Allergy & Asthma Relief Guidelines

Beware! of Cats

2008-09-30T04:42:00.000-07:00

Cat allergy in humans is an allergic reaction to cat glycoprotein Fel d 1 secreted by the cat's sebaceous glands. Fel d 1 is mostly found in the cat's skin and saliva.

The major dog allergen, called Can f 1, is primarily found in dog saliva. Unlike cat allergen, this is found in the dander from sebaceous glands in the skin. Dog albumin, a protein found in the blood, is also an important allergen, and may cross-react with albumin from other mammals, including cats.

An allergic reaction is a histamine reaction that is usually characterized by coughing, wheezing, chest tightening, itching, nasal congestion, rash, watering eyes, sneezing and similar symptoms. These include red, itchy, watery eyes; nasal congestion; itchy nose; sneezing; difficulty breathing (dyspnea); chronic sore throat and/or scratchy throat; coughing, wheezing, or itchy skin.

It’s been found that between 10-15% of the general population are allergic to cats and dogs. It has been estimated that of the two million people allergic to cats, at least 1/3 of them live with at least one cat in the home, also its seen that many homes where there are no indoor pets will still contain enough allergenic pet proteins to cause allergic reactions.

In some situations, allergies to your pet can be controlled. Be very careful with asthmatic children though, you might need to find your pet a new home rather than risk your child's health and life, depending of the severity of the allergy.

For less serious allergies there are some possible solutions. First and foremost, is keeping your pet clean. No matter what kind of pet, keeping him clean and groomed, and keeping your living quarters clean will help. It may be possible to live with an allergic pet by separating the pet from the allergic person, such as never allowing the pet into the allergic person's bedroom. All hard surfaces in the bedroom should be wiped with a moist cloth to remove the small and sticky animal dander which has likely adhered floors, carpets, walls, furniture, ceiling fans, lamp shades, and even ceilings. In addition, every part of your home, especially the bedroom, should be vacuumed with a HEPA vacuum cleaner.

Detect Asthmatic Conditions In Your Child

2008-09-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

Simply, asthma in children is called as childhood asthma called Asthmatic Bronchitis simply a kind of bronchitis, a disorder of the respiratory system which is asthmatic in nature

Asthma means panting (breathlessness), in Greek. In reality, asthma is more then panting. For example, if you exert yourself with intense exercise, you feel panting, but that is not asthma. Asthma means breathlessness due to the constriction of the respiratory tubes. The constriction of the large and small tubes of the lung may be because of the spasm, in the normal circumstances, there is a clear passage in the bronchi and the bronchioles facilitating effortless breathing process. In case of the asthmatic episode, due to certain factors the bronchi and the bronchioles go into 'spasm' leading to obstructed air passage not allowing the oxygen to go across. This is a typical phenomenon of the acute asthmatic episode; the duration of attack as well as the intensity of the attack could vary from child to child.

The factors, which decide the intensity of the attack, are not only the external factors such as the strength of the allergens or irritants but it is the individual susceptibility which decides the intensity of the breathlessness. Similarly, the same rules apply to frequency, the length of the attack so, it is not difficult to derive that the Child Asthma is a disorder where one has to ascertain the 'internal' factors rather than just the external factors such as the food allergens, understanding is quite vital with reference to the homeopathic approach to the treatment of asthma.

Immunotherapy- Weapon Against Hypo-Sensitization

2008-09-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

Immunotherapy, in medicine, refers to an array of treatment strategies based upon the concept of modulating the immune system to achieve a prophylactic and/or therapeutic goal, is a form of treatment wherein extracts of allergens (pollens, dust mites, molds spores, and certain other common triggers of allergic reactions.) are introduced into the body to induce an immunologic response, resulting in the eventual reduction or elimination of the allergic reaction. While other allergy treatments (such as antihistamines or corticosteroids) treat only the symptoms of allergic disease, immunotherapy is the only available treatment that can modify the natural course of the allergic disease, by reducing sensitivity to allergens.

Not all allergic patients need immunotherapy. The decision as to who would benefit from this treatment depends on the nature of the allergy, i.e., what the allergic patient is allergic to and the severity of the allergic symptoms. It should be realized, however, that immunotherapy, although very effective, is never the sole modality in the treatment of the allergic individual. Immunotherapy is generally not indicated for food or medicinal allergies. Immunotherapy is typically individually tailored and administered by an allergist. This therapy is particularly useful for people with allergic rhinitis or asthma.

The therapy is particularly likely to be successful if it begins early in life or soon after the allergy develops for the first time. Immunotherapy involves a series of injections (shots) given regularly for several years by a specialist in a hospital clinic. In the past, this was called a serum, but this is an incorrect name. Most allergists now call this mixture an allergy extract. The first shots contain very tiny amounts of the allergen or antigen to which you are allergic. With progressively increasing dosages over time, your body will adjust to the allergen and become less sensitive to it. This process is called desensitization.

Food Fallacies

2008-09-12T00:29:00.000-07:00

A food allergy is an adverse immune response to a food protein. The food protein triggering the allergic response is termed a food allergen. It is estimated that up to 12 million Americans have food allergies and the prevalence is rising. 6%-8% of children under the age of 3 have food allergies and nearly 4% of adults have them. Food allergy causes roughly 30,000 emergency room visits and 100 to 200 deaths per year in the United States. The most common food allergies in adults are shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and eggs and the most common food allergies in children are milk, eggs, peanuts, and tree nuts.

It is estimated that 1%-2% of the United States population is allergic to tree nuts, peanuts, or both. Approximately 9% of children with an allergy to tree nuts will outgrow their allergy. Interestingly, tree nuts are not related to peanuts. In addition, you can be allergic to some but not all tree nuts. Almonds seem to cause the least problems of all common tree nuts.
6.9 million allergic to fish and/or shellfish. The most common reactions include rash (atopic dermatitis), redness and swelling around the mouth, hives (urticaria), wheezing and difficulty breathing, stomachache, cramping, diarrhea or vomiting,
A milk allergy (sometimes called a milk protein allergy) is a reaction to one or more proteins present in the cow’s milk. There are over 20 proteins in cow's milk that may cause allergic reactions. Casein and whey are the two main components of cow’s milk responsible for the vast majority of reactions. Casein is the curd that forms when milk is left to sour, consisting of 80% and the watery part which is left after the curd is removed is called whey consists of rest 20%. The presenting symptoms such as colic, irritability, spitting, diarrhea, and eczema may disappear, but a new pattern of illness and symptoms may emerge such as nasal and sinus symptoms, recurrent abdominal pain, headaches, generalized lethargy, and dark circles under the eyes.

Allergy to eggs usually begins early in life and usually presents in infancy as a rash, including eczema or atopic dermatitis, or gastrointestinal symptoms, on rare occasions, anaphylaxis can occur in highly sensitized individuals. Mildly egg allergic children can often eat food prepared with small amounts of egg, such as cakes and muffins, without an immediate reaction. However, these trace quantities may aggravate eczema, and may cause the egg allergy to stay longer.

Stinging Insects-Allergic Blues

2008-09-08T03:11:00.000-07:00

It is a common perception that allergic reaction stems out of exposure to unhygienic environment and intake of allergic food. The fact remains that allergy is peculiar to individuals and not the cause. What is allergic for one individual may be completely harmless for the other. Insect allergy is one of the lesser known types affecting individuals.

Insect allergy is mainly caused by stinging insects like wasp, bee, and hornets that transmit venom once it bites the victim. The venom damages the skin tissue and releases excessive amount of histamine. This is followed by redness, itching and inflammation of the affected area. Patients are sensitized by this and it stimulates their immune system to generate a kind of antibodies that bind venom protein against stings. This incident gives rise to throat troubles, difficulty in breathing, fall in blood pressure and even death. In medical terms, this is known as anaphylaptic reaction. In such a crisis, one should adopt certain first aid treatment to avoid the situation from getting worse.

First and foremost, get rid of the stinger ASAP and the venom sac should be removed from the skin immediately with some sharp object. Rub the area with ice and apply some Benadryl. This would help relief you of pain and itching. If the patient exhibit symptoms of anaphylaptic reaction, medical help should be called upon. If possible, an auto-injectable Epiphrine injection should be applied. Patients prone to sensitization are treated venom immunotherapy where they are desensitized against venom. However, this should be done only after being prescribed by an expert Allergist under strict vigilance.

Skin Allergy and Suggested Remedies

2008-09-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered how someone could develop a skin allergy? The solution requires a little work and commitment, but the pain and suffering you can avoid will easily make up for it. Let's first look at what may be the root cause of the dermatitis problem, dust mites showing interesting results. The feces from dust mites have two enzymes that are designed to break down human skin cells for the dust mites to feed on. Proteins in the feces called "Der f1 and Der p1" are the enzymes that break the skin down and have shown to cause powerful allergic reactions in some people more sensitive to other allergens, such as those produced by cats or dogs. They also found that repeated exposure to these enzymes create worse reactions over time, including dermatitis reactions. It gets worse! It seems the more you're exposed to dust mite feces, the better your chances of developing sensitivity to other allergens. That being the case, it stands to reason a good line of defense is to reduce your exposure to dust mite feces. The way to do that is to vacuum more often.

Vacuum your carpets at least once a week and get them steam cleaned twice a year. Throw away feather pillows and find out which types of hypo allergenic pillows are the most comfortable. IF your carpets are old, replace them with vinyl, hardwood or tile. Replace old fabric furniture with leather. To carry this idea to its logical conclusion, consider re-building your immune system for protection against dermatitis. If the dust mite feces break you skin down and make reactions worse over time, then it stands to reason that rebuilding your body will protect you and reduce skin allergy reactions, or eliminate them all together.

Prescription medications will not cure your skin allergy problem! Prescriptions have one single active ingredient (anti-histamines) that controls allergies, and can only be seen as a temporary solution. Thousands of people seeking skin allergy treatments and other diseases have found long lasting and even permanent relief from skin allergies with this natural source. Mangosteen (not related to Mango) can work wonders for your skin allergy problems by using it topically and internally.

Asthma Allergy- Causes and Remedies

2008-09-03T23:18:00.000-07:00

Asthma happens to be one of the most common allergy types experienced by young and adults alike. In most cases, Asthmatic patients suffer from inflammation of lungs caused by its hyper-responsiveness to allergic and sometimes non-allergic stimuli. It is witnessed through heavy panting and short breadth. But this may not be true in all cases. Sometimes asthmatic conditions could be characterized by subtle responses like mild cough and cold.

Causes of Asthma

The chronic ailment of the disease stems out of swelling of the bronchial tubes. Mucus is produced within the tubes and the muscles outside the tube tighten. This comes in way of natural breathing process and patients suffer difficulty while breathing.

Though Asthma is primarily a problem caused by inflammation of lungs, other external factors have a contributing role which further instigates the disease. External factors like dust mites, mold, weeds, grass pollens and even bird feathers can further propagate the disease. Interestingly, Asthma may also be propagated by non-allergic conditions. Extreme cold, strong perfumes and exposure to smoke can also further trigger the disease among asthmatic patients.
But it should be borne in mind that a condition which seems to be allergic to one may be perfectly fine for another. This may be attributed to difference of immune system among individuals. An individual with poor immune system is more likely to fall pray to allergic conditions to an individual with comparatively better immunity system.

Suggested Remedial Measures

Asthma treatment varies widely depending on the propensity of the disease among individuals. There are two popular types of medications applied on asthmatic patients viz, controller medication and rescue medication.
While controller medications are generally prescribed for patients with common asthmatic symptoms, rescue medications are prescribed to individuals with severe night time cough. Some of the widely used rescue medications include albuterol, xopenex, epinephrine and the like. Off late, Xolair too has emerged as a popular asthmatic treatment for treating severe asthmatic disorders. It is a form of treatment where over production of allergic antibodies are blocked.
In extreme cases, medical practitioners recommend immunotherapy where allergic injections are injected so as to make one’s immune system more consistent against allergies.

Allergy advice Guide- an effort to eradicate allergy

2008-09-03T02:19:00.000-07:00

Being a medical sales professional, I seem to take pride about my knowledge on drugs.
I don’t even feel it necessary to pay visit to a doctor for minor ailments and illnesses…I treat them on my own.It was a few days back that my son Sam complained about itching at the back of his ears and quite naturally I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to make use of my expertise in medical field. I tried to resolve the issue with some quick relief stuffs manufactured by the company where I work but somehow it didn’t work.But I was not to give up. I further tried my hands out with skin ointments and this time it deteriorated. I was in a fix!

The matter didn’t leave much choice but to consult a specialist. After careful analysis of the matter the doctor said that Sam had been suffering from Eczema medically known as Atopic Dermatitis. I remembered some of my distant relatives too suffered from this and there is no reason why Sam couldn’t get affected by this. The doctor further explained that in most cases. Eczema stems out of consumption of allergic dishes like egg, milk, wheat, soy and peanuts. Regular scratching and contact with woolen fibers further propagates the disease and other body parts too get affected. I was a bit stunned!

Eczema is only one kind of allergy that affects the skin. Likewise there are a few thousands causes that can propagate stringent allergic conditions. This amused me and I was curious to know about it. I realized that we often fail to analyze the root causes of allergic conditions and end up treating it in an improper way. My blog is an effort to bring forth such issues which are trivial but not negligible on any ground. Some of the deadly allergies include nasal or sinus allergy, food, skin, and also insect allergy. I would try to discuss about causes, symptoms and remedial measures of each of these.So check back for more information about all kinds of allergies and their suggested preventive measures…and do away with chronic allergic ailments forever.