Natural Remedies And Treatments For Allergies

When allergies strike, most allergy sufferers head to the drugstore where they purchase an antihistamine. They take it, and soon their symptoms begin to subside. They’re all set until the next outburst.

Over-the-counter antihistamines are effective but unfortunately, taking them often causes unpleasant side effects such as drowsiness and a feeling of lethargy. If you’re tired of feeling tired when allergies strike, maybe it’s time you reach for natural allergy remedies instead.

Natural allergy remedies come in all forms and are made from many different types of ingredients including herbs, plants, ground up honey bees, and other vitamins and nutrients. Most natural allergy remedies have been designed to either stop histamine outbursts from occurring in the first place, or they act to combat the individual symptoms that occur with the release of histamines. They accomplish these tasks naturally, which is why unpleasant side effects are non-existent.

Besides treating allergy symptoms with all-natural ingredients, the term “natural allergy remedies” has come to mean something more. In addition to being a natural and effective way to treat allergy symptoms after they develop, the term can be used to describe taking control of your surroundings so that you limit exposure to the allergens that cause you trouble. For example, if pet dander is a problem, don’t keep pets. Or if you must, you’ve got to be vigilant about keeping pet dander under control. Likewise with dust mites. You need to protect your furnishings with casings that keep this type of problem under wraps.

Watching what you eat is important if you’ve got food allergies, so taking steps to control your diet can also be considered a natural allergy remedy. In addition to closely monitoring what you eat, there also are foods you can consume that are known to contain naturally-occurring histamine combatants. For example, Quercitin, a flavinoid found in onions and apples, is capable of blocking the release of histamines which cause the familiar allergy symptoms like runny nose, congestion, and itchy, watery eyes. Besides being effective against allergies, there are countless other health benefits of eating these and other types of fruits and vegetables, like lowering your risk of developing heart disease and keeping your blood sugar levels stable.

If you’re like a lot of people and find that monitoring what you eat is too much work, then consider taking a daily multi-vitamin. Many of the vitamins and minerals benefit the immune system which in turn helps keeps the symptoms of allergies under control.

With so many natural allergy remedies being offered, understanding the ingredients as well as the actual benefits of each can be mind-boggling. Even though these types of products are available without a prescription, if you’re confused, it might be advisable to speak with an allergist or someone who specializes in natural remedies. These specialists can help explain how each of the individual ingredients work and why they’re thought to be effective.

How to Prevent or Alleviate Allergy

By allergy the immune system react against a substance that it is not supposed to react against, and the reaction is often exaggerated. Objects containing substances that commonly cause allergy are domestic dust, animal hair, household chemicals, chlorine, microorganisms, pollen, nuts, citrus fruits and seafood. Also bacteria and parasites can cause inappropriately strong immune reactions.

THE MECHANISMS OF ALLERGY

The total set of reactions occurring by allergy is very complicated. Many of these are the same as by normal immune reaction, even though they occur when they should not take place, Here are listed some of these reactions:

By exposure to a new substance, cells in the immune system learn to recognize that substance (allergen), and it learns to produce anti-bodies towards the substance, and a certain amount of antibodies is produced. The type of anti-bodies called IgE is the most important by allergic reactions.

IgE will glue itself to some cells in the blood called mast-cells, and stick out from the surface of these cells. By following exposures to antigens, these will attach themselves to the IgE-ends sticking out from the mast-cells. This will trigger the mast-cells to produce histamine and other signal substances. These signal substances will then spread through the surrounding tissues.

The signal substances will then trigger the walls of small blood vessels to leak fluid into the tissues and accumulate in the tissues. This will cause tissue swelling. They also will cause blood vessels to widen and thus increase the blood stream in the tissues. The consequence of this will be swelling and redness in the affected body parts. The signal substances will also make glands in the tissue produce more mucus, making symptoms like running nose and tight throat.

The new exposures to the antigens will also provoke even more anti-body production. The antibodies will also glue allergens together to bigger complexes. These complexes can clog small blood vessels and in other ways disturb the function of the affected organ.

The allergen-antibody-complexes are then recognized by the cells and other mechanisms that the body uses to collect and eliminate garbage. Eater-cells gather and engulf the complexes.

The immune system also will make enzymes that attack the antigens to break them down. Also this production is stimulated when antigens attach themselves to anti-bodies at cell surfaces. But these enzymes are not entirely specific, and can also to some extend break down components of the body’s own tissue, causing harm and disease symptoms.

WHAT CAUSES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO REACT WITH ALLERGY TO A SUBSTANCE

In the beginning of the life of a person, the immune system has the potency to react against most substances in the body itself and the surroundings. However, there are mechanisms that learn the immune system to recognize normal substances found in the daily life in the early infanthood, and suppress the reactions against these. If this learning mechanism is disturbed, allergy can develop.

Allergy can also develop if a small child is never exposed to substances that later will be a normal ingredient of his daily life. In this case the immune system will not get the chance to suppress the reaction against this substance. Letting a small child grow up in an exaggerated clean and sterile environment can therefore cause allergies.

On the other hand, certain elements not being a port of a normal environment can cause allergies by repeated and massive exposure. Examples of such substances are chlorine.

TYPES OF ALLERGIES

Allergy varies according to the compound that causes the immunological reaction. An allergic condition also often implies reaction against a combination of several substances. Common substances causing allergy are: Pollen, domestic dust, mites in domestic dust, moulds and mould spores, chlorine, chemicals in soaps and cosmetics, animal hair, seafood, strawberry, fish, parasites, medicines like anaesthetics and antibiotics

An allergic condition may periodically get better or worse according to the concentration of the allergen in the environment. A typical example is pollen allergy with peaks in the pollination season of grass or treas.

An allergic person will often get symptoms from several tissues in the body, but the symptoms are often most prominent at one body part and give very specific symptoms at that site. Examples of specific conditions often caused by allergy are eczema in the skin and asthma in the lungs and lower airpipe.

THE SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGY

Any organ can exhibit allergic reactions, but often the symptoms are confined mainly to one organ or organ system.

By allergic reactions in the respiratory system there will be symptoms like: Itching and soreness in the throat and nose cavities, swelling of the airway tissues, increased amount of secrets in the airway cavities and coughing. There may also be asthmatic symptoms or fully developed asthma. The main symptom of asthma is cramping that constricts the airways all the way down into the lungs (constriction of the trachea and tracholes).

By allergic reactions in the skin, there will be symptoms like: Redness, swelling, red spots, itching and soars.

HOW TO PREVENT ALLERGY

To prevent allergies in an individual the best way, one must begin in early childhood.

A child must be allowed to get in contact with natural elements like earth, dirt, animals, plants, physical contact with other humans, and the like. This exposure to natural elements must occur before an allergy has developed. In this way the immune system will learn to recognize common and harmless elements, and not overreact against this later in life.

Research projects have found out that children having much and early contact with pet animals like cats and dogs have a less chance of getting allergic problems later than children not having contact with pets. This is contrary to what many people believe.

On the other hands, every person should be protected from early childhood from certain elements normally not found in a natural environment, for example chlorine, soaps and cosmetics with artificial substances, and food containing unnatural additives.

METHODS TO TREAT ALLERGY

The first approach in the treatment of manifest allergy is avoiding exposure to substances causing the allergic reactions. Even though exposure to natural substances can prevent allergy, exposure to an allergen should be avoided when an allergy already has developed. Ways of doing this is:

- Avoiding food one reacts against
- Avoiding contact with animals one have an allergic reaction towards
- Keeping rooms, clothes beds and furniture well cleaned
- Avoiding use of cleaners, soaps and cosmetics with unnatural additives
- Avoiding foods, drinks and snacks with unnatural additives
- Avoiding daily exposure to chlorine and other chemicals
- In cooperation with your doctor change medicines you use that may cause allergy with others
- Avoiding growth of moulds in the environment. This is done by well cleaning and keeping the environment dry.

Children are often exposed to allergens at school, and adults are often exposed at work. Parents with allergic children must inspect the school environment and require from the school administration and teachers that practically possible environmental measures are provided to keep the school free from allergens. An employee should require the same from his employer.

If you do not know exactly everything you react against, you can try to stop exposure to one factor after another, until you feel that the allergy alleviates, and then keep this factor out of your daily life for the future.

Sometimes avoiding allergens is difficult to accomplish, or make the lifestyle to restricted to be acceptable. Then one must apply medical treatment that alleviates the allergy.

A common way of treating allergy is applying medication that block the effect of the substance histamine, and thereby alleviate or prevent the symptoms occurring when the antigen get into the body.

Another way is desensitisation treatment. By this treatment one let the body get a controlled and gradually increasing exposure to the allergens over a time period, and when this period is over, one let the body get recurrent exposure to a controlled dose at regular time intervals. By this treatment the response from the immune system from the allergens gradually decrease, partly because the immune system thereby learns to recognize the allergens as harmless, and partly because the antibodies against the allergens are used up.

There are also natural products on the marked that contain ingredients that help the immune system to react more appropriately. Important effects of these products are reduced histamine secretion and increased histamine metabolism. Examples of ingredients in such medicines are: Methylsulfonyl methane, vitamin C, vitamin E, Echinacea purpurea, Quercetin, grape Seed, Stinging nettle, Coleus Forskolin

Buying the Perfect Allergy-free Gifts for Your Loved Ones

Allergies is a condition which affect thousands of people in the world. One of them could be your friend or loved one. Imagine how sad it is when you took time to carefully choose the perfect gift for your loved ones, only to learn soon after that your gift just trigger a bad case of allergy for him/ her. The last thing you want is to spoil someone’s joy just because you did not take his/her allergy into consideration when buying gifts. Here are some tips and ideas for buying gift for someone who are prone to allergies. Your loved ones will appreciate the extra thought that goes into buying a gift for them.

(1)Toys for children

Stuffed toys are the favorites among children but they can be dangerous to the allergy prone. When buying toys for children with allergies, you have to be extra careful. These are some of the things you should bear in mind:

Avoid stuffed animals with real fur as fur is more prone to dust and mold. A safer choice is to choose stuffed animals with polyester filling that is easy to wash and dry. Avoid latex toys. Latex allergy is becoming more common recently and may even fatal in more severe cases.
Wooden and metal toys are a safer choice. Wooden toys are recommended for children with allergies as they do not collect dust or mold, thus are not a suitable breeding ground for dust mite . Some toys are certified as asthma friendly. Get these toys instead.

(2) Products for cleaner indoor air

A good quality vacuum cleaner that contains a true HEPA filter. A true HEPA filter captures over 99.9% of dust mites, pollens and ragweed. Controlling the humidity level in the home is important to anyone with respiratory sensitivities as well as skin disorder such as eczema. A good way to know what the current level is is through a hygrometer. Even those with allergies can enjoy the soft romantic glow of candles with Solar powered rechargeable candles that are soot free.

For someone with a green thumb, a plant ‘watering’ meter would come in handy to help reduce the chance of over watering plants that often leads to mould growth. A carbon monoxide detector placed near fireplaces, space heaters and garages, is a great gift and could save lives.

(3) If you are buying jewelry for someone with allergies, you have to be aware if the jewelry will trigger a reaction. Nickel is known to cause a reaction for those with eczema and psoriasis. Look for nickel free jewelry to be on the safe side.

(4) Conventional skin care products often contains chemicals which are too harsh for sensitive skin and might cause an allergy reactions. A totally natural skin care set made from only the purest organic ingredients is a great gift for someone who is prone to skin allergies.

(5)For those who have dairy allergies, a soy, rice or almond milk maker is a great gift. Soy, rice or almond milk have the same goodness as dairy and with the milk maker, one can enjoy the fresh non dairy milk as well as use it for baking and cooking. Soyquick soy milk maker is recommended as it can be used to make, not only soy milk, but rice, almond, and oat milk.

(6) Juicing is a great way to detoxify the body, and many believe large intake of fresh organic juice helps to relieve allergy symptoms. What can you get fresher juice than juice you make yourself? A powerful, easy to clean and handy juicer might be just what your loved one needs.

(7) Allergy free linens, covers or bedding

Down feather bedding is recommended for people with allergies as it is actually less allergenic than synthetic ones. Choose those which offers anti-microbial shield to protect against bacteria, mold, dust mites, pollen and mildew. The range of comforters and bedding from Allergy Shield is Allergist Recommended & Medically Evaluated, thus can be safely used. It can prevent symptoms of asthma, nasal allergy, sinusitis and eczema.

Dust mite protective covers for pillows, mattresses and box springs are also an excellent gift for those who are allergic to dust mites. Many individuals with asthma also have other conditions such as eczema, a skin condition that is made worse when in contact with some fabrics, such as wool. Cotton clothing and bedding is always a good choice for people with eczema.

(8)Books

Allergies and AsthmaBooks are great for books lovers. There are many great books on coping life with allergies. One of which should be in every home is Jeffrey C. May’s My House Is Killing Me!: The Home Guide for Families with Allergies and Asthma.

Allergies are very common nowadays. Eventhough a person is allergy prone, it does not mean he or she deserves the right to celebrate any occasion like any normal person. It only take a little extra thought and considerations to avoid potential problems. I hope these allergy free gift buying tips have given you some valuable ideas of buying the perfect gift for your loved ones.

Living With Metal Allergies

Living With Metal Allergies

Metal allergy, which is a form of contact dermatitis, is a rather common skin condition. Quite a few people may have this condition and not even realize it. There are plenty of people who believe they can’t wear anything but gold, or platinum or even silver. Often this it not true and many people do not realize that in most situations they can find a less expensive alternative. It all depends on the metal content. For instance the most common metal that causes a reaction is nickel. Nickel is used in a wide variety of jewelry including gold, although not too often.

Signs and Symptoms of Metal Allergy

The symptoms of a metal allergy is reddening of the skin where there has been contact with the metal, note the kind of allergy it is classified as ‘contact dermatitis’. Which there are many types of allergens that cause contact dermatitis, such as poison oak or even for some people wool. An itching and or burning sensation usually accompanies the reddening of the skin in the area that has been in contact with the metal. In some severe cases a blistering rash can occur and may resemble pimples. The skin may reveal scaly, raw and thickened, sometimes oozing, crusting or draining may occur. As well as swelling, tenderness or warmth of the skin exposed to the metal.

Complications and Treatment

Infections may occur so it is important that if you have broken out to keep the area clean and dry, but do not touch it too often as this can irritate it more. The best thing is to clean the area once or twice a day and keep it covered. If the itching or burning is too much to bear you can always use a cortisone cream, for swelling you can use cold compresses on the skin.

Severity

The severity of the reaction often depends on several factors such as the duration of the contact, whether or not the skin has been broken, how sensitive you are to the metal causing the reaction, and the concentration of the metal you are sensitive to. For example if you are allergic to nickel, and a piece of sterling silver that contains a small percentage may not break you out but white gold with a high percentage of nickel might. Not that all sterling silver or white gold contains nickel but some pieces might. There is no specific formula for alloying silver or gold and all manufacturers have their own recipe.

Prevention

Obviously the best method of preventing the uncomfortable results of a metal allergy is to avoid the metal causing the sometimes-painful reaction. This as we all know is not always possible. For instance what are we suppose to do when a belt buckle or zipper on some of our favorite pieces of clothing starts irritating our skin? Are we just supposed to throw them out?

Protecting Your Skin

The best thing is to see you physician and have a patch test done to identify the specific allergen, this can usually be accomplished with three office visits, or sometimes less if you have self tested by purposely exposing yourself to the alleged culprit. But sometimes it may be a favorite pair of earrings and the easiest fix is to apply a coating of clear fingernail polish to the metal that contacts the skin. Although this will eventually wear, on an item you use regularly it can last for 2-3 weeks before you need to apply another coat. Or if it is bra hooks you could just get a small strip of comfortable fabric and place is as a barrier. Some cases you can just take an antihistamine.

Cedar Fever Symptoms? You Don't Have To Suffer Anymore!

Once again it is cedar fever season - the time in South Texas when the mountain cedar trees erupt in pollen. If you have allergies and you've been experiencing a lot more congestion, coughing, sneezing, and red, irritated eyes, you can probably blame it on the cedar. Some people may also run a low grade fever because cedar allergies can be severe enough to cause a lot of inflammation which can show up as a slight fever.

In the Austin, San Antonio, and Texas Hill Country regions, mountain cedar pollen is produced in huge quantities from December through February. For those who suffer from cedar allergies, even the allergy remedies that work most of the time are simply no match for the massive amounts of pollen produced by the numerous mountain cedar trees in the area.

This time of year, a common segment on the local news will show someone shaking a cedar branch and producing a cloud of the dusty pollen. The fine grains of pollen are blown from the trees and carried all over the region by the strong, gusty winds that are normal for this time of year. Cedar pollen counts can go so high that they actually go beyond the pollen charts and the pollen begins to register as an air pollutant. It's no surprise that this is a tough time of year for people with allergies.

You can't avoid the cedar pollen, but fortunately there's a new way to eliminate cedar fever. This method is painless, fast, amazingly effective, and the effects can last for years from a single office visit. It may seem a bit strange, but the results speak for themselves for those who experience it.

Basically, it is possible to stimulate the body's acupuncture meridians in a very specific way - without needles, I might add - to desensitize the body to cedar fever. There are a few variations of this approach, but they all use some type of acupuncture/acupressure stimulation to re-set the body to not react to cedar pollen (or other allergens depending on what the individual is being desensitized to). In my office, I use what is called "cold" laser to stimulate the acupuncture points, and it allows for fast treatment that is completely painless. In fact, other than the laser wand touching the points, there is no sensation at all, which makes it a very patient-friendly, even to young children.

Desensitization of allergens with this method typically works within about a day and the effects last for several months to several years. Just one desensitization procedure will usually last for not only the entire mountain cedar pollen season, but for many seasons to come. These effects are achieved without the need for any follow-up treatment, without the use of allergy medication, and without even taking any kind of supplements or other remedies!

Most who undergo this type of allergy desensitization find that their cedar allergies become a thing of the past.

Using Nicotine Gum to Quit Smoking

Addiction to nicotine is very real. Many studies have shown that it is one of the most addictive substances known, and most people will gain a dependency to it soon after they start smoking regularly. When you smoke a cigarette, you body receives an instant rush of nicotine - there is a spike in your nicotine levels which slowly dissipates, and when your nicotine levels drop below a certain point you will crave another spike, in the form of another cigarette.

As a smoker, part of your body's physical addition to nicotine has to do with relieving it in these "hits," and it is for this reason that an attempt to quit smoking can be so difficult. The most important thing in any attempt to quit smoking is willpower, and the chances that you will succeed in staying smoke free without the use of willpower are extremely slim. In same cases, however, you can benefit from using a medical aid in addition to your willpower. The most common and well known aids to quitting smoking are those that supply and regulate nicotine in the bloodstream.

A popular choice is nicotine gum. This is gum that resembles ordinary chewing gum, but of course it contains nicotine. The reason nicotine gum can be effective is because is can replicate nicotine spikes in your bloodstream without the need for cigarettes. The problem that some people run into with the nicotine patch - the other popular nicotine supplier - is that a nicotine patch supplies a steady amount of nicotine into your bloodstream. There is no spike, or "hit", with a patch, and for this reason some people still find themselves craving cigarettes when they use the patch: even though the body is receiving nicotine, it desires the hit that the cigarette provides.

With nicotine gum, you can attempt to replicate this hit without a cigarette. The gum is not chewed like normal gum -- rather you hold in your mouth without chewing it for long periods of time, and then give it a few chews when you want a release of nicotine, much as you would take a drag on a cigarette for a quick nicotine hit. A typical guideline for nicotine gum would be to chew it 3-4 times, until you feel a tingling sensation, at which point you should flatten it and place it between your cheek and gum. Repeat the brief chewing process at occasional intervals as necessary. Under no circumstances should nicotine gum be chewed like ordinary gum, as too much nicotine will be released into your bloodstream.

Nicotine Gum comes in 2mg and 4mg strengths. It is recommended that you use the gum every 1-2 hours throughout the day, for a period of up to 3 months. The only drawback of nicotine gum is that you cannot drink anything except water for 15 minutes before and during chewing. For this reason nicotine gum isn't helpful at a bar, which is where many ex-smokers need the most help. Despite this, nicotine gum can be an effective tool to quit smoking.