by BlondieWrites on August 26, 2009
Many people are aware that allergies affect digestive or respiratory systems however they are also a big enemy of the largest organ – the skin. If you suffer from this condition, it is important to know the effective approach to manage your skin allergies. There are three important things you should know when skin allergies are triggered so that you can avoid them from happening and prevent your skin from getting ruined.
First, understand how these skin allergic reactions are triggered.
Just like how the digestive or respiratory systems react from the allergens inhaled or ingested, your skin overreacts when certain substances or chemicals made contact with it. In some cases, the allergies set in too quickly while there are also other instances when they set in after a while. Either way, it can be very itchy and this can be very serious on your skin. Knowing what type of chemicals that cause the condition is one way to better manage skin allergies.
Second, identify and eliminate skin irritants and allergens that cause the itching or scratching cycle.
This can be hard considering that there are at last three thousands of irritants and allergens which trigger skin allergies. However, knowing or identifying your skin usually comes in contact with will give you a nice start. You have two general types of skin irritants or allergens to look at: natural and man-made ones.
• Latex
Latex is derived from a Brazilian rubber tree. These are natural proteins however when undergone manufacturing process, they become more of allergens which trigger the reactions when an individual suffering the condition comes in contact with it. Gloves are one of the products which are made of latex and are normally used by people.
However, there are others made of such as well, such as the balloons, elastic bands (and those even found in the undergarments), pencil erasers, and even baby pacifiers. If you are known to have allergic reactions, it is best to avoid products that contain latex. Instead, opt for plastic or vinyl.
• Nickel
You can find nickel in many everyday things, such as coins, jewelry, scissors, zippers, and some kitchen and bathroom handles. You can also find it in certain eye shadows, mascara, eye pencils, and others. Nickel allergy patients have risen to 40% for the past years because of the growing popularity of using jewelry, body piercings, and cosmetics.
Aside from this, there are certain foods that contain natural nickel and if you are suffering severe symptoms, you need to undergo supervised medical diet. Avoiding nickel seems to be the best way to stop the allergies as there are currently no means to desensitize nickel allergy reactions.
Third, take care of your skin.
One thing that you can do is to always keep fingernails short. This reduces serious damage from scratching.
Dry skin tends to irritate easily, so it will help if it is kept moisturized and softened. For patients with reactions to certain chemicals, medical doctors may suggest using preparations with topical corticosteroid to control or prevent the inflammation.
When taking a shower, don’t go for hot ones. The heat increases the dryness and itchiness of the skin triggering causing more the irritants to attack. You can use lukewarm water though for 20-30 minutes of soaking. Adding baking soda or oatmeal can help sooth your skin.
Bubble baths are not a good idea since they stop the bathwater from moisturizing and softening your skin. As much as possible, use mild or non-soap cleanser.
It is also important to avoid experiencing heavy perspiration, heavy clothing, and heavy physical contact to stop skin irritants or allergies from being triggered easily. You will also have to remember rinsing the chlorine as soon as possible after swimming in a pool.
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by BlondieWrites on August 26, 2009
It is uncomfortable, not to mention very embarrassing, to experience allergy attacks while outside your place where relief is nowhere near. It is in your best interest then to stay away as much as possible from things that could trigger allergy attacks. Below are some tips that you can follow to prevent public display of allergy symptoms.
Avoid outdoors
First thing on our list is to avoid outdoors especially on occasions and places where your allergy symptoms are noticeably more severe. Allergens are of course more abundant outdoors than indoors which makes it more likely that you experience uncomfortable allergy symptoms outdoors than indoors. It makes sense then that it is okay to stay indoors for several days at a time especially in seasons when allergens prolific.
Use bug and insect repellant
If you are regularly exposed to bugs and if there are higher numbers of bugs in your region, see to it that you are always protected from them and from the things they normally carry. Always wear bug and insect repellants to prevent your self from getting allergic reactions. Also, always go out fully protected with long sleeves, long pants and closed shoes.
Clean Up Your Car
Driving in an unclean car is uncomfortable enough, but that does not end there. Unclean cars can also cause allergy attacks. The interiors of the cars especially the carpets, nooks and other hard-to-reach spaces are not only repositories of dirt but can also serve as breeding places for insects. Clean the interiors of your car regularly, especially if you love driving with the windows down.
Use protective tools
Face masks, gloves and other tools that can help keep allergens from your face and surface of the skin are very helpful in preventing allergy attacks. You can use these whenever you anticipate your exposure to allergens. Otherwise, you might get sick.
Know the seasons for allergies
There are several types of allergies but when it comes to classifications according to season, there are just two types: the perennial allergy and the seasonal allergy. The latter is often a product of seasonal changes. If you have been diagnosed of seasonal allergies, here are the months of the year when you must be more careful while outdoors.
May- May is the high time for grass pollen. If you are allergic with these pollens, try to know your options for allergy attacks prevention.
August to September- These months are most likely to cause you allergic reactions due to the high number of ragweed pollens floating in the atmosphere. Again, secure to it that you have yourself protected from the attacks of allergens.
During late fall- There may not be a lot going on outside but indoors, you must be on guard for dust, ash, hot temperature and humid internal environment. These are conditions conducive for breeding of some insects and bugs and for the development of molds.
If you are allergic to foods, insist not on eating them. If you are allergic to pollens, stay away from gardens, flower shops and flowers. If you are allergic to pets, keep them out of your house. Prevention from allergens and allergic attacks need not be complicated.
Just try to stay away from the causes and risks and you might be able to keep the attacks at bay.
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by BlondieWrites on August 26, 2009
There are many types of allergic reactions coming from various types of food, but not all are aware that wheat allergy also exists. From the word itself, wheat allergy is the adverse conditions which involve the immune system reacting to protein elements naturally found in wheat. Surely, you are already familiar with wheat because it is that what your mother uses to give the bread products reasons to become the bread you are eating.
It is responsible for making the bread elastic, sticky; the cake spongy; and the French bread having crispy crusts. The wheat is the substance that gives the consistency that these goodies need.
Obviously, there are many food goodies that contain wheat. And that makes it scarier, because almost all people live by eating them. And that is sad too, because if you have allergy from wheat, it means you can’t eat those goodies too. But allergy reactions from wheat do not only develop from eating foods that contain wheat. People who are working or are constantly in contact with wheat flour can also become sufferers. In fact, they have higher risk of symptoms such as occupational asthma, which can be triggered if you inhale the wheat flour.
Statistics have shown that there is lower risk in consuming food products with wheat proteins. These products usually contain albumin and gluten, derivatives of wheat. Most people who develop allergic reactions to wheat have allergies to albumin and globulin, also a derivative of wheat.
If an individual has ingested allergy from wheat, they easily experience vomiting and stomach cramps. Some people develop this experience only after a few minutes, but there are also instances that said symptoms manifest after hours. Eczema and skin rashes are symptoms also likely to occur with this specific allergy.
Wheat Allergy Can Be Life-Threatening Too
It appears that inhalant allergens from wheat are the more serious, and can even be life-threatening, than the ingested allergens. Allergic reactions caused by breathing in wheat flour or any flour that contains wheat derivatives can likely trigger heart complications while they give extreme breathing difficulty to individuals exercising. These can be life-threatening because wheat flour and some grain products with wheat derivatives have been a common staple to people’s diet such that wheat allergies are more difficult to diagnose.
How to Detect If the Person Is a Sufferer
If the individual is eating wheat-based food products occasionally, it can make it a little easier to do the diagnosis. If they become sick or develop the symptoms following such occasion, then the wheat can be a strong indicator. If wheat is a regular staple to anyone’s diet and is also constantly sick after consumption, wheat allergy might look easier to be diagnosed.
However, it is tougher to identify the cause. At this point, the best way to do it is to do elimination-challenge test, the more reliable allergy diagnosis method.
If the allergy is caused by eating wheat-based food goodies, it is best to remove it from the diet. It can be particularly difficult a regimen to do, specifically to children who do not know how to understand content labels of the food they eat, but there are other alternatives you can give them such as snack foods that are soy based.
If allergies are coming from dust of wheat flour, it is best to keep that person from that environment where there is wheat flour.
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by BlondieWrites on August 26, 2009
Allergies developed by adults can be particularly hard to diagnose, but even more complex to children as some common symptoms may be also similar indications of other ailments. What makes it even harder is that children are often less capable of describing the symptoms, which leave the parents guessing. When such cases occur, it is always wise to immediately seek help of a trusted physician as they are the right authority to treat and provide medications. But to make it easier for you to see if your child is suffering from a certain allergy, here are five common symptoms related to allergies:
Sinus Infections
When your body overreacts to a certain allergen, it produces more body fluids, which in turn cause the sinus passages to be blocked. There are germs and bacteria that will be able to pass through these passages and as they leave, they also invade the tissues lining your sinus cavity. This causes infection, to which people who have allergies are more susceptible because their body’s immune system weakens from attempting to ward off foreign elements; and thus, causing the body to be less effective in fighting itself from germs. Sinus infections are usually serious conditions as they lead to nasal congestion, headaches, and fever.
Itching Nose
This is one of the most common allergy symptoms in children, and even in adults. The nose easily detects by becoming itchy if there are irritants or allergens in the environment. An itchy, stuffy nose can also clearly define that there are allergens and are more serious when the condition leads to cold. When your child is rubbing their nose which seems to resemble a salute action, this is already an indication of the allergy. In fact, this action has already been nicknamed as the “allergy salute.” Allergic reactions can be prevented by avoiding your child from being in an environment where there are any allergens. But in any case that they get it, the itchy nose can allow you to intervene whatever allergy your child is developing.
Chronic Cough
If the child is dry coughing and it does not seem to go away, this is chronic cough. Sometimes, there is phlegm, in which case can be an indication that there is an increased fluid present in their sinus cavity; thus, is an allergy symptom you should not ignore. Remember that chronic cough is not a condition but rather an allergy symptom; therefore, it is best to eliminate the source of cough for good rather than by just treating it. However, if the cough persists even after eliminating the source, the best course of action is to seek medical help as it can be a symptom of other conditions as well.
Allergic Eczema
If the skin comes in contact with irritants, it develops a skin condition called contact dermatitis. This is less serious. However, if it is persistent and certain physical conditions occur, this can be already associated to allergies. If there are rashes, dryness, redness, and itchiness in the folds of elbows, eyes, knees, and on the face, this is a condition requiring immediate attention, specifically medical treatments.
Dark-Eye Circles
This is usually called, Denni-Morgan lines. These are taken after two physicians’ names who have first established connection between the allergies and the relationship to dark eye circles. And this is also called the allergic shiners, because the discoloration or black, raccoon appearance under the eyes are the results of amplified blood flow occurring in the sinus area and not due to lack of sleep. The circles can also come with extra skin fold.
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