Monthly Archives: April 2017

Facts About Food Allergy

These days, food allergies are continuing to increase. This is partly because many people are consuming a lot of processed foods. These foods often contain additives and preservatives. As a result of this, the body will react to foreign ingredients that have been added to the food. Since this is the case, it is worth educating ourselves on the facts about food allergy. Please read on to find out what these facts are.

Fact #1: The Symptoms Of Food Allergy will Vary

These days there are many different types of food allergies. This means that the symptoms of each allergy will vary in severity. One person may have to be rushed to the hospital to receive treatment. Another may only have a small rash around their mouth, or feel a little sick in the stomach.
Be aware that the symptoms of such allergies will change with age. If you have a child with food allergies, know that the allergies will have disappeared by the time they turn three years old. Sensitivity to certain foods will also go away as they get older.

Fact #2: Reactions Will Occur At Different Times

Reactions to the allergies will all occur at different times. Some might appear only a few minutes after you have ingested the food. Others may take a couple of hours. And there will be some reactions which may take several days to appear. A person may have consumed a chocolate bar on Wednesday, but their rash may not appear until Thursday. “Eat now, and pay later” is a well-known phenomenon when it comes to food allergies.

Fact #3: Food Allergies Are Usually Related To Doses

One mouthful of peanut may be OK for one person to consume, but any more than that, or if it is spread onto a piece of toast, then this is sure to result in a reaction. Wheezing is one common response to peanut allergies. Most people will not have any response to a cup of milk every day. However, others may start to feel sick after they have consumed two or three cups of it. You can be sure that if you consume shellfish on a daily basis, a rash will begin to spread to others areas on your body. It might be perfectly fine if you consumed some crap over several hours on a daily basis.

Conclusion

These are just a few facts that are worth being aware of. The best way to avoid getting the allergies, is eating healthy and cook your food. Sometimes the allergy symptoms can be fatal; therefore, you shouldn’t ignore them. To be on the safe side, visit your allergy doctor whenever you see even the most minor symptoms.

Everything You Need To Know About Ocular Allergies

Warm sunny days are here again, and most welcome them with open arms after a long, cold winter. The drawback for allergy sufferers is that allergens are everywhere and seem to be especially bad this year. Allergies not only affect the nasal passages, but can affect the eyes as well.

Ocular allergies

Ocular allergies, or allergic conjunctivitis can cause itching, redness, lid swelling, tearing, light sensitivity, and swollen eyes. The severity of symptoms can vary from mild irritation to severe itching and burning. Allergy experts estimate that 20% of Americans suffer from ocular allergies. Eyes are especially vulnerable to allergens and irritants. Allergens cause cells in the eye to release histamine, which causes blood vessels to dilate and mucous membranes to become itchy, causing the eyes and lids to become inflamed. When the blood vessels expand, more allergen molecules can flow from the bloodstream to the eye, causing redness and swelling.

Allergens are more prevalent outdoors, but common indoor allergens include pet dander, dust mites, and molds. These indoor allergens are present year-round and cause perennial allergic conjunctivitis for some. For contact lens wearers, the irritation caused by ocular allergies, can be particularly severe. Allergens can bind to the contact lens surface and prolong exposure to the eye. Ocular allergies can drive some contact lens wearers to stop wearing contacts. Increasing the frequency of lens replacement can be helpful. Talk to your doctor about daily disposables.

Treatment options for the condition

The response of symptoms to anti-histamine medication can indicate whether allergies are causing the symptoms. Allergy testing and review of patient’s life and environment help to identify sources.

If you suffer from an ocular allergy:

See an allergist to identify allergens causing symptoms.

Some people find comfort in cold compresses on the eyes. The compression reduces the inflammation in the blood vessels. Artificial tear drops cooled in a refrigerator can provide similar relief.

Topical medications are commonly used and tend to be an effective ocular allergy treatment. Delivering medication directly to the eye reduces the risk of side effects to other areas of the body. Dual action anti-allergic drugs are applied twice daily and combine the antihistamine with medication that stabilizes the eye’s mast cells. These drugs can be implemented before inserting lenses in the morning and after they have been removed at night, maintaining contact lens wear and minimizing discomfort associated with allergies. Before you start using any of the medications, you should ask your allergy doctor if this treatment option will work.

What You Should Know About Seasonal Allergies

Seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever are one of the most common types of allergies that many people suffer from. If you suffer from the condition there are a number of things you should know about:

There is some food you need to avoid

When you are suffering from the allergies, there are some foods that you need to avoid. This is because some of these foods have proteins that might make the condition worse. The foods you should avoid depend on the type of allergy you are suffering from. If suffering from ragweed pollen allergy, you should avoid melons, sunflower seeds, cucumbers, and bananas.

If suffering from grass pollen allergy, avoid peaches, tomatoes, melons, and celery. You should avoid almonds, cherries, carrots, celery, kiwis, plums, pears, hazelnuts, and apples if you suffer from birch tree pollen allergy. If you aren’t sure of the foods you should avoid, you should get the opinion of your allergy doctor.

Pollen is also found in non-flowering plants

If you ask many people, they will tell you that pollen is only found in flowering plants. Far from this. Experts report that any plant that produces seeds has the potential to produce pollen; therefore, you should be cautious of them. As a seasonal allergy patient, you should know that there are two types of pollen: light and heavy pollen. Light pollen is found in grasses and weeds. Since its light, it’s easily transported by the wind, thus you will find plenty of it in the air. Due to this, you are more likely to breathe it in thus developing allergy symptoms.

Heavy pollen is found in large flowers, roses, and daffodils. It’s usually transmitted by bees, insects, and butterflies. Since it’s not much in the air, it rarely causes allergy.

The pollen count is usually low in the evening

As a person suffering from allergies, you know that you should avoid the allergens as much as you can. Allergy experts report that the pollen count is usually low in the evening and this is the best time that you should be outdoors. Avoid being outdoors when the sun is up as during this period there is a lot of pollen in the air thus you have high chances of developing allergy symptoms.

Conclusion

This is what you need to know about the seasonal allergy. If this is the first time you have the condition, you should visit an allergy clinic and get the input of experts.

Asthma Treatments: 4 Foods You Should Avoid When Suffering From Asthma

When you have asthma, you not only need to be cautious of the quality of the air you breathe, you also need to be wary of the foods that you take. To be on the safe side, here are some of the foods you should avoid taking as recommended by asthma treatments experts:

Nuts

Millions of people around the world are allergic to nuts. According to allergy professionals, the allergy is brought about by the oils from the nuts. When you are allergic to the oil, your airways swell thus worsening your condition. To be on the safe side, you should avoid all types of nuts. This calls for you to be extra cautious when making food purchases. When buying, carefully examine the food labels and ensure that there are no nuts in the food.

Seafood

Seafood contains proteins that cause allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock that can trigger asthmatic attacks. This calls for you to avoid fish, shellfish, and other foods. According to experts, the shock brought about by the foods is usually severe; therefore, you should be cautious that you don’t ingest the food. To avoid surprises or complications, experts recommend that you always carry an epinephrine pen to ease the symptoms in the event of accidental ingestion.

Food preservatives

Most of the canned foods contain preservatives such as sulfites that have often been associated with asthmatic attacks. Food additives such as aspartame and monosodium glutamate have also been shown to affect those with asthma significantly. To be on the safe side, you should avoid foods with additives. Also, avoid taking canned foods such as dried vegetables, fruits, pickles, and shrimp.

Salty foods

Food without salt is tasteless, but you should avoid taking a diet that has a lot of salt. Experts report that a diet rich in salt has adverse effects on the lungs where it has been shown to cause an edematous response that triggers more fluids into the lung tissues. Salt has also been shown to increase mucus products that worsen the allergy attacks. To be safe, and have an easy time managing your condition you should avoid foods with a lot of salts such as pickles and others.

Conclusion

These are some of the foods that you should avoid when you have asthma. In the event you take the foods accidentally, you should rush to an allergy clinic where you will be tested, and the right medication recommended.