The Secret to Living With Allergies
Part 1: Understanding the Allergy Basics
Whether you suffer from seasonal allergies or indoor allergies to dust mites, molds and pet dander, you may be regularly faced with allergy symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing or more. You may experience allergy symptoms while outside as a result of seasonal allergies. Or, your allergic reactions can come about due to exposure to indoor allergens while cleaning, coming into contact with pets or even while sleeping! In order to understand the secret to living with allergies, you must educate yourself about allergic triggers, environmental controls and what causes your allergy symptoms. As Part 1 of the Allergy Control Products series on The Secrets to Living with Allergies, learn some time-tested allergen avoidance steps toward living a healthier life that is free of allergy symptoms.
Step 1: Diagnose the Allergy Triggers that Cause Your Allergy Symptoms
Any allergy sufferer knows the misery that can be caused by allergy symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, headache, watery eyes, sneezing, itching, rash and even severe symptoms such as asthmatic reactions. What some allergy sufferers don’t fully know is what may be triggering their allergies, and the key to managing these symptoms is diagnosing precisely what causes allergic reactions. It may be surprising that many allergy sufferers who have mild allergy symptoms may not be able to pinpoint what they are allergic to. Without consulting with a physician to understand the nature of their allergies, these allergy sufferers are unable to proactively control their allergies.
In some cases, identifying allergy triggers is easy. For instance, if you sneeze and have trouble breathing when around cats, it’s likely that you have a pet allergy. Certain food allergies, contact with allergen sources or exposure to obvious allergy sources (such as dusty or moldy rooms) may also be easy to identify. However, many people are unaware that they can come into daily contact with large allergen sources throughout the home that cause or worsen their allergy symptoms. Understanding your sensitivity and resulting allergy reactions to these indoor allergens can have a profound impact on alleviating your allergy symptoms.
For the best understanding of your specific allergies, see your physician or allergist for allergy testing. A skin test may be performed in order to determine whether you many be allergic to dust mites, pollens, pet dander, fungi or other sources. Allergy medications or allergen injections may be recommended. Physicians can help you outline a plan for addressing your exposure to allergy triggers in order to alleviate allergy symptoms.
Step 2: Identify the Dust Mite as One of the Biggest Culprits in Causing Indoor Allergies
The top 3 indoor allergens are dust mite allergens, molds and pet dander. All three can be found in most homes and millions of dust mites can be found in even the cleanest of homes. One easy way to find allergy relief is to reduce your allergen exposure within your home. Many people who have allergies are allergic to dust mites and because they cannot be seen by the naked eye, you could be totally unaware of how much you come in contact with dust mite allergens.
Dust mites are relatives of the spider, and they thrive in the dark, warm and humid environment found in pillows, mattresses, bedding, carpets and upholstered furniture. Dust mites excrete fecal particles and it is these particles, as well as their dead bodies, that cause your allergic symptoms. In fact, “dust” is made up of dust mite allergens and other allergen particles. Inhaling these particles triggers your allergies.
Around the home, you come in regular contact with indoor allergens, but the greatest allergen exposure is to dust mite allergens. A large dust mite allergen source is your bed. If you wake up feeling congested, sneezing, with swollen eyes or a runny nose, or with other allergy symptoms, inhaling dust mite allergens while you sleep is to blame. You spend up to 8 hours a day in bed, inhaling these allergens and unwittingly aggravating your allergies. The second largest source of dust mite allergens is found in carpeting. Since many homes have carpeting, the carpet is another large area for causing allergy symptoms.
Step 3: For Indoor Allergy Relief, Control Your Environment to Eliminate Allergy Triggers
The good news is that simple steps around the home could alleviate allergy symptoms and possibly reduce your need for allergy medications and treatments. The first step is to address the bedroom due to the large amount of time spent there each day. Cover your pillow, mattress and other bedding in allergy bed encasings to create a barrier between you and the dust mite allergens in the bed. Wash your linens frequently in hot water to remove allergens. Treat your carpet with special allergy-removing carpet products, or remove carpets in favor of hardwood floors or tile. Vacuum weekly with a quality HEPA vacuum, which will contain allergens while you clean, and wear a face mask while cleaning. Keep your home’s humidity level below 50% as low humidity discourages dust mite and mold growth.
For more tips on controlling dust mite allergies in your home, request a copy of the Allergy Control Products Improving Life Indoors catalog or visit the Allergy Control® Allergy Learning Center for more allergy education.
How can i lose my allergy to cats?
justicehungry asked:
I have a reaction to cats when i am around them or touch them. Symptoms are sneezing, puffy and itchy and watery eyes, itchy throat, blocked and itchy nose. But i really love cats. Is there any way i can overcome my allergy to them? Any drugs or anything?
Allergies Symptoms and Natural Foods That Fight Allergies
Up to 50 million Americans, including 2 million children, have some type of allergy. For most people, allergies are just an inconvenience. According to the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, they are a major cause of disability in the U.S. In fact, it has been estimated that allergies account for the loss of over two million school days per year.
What Are Allergies?
An allergy is an overreaction of the immune system toward a substance that is typically harmless to most people. But in someone with an allergy, the body’s immune system treats the substance, called an allergen, as an invader and reacts inappropriately resulting in harm to the person.
Who Gets Allergies?
Children inherit allergic tendencies from their parents. A few children have allergies in spite of no family member having these, but if one parent has allergies, there is a one in four chance that a child will also have allergies. The risk increases if both parents have allergies.
Do I Have an Allergy to Something?
Some allergies are fairly easy to identify because the pattern of symptoms following certain exposures can be hard to miss. But other allergies are less obvious because they can masquerade as other conditions.
How Are Allergies Treated?
There is no cure for allergies, but symptomatic relief is possible. The most effective is by reducing or eliminating exposure to allergens. If reducing exposure is not feasible or is ineffective, medications may be prescribed. In some cases, an allergist may recommend immunotherapy (allergy shots) to help desensitize you. There are also medications you might be able to give yourself, including antihistamines and inhaled or nasal spray steroids. One medical suggestion is: ZYRTEC®
Just 1 dose of ZYRTEC® (cetirizine HCl) a day can keep allergy symptoms under control, year-round. Symptoms from both indoor allergies, like pet dander and dust. And outdoor allergies, like trees and ragweed. Plus, ZYRTEC is approved to treat indoor allergies in infants 6 months and up.
Some common allergies include those to:
Grasses
Mold Spores
Marsh Elder
Ash
Pigweed
Oak
Fall Elm
Mesquito
Elm
Sage
Red Berry Juniper
Pecan
Mountain Cedar
Ragweed
Willow
Privet
Cats
Dogs
Bees
Peanuts
Dust Mites
Food
Metals/nickle:
40 percent increase in nickel allergies is blamed on the new body piercing rage. Also some ingest nickel in foods and from chewing pens and paper clips.
Cobalt and chromium can also produce allergic reactions, but to a lesser degree than nickel. once a nickel allergy develops, it lasts for a lifetime.
Animals:
All warm-blooded, furry animals, such as the average household pet, can cause allergic reactions. This is because of proteins in their saliva, dander, and urine. When the animal licks itself, the saliva gets on the fur. As the saliva dries, protein particles become airborne and work their way into fabrics in the home. Cats are the “worst offenders” because their salivary protein is extremely tiny and they tend to lick themselves more than other animals.
Pollen:
Pollen is another important cause of allergies. Pollen allergies are seasonal. Trees, weeds, and grasses release these tiny particles into the air to fertilize other plants. Most people know pollen allergy as hay fever or rose fever.
Cockroach:
Cockroach body parts and waste products are also a major household allergen, especially in inner cities. Asthma rates of inner city children are high, probably due to air pollution and also cockroach exposure in overcrowded buildings.
Mold: One of the most commen allergen.
What is Mold?
Molds are fungi that thrive both indoors and out in warm, moist environments. As with pollen, mold spores are released into the air to reproduce. Mold is produced by several varieties of fungus. These fungi are single-celled organisms that have been around since the beginning of time.
Where can molds be found?
Although molds can be seasonal, many thrive year-round, especially those indoors. Outdoor molds may be found in poor drainage areas, such as in piles of rotting leaves or compost piles. Indoor mold thrives in
dark, moist and poorly ventilated places, such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms or damp basements (especially after flooding).
How do I know if I have a mold build up?
A mold test kit can be a easy soultion but does cost money, or you can simpley check crawl spaces for standing water, look for condensation forming around windows, and dampness in or on basement walls. If you are experiencing health problems, check bathrooms, bedrooms and family rooms as well. Mold requires three things to grow and multiply. It requires dampness, warmth, and a food source. Find areas that have these three things and you will surely find mold and mildew. Also a musty odor suggests mold growth.
How does mold affect my health?
Only in recent years have medical authorities realized what a health risk the kind of mold that grows in wet basements can be. According to the New York City Department of Health, in people who are allergic to it, mold can cause:
respiratory and eye irritation
flu-like symptoms
fatigue
trouble breathing
coughing
sinus congestions
nausea
chronic headache
loss of memory
other symptoms
Also when mold starts to reproduce inside a home, it can eat away at the structure, causing thousands of dollars in damage
How can I prevent mold build up and how can I keep allergy symptoms down?
Mold requires three things to grow and multiply. It requires dampness, warmth, and a food source. Simpley make sure you dont allow all three things to take place in your house. Mold is everywhere, and you wont completly rid yourself of ever having any contact with mold, but you can surley battle it.
Mold and mildew release mold spores in the air that can float throughout the house. There are several mold cleaning, prevention, and mold removal methods to deal with this problem. 2 suggestions are: Bio-Kleen and Sure Cote Mildew Resistant Coating.
Bio-Kleen can be used in any application in which you want to inhibit colonies of mold, mildew, alga, bacteria and other odor causing organisms. Easy to apply by spraying, wiping or soaking. Allow to air dry.
Sure Cote is a clear non-yellowing , non-toxic, odorless, interior/exterior, mildew resistant coating. It is designed to protect any surface exposed to moisture, high humidity or weather. Will not discolor, stain, stiffen or harm any surface which it recommended for use and gives year round protection.
It is important to try and prevent mold and mildew growth, but if it’s too late, try mold remediation and mold removal.
Allergic reactions can manifest themselves in many different physical ways, most of them extremely unpleasant. In the case of environmental allergens such as hay fever or pet dander, it is possible to limit allergic reaction severity by focusing on a diet that boosts the body?s ability to fight off reaction effects. Many of the materials that are found in medicinal allergy relief are extracted from naturally occurring ingredients in certain foods and drinks, and including these in your diet will help to alleviate your allergic symptoms. It is important to remember that these foods are for fighting environmentally triggered allergies only, and the only way to avoid food allergy symptoms is to avoid the food that cause it.
Green tea is quickly making a name for itself as a general purpose, natural cure-all. Recent studies have shown that green tea may help to combat environmental allergies as one of its many treatme
nt applications. In an article published in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Japanese scientists claim to have isolated a compound found in green tea that blocks one of the cell receptors that is key in triggering the allergic response. Because green tea is less processed than any other kind of tea, its natural composition remains unaltered and thus the compounds within it are more concentrated and better able to produce results than those found in different varieties of tea.
The acids found in Omega-3 fatty acids also are beneficial in fighting allergies, as the acid acts as a natural anti-inflammatory
by countering the formation of inflammatory chemicals. There are several foods which are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids, including several kinds of seafood and fish; salmon, haddock, herring, trout, mackerel, and sardines are all full of these acids. Other sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are soybeans, flaxseed, walnuts, and canola, and the fatty acids are also available in a more concentrated version through the oils derived from these foods. These oils can easily be included in your daily meals by adding them to the ingredients for your cooking.
Foods that have a high level of Vitamin E are also excellent in combating allergic reactions. Some of these foods include greens, which are also very strong-tasting. Spinach greens, mustard greens, chard and mustard greens are all very high in Vitamin E. The highest Vitamin E food is far and away dried sunflower seeds, which contain almost 91% of the recommended daily intake of the vitamin. Almonds are also high in Vitamin E, as are olives, papaya, and fresh blueberries. Any of these foods are an easy addition to a regular diet.
One last food to consider when thinking about intakes that will limit your allergic reactions are juices. Natural fruit juices are high in antioxidants, which help to fight the inflammatory effects that allergies produce. Make sure when you buy juice, though, that it is indeed natural. Many juices on the market do not contain a lot of natural juice, and it is the natural juice that is essential when it comes to containing antioxidants.
Article Source: http://www.findmysearch.com/allergies-resources/
What is the best allergy medicine for allegies that affect the skin? Rashes, itching and such?
Tattoo Steveo asked:
Zyrtec? Clariton? SIngulair? Anyone out there get itchy rashes on face or hands and had it helped by allergy medicine?