80 percent likely to develop allergies if both parents have allergies.

Many children develop allergies around age 5 or 6, although allergies can develop at any time from infancy to adult hood.

How can you spot a possible pollen allergy in your child? Look for these clues:

• Frequent sneezing
• Watering eyes
• Symptoms of a cold that do not include fever but last for more than 10 days
• Recurrent ear or sinus infections
• Frequent coughing, clearing of the throat, or talking with a hoarse voice

Here are some ways to limit your child’s exposure to pollen, which can trigger allergies and allergy symptoms:

• Avoid being outside on days when pollen levels are high. Pollen counts are typically lower after a heavy rain, or in the late afternoon.
• Use air conditioning rather than opening windows.
• Choose plants for your yard that have lower levels of pollen.

The American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have created a delay for the marketing of Symbicort, which is a medication, aimed at young asthma sufferers. [Asthma in children]

The English company AstraZeneca, stated that the FDA is seeking further details before they grant approval for Symbicort’s extended use for even younger children.

Currently it is sanctioned for over twelve age group and is one of its best selling drugs.

AstraZeneca is actually a leading pharmaceutical group in the UK Market place and the FDA’s decision had a negative effect on the share price of the company’s stock. In 2008 two billion dollars worth of Symbicort was sold and it was seen as a key product in an upcoming US sales drive.

In the United States the equivalent asthma medicine is Advair, which is made by GlaxoSmothKline. The latter is widely used in children and can be prescribed to those as young as four years old.  Furthermore, Advair is used by people experiencing serious ailments such as emphysema.

The reason for the FDA’s concern is that they feel that AstraZeneca failed to give sufficient data that establishes the correct dosage, in particular the advised dose of the different components when given to individuals.

In Japan, the widespread presence of cedar trees means that hay fever, an allergic reaction to pollen is a major dilemma.

On a clear day, you can actually see clouds of pollen floating above the branches of the trees, in the forest.

A weather company called Weather News has come up with a novel aid for allergy sufferer in the form of a robot. [Pollen allergies]

These globe shaped objects are dotted around the country and display the levels of pollen by changing color. This then warns citizens when to stay indoors or when it is safe to go out.

The population of Tokyo is very keen on these machines because there the pollen levels are at their worst. The latest version of these globe shaped machines, are much smaller than previous models.

The technology is being improved on constantly, which is natural, as Japan does like to develop new idea especially in this type of field.

Along with display of the pollen count, the machines also collect data, transmitting temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure to the company’s headquarters.

This is then regenerated and available to the public on the internet. It is also possible to sign up for regular updates to be sent to your mobile phone.

Ragweed season, the time of the year that leaves many allergy victims with stressful allergic symptoms, is very miserable season for allergy sufferers.

Ragweed pollens are merely responsible for severe, irritating allergic symptoms like sore throat, wheezing, sneezing and headache.

Allergies that trigger in spring are often due to tree pollen and those that occur in summer can be due to weed and grass pollen.

Allergic reactions from ragweed pollen can even exceed the normal sneezing, itching or wheezing.

As you all know, prevention is always better than cure, so it would be better for you to control and prevent the triggers of ragweed allergy.

If you seriously want to control these miserable symptoms of ragweed allergies, here are few control measures that are usually recommended by health experts.

Control measures to prevent ragweed allergies

• Consider taking over-the-counter medications such as oral steroids, nasal antihistamines prescribed by your health care provider 10 to 15 days before ragweed season starts. Nasal or oral antihistamines works better to prevent allergies if you take before you contact the allergies.
• Be aware of any side effects or adverse reactions when taking over-the-counter medications. Be sure to notify your doctor if you are unable to take the medicine regularly.

As most of you know, obesity is linked with many chronic health conditions like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and also asthma.

Obesity and asthma are related with each other and recent studies have shown that people with obesity are more likely to develop asthma.

Even, it has been shown that people who have lost excess weight are having decreased levels of asthma symptoms.

If you are overweight and suffering with asthma, here are few tips to lose weight.

4 tips to manage overweight and asthma

1. Know your portions and eat consistently. Don’t try to over eat and prefer smaller portions as much as possible for you. Stay away from fried foods or food that contains excess oil.
2. Foods rich in essential vitamins and nutrients are very useful for controlling asthma and also for those who are trying to lose weight.
3. Proper hydration is most important factor when it comes to both asthma and weight loss. So, drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water every day to lose weight and also to control asthma.
4. Eat healthy diet. You can include lean fish and meat in your diet. But, don’t forget to include at least 5 fresh fruits and vegetables in your routine diet in turn to lose weight and control asthma.

Do you love the look and smell of gardens, but are concerned about allergies? There is no need to limit your yard to stones and concrete, if you or any family members suffer from allergies.

There are many plants that are free from pollen and other allergens, which you can include in your garden.

With just a little planning and information, even those with the most stubborn sneezes and sniffles can enjoy the wholesome benefits of gardening. Here are a few useful gardening strategies for allergy sufferers:

Avoid plants that attract mildew or aphids

Plants that are grown in the wrong place fail to thrive and may attract insects or mildew. Consequently, bug-infected, mildewed plants produce moulds and other allergenic spore. Try to avoid plants that tend to attract mildew and set about finding the right spot for plant growth.

Avoid plants that rely on breezes

If you have airborne allergies, un-incidental contact with pollen creates unwanted allergic reactions such as watery eyes, itching, sneezes, etc. If you avoid plants that completely rely on breezes to transport pollen, it can help you to alleviate allergic reactions.

Hire gardeners

Warmer weather, spring showers, blossoming trees and budding flowers are all signs that mark the arrival of spring. For kids, it is a fun outdoors time.

However, for many, the arrival of spring signifies the start of allergy season.

Rather than fun picnics and patio cocktails, it means the arrival of itchy, watery eyes, stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing and coughing.

For allergy sufferers, spring is often the most awful time of the year. For children, in particular, allergies can cause havoc, as the reaction of the immune system is similar in effect to the invasion of foreign substances on the body.

According to doctors, distinguishing spring allergies from the common cold is very hard, as the symptoms are often very similar. The most common symptoms include itchy nose and eyes, runny nose and sneezing, watery eyes, dark circles under eyes, sore throat, and dry cough.

Allergy symptoms can be caused by a range of things, from pollen to molds, fungi and dust mites. The pollen of weeds, grasses, trees and mold releases a very fine powder to pollinate and fertilize other plants and it is this powder which causes spring allergies in most children.

If you have respiratory allergies, you have an environmental problem: There’s something in the air that makes you sniffle, sneeze, stuff up or wheeze.

And growing evidence suggests your problem may be linked with the biggest environmental problem of all: global climate change.

That may be especially true for pollen sufferers. Tree, grasses and weeds (including the ragweed [ragweed allergy] tormenting many people right now) churn out more pollen over more weeks when temperatures and carbon dioxide levels rise, says Richard Weber, a Denver allergist.

Weber and colleagues from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology suggest people with allergies and asthma have a special stake in slowing climate change: Drive less and use energy-efficient appliances and lighting, they write, and you just might help yourself and the planet.

‘Environment Matters’

Sadly, though, screwing in a few compact fluorescent bulbs will do nothing to clear up the stuffy nose you have today. For that, many sufferers turn to drugs.

But there’s another way to reduce symptoms. Once again, it’s all about changing the environment — in your home.

Read more at ABCNews

While autumn is a beautiful, temperate time of the year when trees turn to a reddish brown and start to shed their leaves, it can be an irritating time for the sufferers of seasonal allergies.

For these unfortunates, the season means watery eyes, itchy skin, runny nose, itchy nose, sneezing, coughing and congestion rather than poetic views of nature’s glory.

The culprits? Pollen, mould, dust and other airborne molecules (allergens) that float around in the air cause the immune system to over-react and produce allergies.

Tips to avoid autumn allergies

While autumn is an irritating time for allergy sufferers, the good news is that you do not have to feel miserable all the time. Follow the following tips to keep allergies at bay:

1. Stay protected: The best protection is to limit your exposure to allergens, such as ragweed allergy, mould and dust mites. Make sure you close doors and windows of the car and house and set up an air conditioner instead.

Because the microscopic airborne allergens can stick to clothes, take a shower regularly and change the clothes immediately after your outdoor activities. It is also a good idea to avoid drying clothes outside. If possible, avoid outdoor activities and stay indoors in the early morning between 5am and 10am, when allergen levels in the air are highest.

New guidelines for diagnosing and treating allergic rhinitis were released this month, just in time for the crush of fall allergy sufferers seeking relief from their allergist/immunologists.

Allergic rhinitis, commonly called hay fever, affects an estimated 20 percent of adults and 40 percent of children in the United States, according to the AAAAI. It is the No. 1 cause of work absenteeism due to chronic illness and leads to more than 2 million missed school days for children.

The new rhinitis parameter offers discussion on several recent developments in treatment of allergic rhinitis, including:

- Recognizing co-morbidities, such as asthma, sinusitis and sleep apnea, and testing pulmonary function in these patients
- Use of non-sedating antihistamines during pregnancy
- Advantages and disadvantages of single and combination treatment approaches
- Benefits vs. safety of use of oral decongestants on children under 6
- Medications released in the past 10 years
- Consideration of using a Rhinitis Action Plan

Read more at Medical News Today