Archive for the 'ALLERGY' Category

- Be Where It’s Safer For Your Asthma Or Allergy Attacks:

Are you the type of person who dreads the arrival of spring season because you are allergic to pollens? When you were a kid or now as an adult, do you usually suffer from asthma or allergic attacks?

If you belong to any of these two categories, then it is a must for you to know that there are states or cities in the country which are more allergy-prone than others.

Every year, the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America (AAFA) publishes a list of the areas in the country which have the greatest risk for allergy prone individuals, as well as those who frequently suffer from asthma attacks.

Their basis is whether a city or state has a longer pollinating season; the level of traffic and factory smog; the possibility of mold growth in the air; the spore levels and the number of Board Certified Allergists per patient in the area.

You have a major headache and your nose feels all stuffed up, it hurts between and around your eyes, and you feel miserable.

Well, you probably have a sinus infection. This comes from an inflammation in the membranes in your nose.

If you are not careful, this inflammation of your membranes has a chance of getting infections with bacteria.

There are many reasons that your sinuses become infected. You do have options when it comes to dealing with this frustrating condition.

Your health care provider will be able to help you get your sinus infections under control.

Triggers for Sinusitis

If you have an animal, especially inside your home, then you are susceptible to getting a sinus infection. Dander and skin flakes from these pets float around in the air, and land inside your nose, giving you trouble.

Another thing you should do is keep your home free and clear of dust particles because these dust particles go up into your nose and aggravate your sinuses. If you have any place in your house that is damp, then you may have mold growing.

Mold allergies are very common. If you suffer from mold allergies, you may one day soon be able to paint the walls of your home with a paint that keeps mold from growing there, making your home a safer haven.

At the University of South Dakota, scientists have invented a paint additive that not only inhibits mold growth on walls, but has also shown the ability to kill disease causing bacteria, viruses, and fungi as well.

The paint was even effective against MRSA bacteria. There are antimicrobial paints currently available, but not that affect as broad a variety of organisms.

During their studies, the scientists compared walls painted with plain latex paint against walls painted with latex paint into which their additive had been introduced.

Mold was then placed on both surfaces. Three months later, the plain latex wall was completely covered in mold, while the scientists could detect no mold whatsoever growing on the treated wall.

This paint may have a wide variety of uses, not only in homes but in day care facilities, medical facilities, and even businesses—anywhere people want to keep their environment free from disease and allergy causing organisms.

If you are suffering from problems with chronic nasal obstruction, post nasal drainage, facial pain, headaches, and smell disturbances, you have probably been diagnosed with a condition which is sometimes called chronic sinusitis, chronic rhinitis, and chronic rhinosinusitis.

If standard treatment is not helping, your doctor may have recommended surgery. There’s good news: modern endoscopic sinus surgery is very effective.

A recent meta-analysis study looked at how well symptoms were relieved by endoscopic surgery.

The cases of more than 2000 patients were included. There has been some concern about how well surgery treated these various conditions, particularly smell disturbances.

The study found that about 60 percent of the patients who were treated for nasal obstruction and facial pain found relief. Around half of the patients experiencing headaches, post nasal drainage, and smell disturbances experienced relief. This is good news for sinus patients.

Modern endoscopic surgery is a much more sophisticated procedure than previous sinus surgery. The endoscopic procedures is not as invasive as previous procedures, and smaller amounts of tissue are removed in modern sinus surgery.

And with the results of these new meta-analysis, you can reasonably expect that you will experience a great deal of relief from your symptoms.

Itchy, watery eyes are no fun! They can make it impossible to get through the day.

Eye allergies can make your eyes water, itch, or even burn. This can make it impossible to read, watch television, or even perform normal daily tasks.

For those who work in a job where looking at papers or the computer is required, eye allergies can be devastating.

However, there are many things you can do to relieve eye allergies.

The first step is determining whether your allergies occur rarely, seasonally, or on a regular basis. Once you determine how severe your allergies are, it is very simple to find relief.

Immediate Relief

If eye allergies only bother you once in a while, you will want to find immediate relief. For most people, occasional eye allergies occur when working outdoors, or visiting an environment you are not used to.

For example, if you have allergies to pets, visiting friends who own pets may cause a flare.  The first step to find relief is washing the eyes to remove any allergens.

You can run water over your eyes, or place a cold wet compress on your eyes. You might try eye drops as well. Products like Visine can provide instant relief for occasional allergy flare ups.

If you have sinus problems, a chronic stuffy nose, or allergies, you’re not alone. About 36 million people in America suffer from these symptoms.

You may already have the ingredients for safe, effective and side-effect free relief sitting in your kitchen.

One of the most effective ways to treat problems such as these is using a saltwater nose rinse. [Nasal irrigation]

What’s more, homemade saline solutions are better at relieving your symptoms than commercial saline products.

Researchers studied patients who experienced chronic sinus and nasal symptoms including sinus pain and congestion. Patients used either a saline nose spray, or used a saline rinse twice a day.

All patients reported fewer symptoms after 8 weeks of treatment. Twenty percent fewer of the patients in the saline rinse group reported experiencing symptoms “often or always.”

To prepare a saline solution at home, combine 8 ounces of water with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, and mix thoroughly. It is important to use kosher salt as it is free of iodine; baking soda changes the pH of the solution and makes its use more comfortable. Distilled water is best; if you do not have distilled water, boil the water first and allow cooling before using to kill any bacteria.

If you think that all the wheezing, coughing and watery-eyed symptoms that you are experiencing is entirely due to your being ‘genetically prone to allergies’, think again. The culprit might be the city where you are living.

So what is it about a particular place which makes it more allergy-prone than others? Basically, it is factors like high pollen content, mold counts and the level of pollution which triggers the allergy attack in an individual.

The ABC’s of Allergies: What You Need to Know about Allergy Attacks?

Before letting you know about the top allergy-prone cities in the United States, let us first take at the basic facts about allergies. First, why do you get them?  Experts believe that allergies tend to be inherited from one’s parents.

As your body gets exposed to allergens, its defense gets weakened which in turn triggers an allergic reaction. These allergens can intrude on your body through your nose, mouth and lungs.

Second, what exactly are the elements which are considered to be allergens? This includes:

• Airborne grass, tree, weed, pollen
• Dust mites
• Mold spores
• Pollen
• Pet dander

Insufficient folic acid, sometimes referred to as vitamin B9, has always been recognized as a problem during pregnancy, but in recent years it’s benefits have become better understood.

Dietary intake comes from green leafy vegetables, certain beans and lentils, as well as citrus juice.

The United States Food and drug administration actually require that foods such as bread and cereal have folic acid added to bolster the amounts that the general population receives.

People with a lower level of folic acid are already known to have an increased risk from rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular diseases.

Several years ago the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was carried out, and it was this research of over eight thousand participants that was studied by the Matsui’s, two doctors from John Hopkins.

They discovered that those with a lower folate serum level have a greater likelihood of developing allergic reactions with symptoms like wheezing. This increased by forty percent compared to patients with a higher level.

A similar difference was noted in individuals in regard to atrophy, which leads to condition such as eczema, the difference here was over thirty percent. The findings were reported in Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, which is published on the internet.

The Japanese nation has a reputation for being fastidious, bordering on the point of compulsive, and a new craze has taken over the country which seemingly proves this, beyond doubt.

Spring in Japan, sees an extremely high levels of pollen thanks to the large quantity of cedar trees that grow there. [Pollen Allergy]

That combined with a seasonal increase in general germs from cold and flu has culminated in the designer mask.

By masks, we are talking surgical masks that come in a multitude of styles and colors, coming in at a not insignificant thirty dollars retail price.

Made by companies such as 3M, these special masks feature extra space around the nose area making it more comfortable to both wear and breathe.

Reporting strong growth in the sales of masks, leading manufacturer, Unicharm who also sell other general health care products, is part of this sector that was worth one hundred and forty million dollars last year alone.

Everywhere you go people are wearing them and they are becoming an important fashion statement.

One in five citizens suffer from hay fever and other allergies, it is a multi million dollar industry for certain manufacturers. The daily pollen count is seen as more important than the weather.

It is now estimated that over ten percent of school age children suffer from at least one type of allergy.

As a parent of a child with allergies, it can be very frightening to send them off to school.

You may worry what will happen, if your child is offered the thing they are allergic to? Another common concern is whether the school is able to deal with an allergic reaction quickly.

However, there are many things you can do to insure your child is safe, when attending school.

Talk to Your Child

The first step in protecting your child is talking directly to them. At the age of five, most children can understand if they are told to avoid something. While you don’t want to frighten your child, it is very important that they understand the severity of their condition.

If your child’s allergy can lead to anaphylaxis shock, they need to understand the allergy symptoms. Instruct your child on the proper things to do, if an allergic reaction begins.

Finish your conversation by explaining to the child that they are safe, and that there are many people to help, if something goes wrong.