Good Healthy Living

Archive for the ‘Allergies’ Category

Air purifiers are devices that purify the air from any contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, pet allergens or dust particles. Air purifiers are really beneficial for people who suffer certain allergies and asthmatics. This device also reduces, or in small closed areas, completely eliminates the risk of second-hand smoking.

Most commercial types of air purifiers are small stand-alone units built for small offices or for use in your house. There are also larger air purifiers that can be attached to an AHU (air handling unit) or to an HVAC (Heating venting and air conditioning) which are mainly used in larger spaces for commercial, industrial or medical areas.

There are several different ways how air purifiers clean the air. Each process has varying effectiveness that removes different kinds of contaminants. The good thing about air purifiers is that you can have different processes in one unit, thus you gain all the advantages in different processes. Read the rest of this entry »

If your eyes are watering or itching, you could well be having an allergic reaction to something you have eaten or just from the particles in the air around you. This could really spoil your day. You could even believe you are starting to get a cold or flu. All you can think about is getting allergy relief. The good news is that you can find relief for your symptoms.

Even though normally our immune systems protect us from viruses in the air or bacteria or toxins, there are times when the body will revolt at something it does not agree with. It is always important to test the medicine that you buy to make sure that it is safe to use. You do not want to be drowsy or ill while you are working or driving a car.

There are various factors that cause allergies. It could be unhealthy particles in the air, it could be certain foods or medications. It is important to know which allergy it is that your body is objecting to. Some people will fast for a few days if they think it is something they have eaten. They introduce the foods gradually to detect the one which is causing the allergy. Read the rest of this entry »

There are millions of people that suffer from celiac disease. That is, they cannot eat foods that contain gluten. Only about 110,000 have been diagnosed and are advised by doctors to maintain a wheat-free diet. Basically, gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley along with other carbohydrates. Some people cannot digest it, so they must avoid it. Hence all of the appearance of more products on the market and in restaurants today. One of the favorite foods in existence can now be consumed by those with no tolerance for gluten. That of course, is a homemade gluten free pizza crust. Those with intolerance to gluten don’t have to give up their favorite foods which include pizza. There is a delicious recipe which you can follow at home to make one of the best pizza pies. Let’s get started:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, a convection back mode can make it crispier
2, 14 inch pizzas: 1 cup White rice flour, ½ cup Tapioca flour, ¼ teaspoon Xanthan gum, 2 grams of unflavored gelatin, 1 teaspoon egg replacer, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt and 2 ½ teaspoons dry yeast granules. Mix the dry ingredients together and then add 2 egg whites, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon vinegar, and 1 cup warm water. Mix all the ingredients together and roll out two pizzas on a pre-greased cookie or pizza sheet. Bake the crusts for 10 minutes at 400 degrees and then add your toppings. Read the rest of this entry »

Apple is known to be the main player in the allergic reaction called Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS). Ninety percent of apple allergies that are found in northern Europe and North America are more often than not related to “birch pollen.” Since apple allergies are mainly centred on pollen, most apple allergy reactions occur after eating a fresh apple (particularly with the skin) and other parts of the Rosaceae fruits such as the hazelnut and peach. Only raw fruit, and not apples that have been pasteurized and cooked, will affect persons who are liable to have an apple allergy. The allergy producing proteins cannot survive the cooking or the pasteurizing process.

Watery eyes often results from Oral Allergy Syndrome that is usually brought on by an apple allergy. According to Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters Health System, indicators like sneezing and runny nose can also occur during an apple allergic reaction. This type of reaction can be brought on by the skin of the fruit making contact with the face or the skin on the hands. This contact can be made simply from peeling the fruit. Read the rest of this entry »

In the US alone, approximately 15 million people currently live with a food allergy. Of those 15 million, 6 million are children. Peanut allergies in children alone tripled between 1997 and 2008; and more children are being diagnosed with life-threatening allergies every year. These numbers have been drastically increasing over recent decades for reasons which are poorly understood.

There are eight major foods that account for approximately 90% of all food-allergy reactions in the U.S.: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (e.g., walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans), wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. Even the smallest trace of these foods can trigger a reaction for someone with a food allergy. If you don’t understand the biological mechanism, we can help summarize it:

• All foods contain proteins. Proteins are normally the components that trigger an allergic reaction.

• Some proteins are resistant to digestion in the digestive tract.

• When these undigested proteins pass through the body, Immunoglobulin IgE (an allergy related antibody), targets the protein as harmful to alert the immune system of its presence. Read the rest of this entry »

This article in particular is important to me, simply because I have lived through the trauma of suffering this horrid affliction and feel it necessary to inform other people.

Being asthmatic all of my life, eczema seemed to be its constant companion. (Not atopic I hasten to add) When I was younger and indeed up to my early 20′s the doctors concluded that worry or stress brought it on. In my opinion an easy diagnosis, seeing as how the same reasons were given to my constant severe asthma attacks.

What was strange is that when eczema flared up it was not always the same, sometimes it was wet and oozed, another time it was dry

The term “Atopic” refers to a personal and family tendency to develop eczema. What you will find written today! But at this part in writing I have to make it clear that never in over 30 years was my eczema ever referred to as Atopic, simply eczema. Read the rest of this entry »

Allergy induced asthma can be a real pain. As someone who has struggled with asthma and allergies for years, I know what it is like first hand to suffer and to feel like no mater what you do, it just will not go away.

I have learned a few secrets about how to manage and control allergy induced asthma.

1. Try to figure out what is causing your allergies. This can be tricky since depending upon the season of the year, it could be any number of things. Some common foods to consider that may be causing them include: wheat, milk, corn and soy. If you are not sure if you are allergic to any of these foods. Try eliminating one of them for a month completely and see what happens. If you still have allergies then try a different food. If your allergies go away then you are probably allergic to that food. Even if you think that you have hay fever or are allergic to things outside, what many people don’t realize is that food has an impact on outdoor allergies too.

2. Take care of your allergies by avoiding foods that you know make them worse for you. It can also help to increase your intake of Vitamin C and B12 Vitamin. B12 is especially helpful for asthma and so if you are having allergy induced asthma then you certainly want to take more B12. Read the rest of this entry »

Nut allergies are when an individual experiences an allergic reaction to any kind of nut and they can be either peanuts or tree nuts. Examples of nuts a person with a nut allergy may have an allergic reaction to include almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts and hazelnuts. This is the most common type of food allergy and tend to be a family trait and the risk of having a nut allergies increases if the individual or family members of the individual has asthma, hay fever or eczema. This type of allergy most often affect infants and this is due to the fact that their immune system is not fully developed yet.

Symptoms of nut allergies can range from mild to severe and can include a rash and hives (urticaria), nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, shortness of breath, chest pain, swelling of the airways to the lungs and the most severe symptom of nut allergies which is anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis is an uncommon allergic reaction but is one the most life threatening symptoms of nut allergies. This symptom of nut allergies can occur even if a person has a small exposure to any kind of nut. Symptoms develop within minutes and can last up to several hours. The symptoms are due to an overreaction by the body’s immune system as it releases a huge amount of histamine in response to exposure. This massive influx of histamine causes symptoms which include breathing difficulties, facial swelling, and extreme chest tightness. Read the rest of this entry »

Treating the symptoms of allergies with a medicine cabinet full of drugs will not cure your problem. The best strategy is to prevent symptoms before they start. Untreated allergies are the cause of many other illnesses, such as asthma, coughing, and insomnia. Allergies also compromise your immune system and put you at greater risk for getting colds and flu. The mucous cells in your nose are the first line of defense against germs that enter through the nose.

1. Avoid your triggers. In order to do this you first need a diagnosis. While many leave the doctor’s office with a prescription for antibiotics, antihistamines or inhalers, they are only chasing their symptoms as their condition gets worse. After you have been diagnosed, your doctor can refer you to an allergy specialist, who may order a blood test to check for allergens that are common in your region. You may also have a skin prick test to get more detailed information. If you reduce the number of hours your dog stays in the house, allergen levels will drop considerably. Indoor and outdoor allergens can be removed from your home by using HEPA air purifiers. Anyone can benefit from an air purifier in the home. It is a good preventative measure for the entire family. Read the rest of this entry »

Ragweed allergy symptoms are among the most painful of all seasonal allergies. They are the last blow that hay fever inflicts on sufferers of seasonal allergies just before the winter months bring relief from pollen allergies.

For those who also suffer from spring or summer allergies, ragweed allergy season will be much harder on you than others. The pollen from ragweed is far more potent than the pollen that comes from trees in the spring, and from grasses in the summer. Its light weight allows it to be carried for hundreds of miles, while its high reactivity means that only a few grains per cubic meter of air can cause a dreadful reaction.

However, if you are looking to treat your ragweed allergy symptoms, it is first recommended that you understand them thoroughly. There are many similarities between ragweed allergies and a common cold. Knowing the difference is the key to determining the proper treatment techniques. Read the rest of this entry »